The 30 Best Gifts for Coffee Lovers

Every latte enthusiast—whether they prefer an ube, an oat, or a straight classic version—needs a great milk frother, and our kitchen team tested 14 of them for an upcoming guide. It takes the handheld Golde Superwhisk—among the team’s top two favorites—less than a minute to whip up thick milk foam. This whisk is comfortable to hold and rechargeable via the included USB cord, and it elegantly incorporates any powdered mix-ins (like protein powder, matcha, and cocoa). Meanwhile, the pitcher-style Instant Magic Froth 9-in-1 froths and also warms milk, with nine settings for a range of preferences. It makes silky, decadent foam for both dairy and non-dairy milks. And it can even melt and blend mix-ins, such as chocolate shavings or chips, for hot chocolate.

Whether or not your giftee is a New Yorker, this adorable tribute to the iconic takeout cup is sure to delight. The late Leslie Buck, Sherri Cup’s director of marketing, designed the original paper cup with a visual nod to Greece, in order to break into the hot-cup market of the city’s many Greek diners. At just 8 by 4 millimeters, the 14-karat yellow gold Catbird New York Coffee Cup Charm is too petite to display the 1963 design’s “We Are Happy To Serve You” script. Instead, it’s simply embellished with “New York.” It does, however, have a removable lid, to mimic a plastic topper—a sweet extra for fidgeters.

In name and appearance, shortbread is an unassuming treat. But this butter-centric cookie—a centuries-old Scottish luxury purportedly refined by Mary, Queen of Scots—makes the case for old-fashioned deliciousness in its simplicity. The outstanding Shortbread House of Edinburgh Original Shortbread biscuits are made in a family-owned bakery in Scotland, and they’re the best ones that staff writer Mari Uyehara has ever had. They have a melt-in-your-mouth butteriness and a pleasingly gritty crunch (thanks to the novel addition of ground rice), so they’re an ideal counterpoint to coffee’s bitter and acidic notes. These biscuits, which are housed in pretty, colorful tins, also come in different flavors, including Spanish clementine, Sicilian lemon, and clotted cream.

Pop Chart’s Compendious Coffee Chart illustrates all of the ways people brew and serve coffee. (Whoever made it must have been fully caffeinated.) Trace it backwards, and you can figure out how to make your favorite drinks, since it outlines the ratios, ingredients, and equipment. Really, though, it’s just a fun way for a coffee lover to display their devotion to the art of the bean. The 24-by-18-inch print comes unframed; you can have it mounted on a birch-plywood panel for an extra fee.

The Cuisinart GK-1 Digital Gooseneck Kettle—our top pick for electric gooseneck kettles—has a precise, angled spout that’s perfect for making pour-over coffee, perhaps with the Kalita Wave Dripper or the Chemex. Its technical details are fine-tuned: The temperature control is adjustable by five-degree increments, and its rounded handle is easy to maneuver. It has a matte black finish, so it doesn’t pick up fingerprints like stainless steel does. And with its shapely design and small footprint, it looks lovely sitting on a kitchen counter.

One of New York City’s few affordable amenities: grabbing a coffee from a street cart before running to catch the subway on a harried morning. The Ceramic Greek Coffee Cup pays tribute to the classic takeout design from 1963 with a sustainable twist. Unlike the disposable paper original, this cup is dishwasher- and microwave-safe.

The lightweight Timemore Chestnut C2 Manual Coffee Grinder is our favorite model under $100. Our testers appreciated its impressively smooth and speedy grinding action. And the handle comes off, so this grinder is easy to store or to travel with—excellent for outdoorsy coffee devotees who don’t want to sacrifice fresh grounds. They can dial in the coarseness and chop through about 3 tablespoons of coffee at a time.

Beans stay freshest when stored in an airtight vessel, somewhere cool and dry. An Airscape Ceramic Coffee Canister is just the thing. Available in small (to hold a half-pound of beans) and medium (to hold a pound), this vessel has a vacuum seal that pushes air out to keep its contents fresh. And thanks to its streamlined aesthetic and bamboo lid, the canister looks adorable on a countertop or kitchen shelf (though we don’t love the logo printed on the outside).

The Japanese ceramics company Hasami (which takes its name from its district) has been making porcelain objects for more than 400 years. And the handmade, hand-glazed Hasami Mug, which is microwave- and dishwasher-safe, is a longtime favorite of many Wirecutter staffers. Because these sleek mugs stack effortlessly, they even look cohesive when collected in different sizes and complementary colors.

