You see them every day. They know everything about you- at least everything about how you drink your coffee. Whether you’re friends, roommates, lovers, or casual acquaintances, your barista is important to you, and you want to show them how much you care. That’s why we’ve assembled a gift guide that is guaranteed to put a smile on your barista’s face. (Unless you’re crushing. That’s just weird.)
1. Travel Mug
As much as we all wish we could slowly sip that first cup of coffee in a ceramic mug while leisurely reading the morning paper, sometimes you got to take your coffee to go. These matte black travel mugs from Louisville’s Quills Coffee (my own place of employment) offer double-walled, vacuum-sealed insulation and a airtight lid that isn’t going to leak. The original design by Quills’s owner and founder Nathan Quillo is pretty nifty too. You might be surprised to discover that 8 ounces is the perfect amount of coffee for a barista- we really don’t drink that much!
2. OE Lido Hand Grinder
We can’t say it enough, your grinder is your most important piece of coffee equipment. Without a good one you can’t make good coffee. No exceptions. As we’ve written elsewhere, we love hand grinders, which allow you to save money on electronics and spend it on a good burr set. We’ve used a lot of hand grinders, but Idaho’s Orphan Espresso makes the best. The recently released Lido 3 features a collapsable handle, but we still prefer the Lido 2, which features 48mm Italian steel burrs and more metal parts. Read our full review for the low down.
3. Pergtamp
A lumberjack needs an axe, a chef needs a knife, and a barista needs a good tamper. Australian coffee super star Matt Perger designed this tamp to maximize extraction by increasing the surface area of a conventional tamper by 2 cm2. That small improvement has a huge impact on flavor. The Pergtamp is available in the USA through Heart Roasters.
4. Coffee Subscription
Trust us, coffee is the last thing your barista wants for Christmas, unless that coffee is from Copenhagen’s acclaimed roaster the Coffee Collective. Founded in 2007 by four coffee industry veterans, the Coffee Collective has remained on the bleeding edge of the coffee industry. With a rigorous direct trade program and a distinctively light roasting style, the Coffee Collective offers a coffee tasting experience like few others. And with a strong dollar and free international shipping it’s never been easier to enjoy the benefits of the Coffee Collective’s subscription program stateside.
5. Coffee Compass T Shirt
A Coffee Compass original. These beautiful t shirts designed by Ryan Harrison feature our logo and everyone’s favorite grinder, the Mahlkönig EK43. Only downside? The American Apparel 50/50 fabric is so comfy you’ll never want to take it off. Interested in one or two or a dozen? Email us.
6. La Marzocco Linea Mini
Looking for something extravagant for the retired barista in your life? It’s hard to beat the La Marzocco Linea Mini. The Linea Mini features preinfusion, temperature control, and a steam wand powerful enough to pour some killer latte art. No one misses 4 AM alarms or mocha syrup stains on clothes, but every former barista misses making themselves a cappuccino.
7. Aeropress
Your barista’s biggest secret: they never make coffee at home. When you’re already in a coffee shop 40 hours a week it’s a lot easier to swing by the shop for a quick espresso on your day off. But sometimes you have to visit your parents/in-laws/ go camping, and that’s exactly why your barista needs an Aeropress. Its compact, collapsable size makes its perfect for travel and most techniques don’t require any other equipment besides a timer and scale, making it ideal to throw in a backpack and take on the road.
8. Acaia Lunar
Do you know why your barista is better than you at making a coffee? They use a scale. And if they could afford it, they would use this one. Autotare and autostart timer are just a couple features on the Acaia Lunar. And did we mention it’s completely water proof? Lucky for you, our sponsors Prima Coffee have one of the best deals on the Acaia Lunar on the internet.
9. Greenway Coffee Co. x Yuketan Sneaker Moc High
Yes, your barista makes only slight more than minimum wage, but they still love designer clothes. There’s a pretty good chance they’re stashing their tips aways to get a pair of these Yuketan Sneaker Moc Highs, designed in collaboration with Houston’s Greenway Coffee. Steel shank reinforced arch support and a cork outsole are designed with the service industry in mind.
10. Wilfa Precision Coffee Maker
Do you know your barista really wants for Christmas? To be able to get their first cup of coffee every morning without doing anything. Which is exactly why you should get them a Wilfa Precision Coffee Maker. World Barista Champion/ coffee farmer Tim Wendelboe served as the lead consultant on this device, which is beautiful in both form and function. Read why our friend Brian Beyke loves his Wilfa.
So true about never makinfmaking coffee at home.
It’s not just baristas who want to be able to get their first cup of coffee every morning/every cup ever without doing anything. But yes, this is particularly true if you’re about the spend the whole day brewing to. Some really great christmas gift ideas for all coffee lovers here though; a coffee subscription would be a great idea for any coffee-enthusiast.