15 Gifts For That Very Special Coffee Geek In Your Life

Chemex
If your favorite java-head hasn’t converted to Chemex, now is the time. The beautiful beaker-like vessel fastened with a wooden girdle and available in 3-, 6-, 8- and 10-cup sizes is on permanent display at the MoMA in New York. The simple, attractive design ensures a clean brew, free of the harsh over-extractions other apparatuses can cause. Also see: 12 Videos Of People Explaining How To Properly Use A Chemex. $35-$43, amazon.com

Craft Coffee Subscription
Subscription services are all the rage these days. Think of it as a coffee-of-the-month club for fans of craft roasters. For as little as $20 a month with free shipping, you’ll receive your monthly beans from indie roasters around the country, like Coava in Portland, Dogwood in Minneapolis and Olympia Coffee in Washington state. $20-$25, Craft Coffee

AeroPress
It may look like the sort of apparatus you wouldn’t want airport security to pull out of your suitcase in public, but this plunge-operated brewing system has a total cult following. Air pressure speeds up brewing, avoiding the bitter notes that can creep into coffee brewed using slower methods for a rich, smooth, grit-free cup. $26 amazon.com

The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee
It’s like a coffee table book about coffee. Authors James and Caitlin Freeman, the founders of cult craft roaster Blue Bottle, take the reader from bean to cup, with plenty of eye-popping coffee porn along the way. In addition to grower stories and brewing tips, you’ll also find a section on cakes and other edibles (Caitlin’s department). Read our interview with James Freeman. $25, Amazon

Baratza Virtuoso Burr Grinder
As any coffee geek will tell you, it’s not a good idea to skimp on your grinder. Cheaper models are often equipped with blades rather than conical burrs, which is like putting your coffee into a common blender. Baratza’s Virtuoso model has 40 settings, an adjustable timer and a high-powered motor for quieter operation. $229, amazon.com

Kone
Pour-over brewing is gentle and artful, but boy does it waste paper. Cut your carbon footprint with this stainless steel reusable filter, made in the U.S.A. The Kone allows for more of the bean’s oils to accumulate, resulting in a more robust cup than with a paper filter. Looks sharper, too. $60, amazon.com

Bodum Chambord French Press
No matter how many cool, innovative brewing contraptions emerge, certain coffee lovers won’t trade in their French press for any of them. Bodum’s Chambord design is the standard by which other presses are judged. Portable and affordable, it produces a robust cup of coffee sure to wake you up in the morning. $39.99, amazon.com

Porlex Hand Mill Grinder
If you think electricity is for sissies, invest in a hand mill grinder. This one is equipped with ceramic burrs for an even grind, and is smartly compact should you want to take it camping or, say, on your next sleepover (ahem). Not a bad way to get a mild morning workout, either. $75, amazon.com

Bonavita Electric Kettle
If pour-over is your brewing method of choice, you’ll want the right sort of kettle. A fine goose neck like the one on this kettle helps you direct the water precisely where it needs to go. Plus, this baby boils water in less than three minutes, so you can enjoy your morning cup sooner than later. $89.99, amazon.com

La Spaziale Vivaldi II Espresso Machine
An espresso machine is nothing to trifle with. It’s not worth getting one if you can’t get a good one. And a good one is an investment, to be sure. While the top machines in specialty coffee bars can cost up to $20,000, you can get a great machine for your home for much less. This attractive double-boiler model gets plumbed directly into your water line and comes with custom wood side panels. $2,295, amazon.com

Left Coast Roast: A Guide to the Best Coffee and Roasters from San Francisco to Seattle
Barista-turned-author Hanna Neuschwander offers a comprehensive guide to roasters of the West Coast, from indie craft operations to icons like Peet’s to Starbucks, and how they’ve influenced the greater third-wave coffee movement. $17, Amazon

Hario V60 Drip Coffee Scale
When a coffee lover gets serious, he or she can become obsessed with a more precise and consistent brew. And that means measuring, well, everything. This scale not only measures the coffee beans and hot water required, but is also equipped with a timer so that you can clock your extraction to the second. $70, Able Brewing

CDN ProAccurate Insta-Read Thermometer
If you’re going to go to the trouble of sourcing beautiful beans, grinding them with care and weighing the exact right amount, the last thing you want to do is scorch your coffee with boiling water. This analog thermometer, good for brewing and milk frothing, allows you to see how close you are to the desired temperature, unlike many digital ones. $10, Amazon

Tamper
Ask your barista: a great espresso is all in the tamping. This hand-hewn, American-made tamper has a hardwood shaft and stainless-steel base. According to the manufacturer, it has  “enough weight that it basically tamps by itself.” Booya. $53, Red Rooster Trading Co.

Intelligentsia Thermal Shirt
We love the coffee from this roaster, but who knew that it also made great thermal wear? OK, it doesn’t actually make this waffle-knit long-sleeved tee; the logo is simply printed on an American Apparel shirt. But how cool is Intelligentsia’s logo? Keep your favorite coffee geek warm and well caffeinated this holiday season. $24, Intelligentsia Coffee