No one likes a lukewarm cup of coffee. And in recent times, a number of keep-it-hot tech products have popped up as solutions. In our mug-warmer testing, we were impressed by the Ember Mug 2, which allows you to control the temperature (from a toasty 120 °F to a piping-hot 145 °F) via an app on your phone. The Ember, however, has to be washed by hand. So if your coffee-drinking friend prefers to throw everything in the dishwasher or to use their own mug, consider the more affordable Bestinnkits Smart Coffee Warmer, which plugs into the wall and heats a cup from the bottom instead.

At Wirecutter, we’re obsessed with the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug, which has remained our top pick for years. When your loved one receives this travel mug, they will be equally enthusiastic. With its vacuum insulation, the Zojirushi mug keeps coffee hot for hours, even in cold environments, like on a winter hike or in a chilly apartment. (It’s equally good at keeping iced coffee cool.) And thanks to the secure lid-locking mechanism, this vessel doesn’t spill a drop. The Zojirushi mug also comes in several cute color options, so you can choose the one that suits your gift recipient’s style.

The espresso drinker on your list will adore the tiny, colorful Felt+Fat Espresso Cup. This mini cup is available as a single piece or in sets, and it comes in an assortment of colors (including off-white, gray, red-orange, and pink). It holds 3 ounces of liquid, so it’s just the right size for a pick-me-up shot. Senior editor Marguerite Preston, who has used these little cups for a few years, said she would get them for “anyone who makes espresso at home, whether with a machine or a moka pot.”

It’s annoying when hot coffee gets cold or when iced coffee turns lukewarm. To keep drinks at a relatively steady temperature, senior staff writer Lesley Stockton swears by the Bodum Pavina Double Wall Glasses. Made from heat-resistant borosilicate glass, the stylish tumblers have a double-wall construction, which keeps beverages at their desired temperatures longer. These smooth, rounded glasses are also just nice to hold, and they can be put in the dishwasher, microwave, and freezer.

Made from titanium-coated stainless steel, the Barista Warrior Reusable Coffee Filter saves money and eliminates paper waste. Unlike paper filters, this fine mesh filter doesn’t strip the natural oils from the coffee, so it can produce a richer cup, but that also means it will let a minimal amount of silt through. (If your coffee-loving friend isn’t a fan of French press coffee’s slight grittiness, they may want to stick with paper filters.) This filter fits the Chemex and the Hario V60, and it comes with a lifetime guarantee. Staff writer Samantha Schoech has been using hers for more than 10 years (and she admits she’s never done the recommended vinegar soak), and it still works beautifully.

Yuki Izumi, coffee director at Hi-Collar, a café and sake bar in New York City’s East Village, recommends the Cafflano Klassic All-in-One for someone who is always on the go. “I bought it for one of my friends who constantly tours as a musician, and he loves it.” The multi-tasking vessel contains everything a person needs to brew and hold their coffee: a ceramic burr grinder, a kettle, a stainless filter dripper, an insulated tumbler, and a lid.

Wirecutter’s coffee aficionados (including a former barista) swear by this little stovetop kettle from a Japanese enamelware maker. The Tsuki Usagi Jirushi Slim Pot’s spout provides excellent precision and control. And with its slender profile and elegant design, it looks beautiful on any shelf. Some people even water plants with it.

In our search for the best dripper, we brewed more than 150 cups of pour-over coffee. And we found that the single-cup Kalita Wave 185 Dripper made consistently flavorful, balanced cups, thanks to its even water drainage. This easy-to-use dripper comes in three simple materials: glass, ceramic, and stainless steel—all of which resist staining. If your favorite coffee drinker prefers a bit more sartorial flair, and they have their technique down, the Hario V-60 Coffee Dripper Size 02 (our runner-up pour-over pick) now comes in a variety of muted, modern colors, including dune, matte pink, and purple heather.

Both utilitarian and aesthetic, the Chemex brewer is the pinnacle of pour-over gear. Designed in 1941, this minimalist coffee maker has earned a spot in the MoMA’s permanent collection. It doubles as a carafe, and in our tests it produced a bright, delicious brew that our panelists loved. Also, the Chemex can brew six cups of coffee at a time (unlike our other favorite dripper, the aforementioned Kalita Wave 185, which maxes out at 12 ounces).

Although we love the Chemex coffee maker, we admit that it cools off quickly. Enter the zip-up neoprene Hexnub Cozy, which offers the glass vessel some much-needed insulation. It comes in multiple sizes to fit every Chemex model, and it also protects the glass from bumps, bangs, and scratches. To clean off any spots or spills, the recipient can simply rinse the cozy under a faucet with a little dish soap.

In our tests, drinks made in the pint-sized Nespresso Essenza Mini were of the same quality as those made in machines costing $400 or more. Our testers were also smitten with this machine’s simplicity. Espresso enthusiasts need only fill the reservoir with water, pop in a capsule, and choose espresso or lungo. What follows, in seconds, is a rich crema atop a flavorful shot. Even more wonderful, the Essenza Mini comes with a two-year warranty, lifetime access to Nespresso’s technical hotline, and flat-fee repairs in perpetuity.

For someone who doesn’t have a copious amount of counter space and wants a full-bodied cup of joe in a jiffy, a French press is a great brewing method. After testing 15 presses and making more than 75 pots of coffee over the years, we’ve selected the shapely Espro P6 French Press as our upgrade pick. It makes great-tasting, grit-free coffee, and it also keeps that coffee hot for hours, thanks to its insulated double walls. As is the case with all Espro models, the P6 is designed to stop extracting once you’ve pressed, so if coffee sits in the press for a couple of hours, it won’t turn as bitter or sour. And, best of all, the P6 is dishwasher-safe, so cleanup is a breeze.

Anyone who loves drinking iced coffee year-round will likely love receiving a good cold-brew coffee maker. For this method, you soak grounds for several hours in cold water; the process creates a sweeter, milder-tasting coffee that’s also low on bitterness and acidity. (There’s even a camp of coffee drinkers who heat up their cold brew to get a smoother hot cup.) After testing, our very favorite cold-brew model is the OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker. It produces cold coffee with balanced acidity, a stronger aroma, and a cleaner finish than what you get from the competition. On top of that, we found that the OXO model was the easiest to use and clean.

Senior staff writer Sarah Witman tested six moka pots (which make an espresso-like coffee on the stovetop). And she confirmed that her beloved Bialetti Moka Express was the best, in terms of both function and fashion. This pot has a simple design, so it’s easy to use and clean, and it brews smooth-tasting coffee. With its art deco–inspired shape, it looks chic on any countertop, too. That’s particularly true if you opt for the Dolce & Gabbana version, which has a striking, cherry-red bottom and an intricately patterned top inspired by two-wheeled, horse-drawn Sicilian carts. This moka pot is pricier than the original, but it’s still a fraction of the cost of an actual espresso machine.

Wirecutter’s coffee fanatics are obsessed with the original AeroPress. In 2005, inventor Alan Alder wanted to create a device that brewed pour-over coffee, sans the fussy process, and it has been a hit with coffee nerds ever since. Just add ground coffee and hot water to the tube-like chamber. After two minutes, plunge the coffee through a paper filter for a bright, smooth brew. While the original is certainly portable, the AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press conveniently houses all of its accessories (stirrer, scoop, filters) in a container that doubles as a cup. When she worked in an office, staff writer Mari Uyehara kept an AeroPress in her desk drawer. The coffee’s that good.

If the coffee drinker on your list brews using several methods, they may appreciate having a better way to organize all of those filters. The Unibene Bamboo Coffee Filter Holder neatly stores filters for a standard coffee maker, for an AeroPress, and for a pour-over dripper. And it looks so much neater than a random stack of cardboard boxes with filters spilling out.

This cardboard box, containing eight 4-ounce bags of beans, looks unassuming, but it unfurls like a scroll, revealing intricate line drawings and brewing advice. Each bag within the Onyx Coffee Lab Collection Box indicates the roasting date, the coffee’s origins, tasting notes, details on how the beans were processed (natural or washed), and where the flavor falls on a scale of “traditional” (chocolaty, nutty) to “modern” (citrusy, floral). If your coffee-loving pal happens to fall for a certain bean, they can order bags up to 5 pounds directly from Onyx or start a subscription.

Wirecutter staffers love coffee subscription services. Our resident coffee snob, supervising editor Ben Keough, insists that the Atlas Coffee Club makes the best gift. Each month’s coffee comes from a different country, and not just from Colombia or Ethiopia (as with many other services). Atlas also gets beans from countries such as Peru, Rwanda, and Papua New Guinea—ideal for coffee drinkers looking to expand their horizons. Each package includes a postcard with fun facts about that country’s coffee industry. And through an onboarding questionnaire, the recipient can select their roast and grind preferences.

For busy coffee drinkers or those who travel a lot, instant coffee would be a boon. It’s a shame, then, that it’s long had a reputation for tasting awful. Not so anymore: Our kitchen team tested 15 instant coffees and found some great ones. Verve Coffee Roasters’ Streetlevel Craft Instant Coffee makes a particularly good gift. With notes of citrus, apple, and honey, it has some acidity, and its mild flavor is unlikely to offend anyone. Note: We prefer it brewed with 9 ounces of water, instead of the recommended 10.

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

Dorie Chevlen contributed reporting. This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.