- Posted by Chamie
- Fri, 11/25/2011 - 12:14
Help Me Make the Holidays Happy for My Son-in-Law
I'm looking for help making mother-in-law of the year, and the ROASTe community is ideally positioned to help me out. Two years ago, my beautiful daughter married a charming, very sweet Jewish man. I wouldn't mention it except that it introduced me to the delight of planning Hannukah gifts for the happy couple. I know, I know -- it's not about the presents, but really, gift-giving gives me pleasure, especially when I can work in a theme. Last year's theme was wine -- they're budding wine enthusiasts. I had a great deal of fun assembling a lineup of different wines paired with the proper glassware to best appreciate them, and finished off the gift with a wine refrigerator complete with variable temperature controls. They loved it and have had a great time filling the cooler with their favorite wines.
This year, the theme is coffee. Cara likes coffee, but Jordan is a kindred coffee-loving snob, so this one is really for him. They have a decent coffee grinder, a nice French press and a moka pot, but I'm looking to expand their coffee horizons and introduce Jordan to easy home coffee roasting and a few different methods of brewing. That means I need to assemble eight coffee gifts that all tie together. While I'd love to include a decent espresso machine, that's a bit outside my price range. I've got a few ideas, but I'm looking for suggestions for fun, unusual or beautiful coffee brewers and/or accessories in the under-$25 range that I can include in their gift. So far, the only definite in my list is a hot-air popcorn popper - probably a twin to the one I use to roast my own coffee beans at home.
I'm looking for suggestions for your favorite non-electric coffee brewing equipment. I'm considering a pair of nice ceramic or glass cup-top drippers, a Hario Buono kettle, a Vietnamese phin and a sock pot, but I'm totally open to suggestions. Demitasse sets, coffee drippers and brewers, tampers, moka pots -- what's your favorite inexpensive coffee accessory that I could include in their gift?
And while we're at it, I'm also taking suggestions for coffees to include. I'll be ordering two or three pounds of green beans from Dean's Beans (if you haven't tried Dean's offerings here, stop reading, check them out and order up a pound of Ring of Fire or Marakesh Express -- you won't be sorry), but I also want to include a couple of pounds of roasted coffee beans for them to enjoy. Jordan loves Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Jamaican coffee and Hawaiian Kona -- I'm taking suggestions for other coffees he might enjoy. I'm thinking of introducing him to something nice from Sumatra or thereabouts, a nice Caribbean coffee and possibly something lovely from South America. Suggestions?
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REVIEWS & COMMENTS
@WAKEKNOT
Chamie | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 22:43I'm seriously considering the myPressi -- but for myself, not for them. I'm a good mommy-in-law, but my coffee habit comes first!
@LISA
Chamie | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 22:41A frother is a great idea -- I'm pretty sure they don't have one and my daughter does like lattes and capuccinos.
@SAMUELLAW
Chamie | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 22:39Coffee is definitely on the list -- green coffee beans from Dean's Beans to go with the roaster, and a different coffee to go with each different type of brewer. I'll definitely have to do one of the espressos that everyone keeps recommending, and maybe a Peruvian to go with sock brewer.
YOU MIGHT CONSIDER
Wakeknot | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 21:19the mypressi twist. It is amazing for its price, but it is not cheap in the $25 type of cheap sense. On the other hand i don't think there is anything cheaper that makes good espresso.
SOME GOOD COFFEE OR SIPHON?
samuellaw178 | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 16:55Are they having fresh good coffee right now?If so some fresh coffee from artisan roaster from ROASTe would be a pretty good idea in my opinion. As for coffee brewing, I agree with siphon, aka vacuum pot. It is pretty elegant way of brewing coffee in my opinion. Maybe look at ebay to see if there's any deal?Last I check there are times when you can get a set for under $25. Have to be really lucky though I guess
@EVERYONE -- THANKS...
Chamie | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 16:51for the great ideas, especially the coffee suggestions.
@son ton -- in keeping with my "cheap coffee gifts" theme, I'm going to get them a duplicate of my own personal "coffee roaster" -- the Nostalgia hot air popcorn popper in the picture above. I picked mine up for $5 after Christmas a few years ago and it's gotten a lot of use roasting coffee beans.
And yes, the vac pots and siphon pots are a little out of my price range, but they sure are pretty. I love making coffee in mine, though I don't do it often.
GREAT!
Son Ton | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 15:54sound like you have some great ideas. what roaster are you giving as a gift?
WELL
jbviau | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 15:14You seem to have the gear covered! As for coffee, there are so many choices. Among the "smaller" roasters, I've been pretty impressed with Velton's and Deep Cello lately. From Klatch, this one was great IMO: http://www.roaste.com/product/Klatch-Coffee/El-Salvador-Orange-Bourbon
RE: HELP ME MAKE THE HOLIDAYS HAPPY FOR MY SON-IN-LAW
Lisa | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 14:19What about coffee "toys" such as frothers?
(http://www.roaste.com/product/espressi/mypressi-Milk-Frother)
Or if you really want to be daring - Civet Coffee. It is a sampler size but still may be something that someone may not necessarily buy for themselves.
http://www.roaste.com/product/Heirloom-Vietnamese-Coffee/Kopi-Luwak-Suma...
This is a good coffee too:
http://www.roaste.com/product/Klatch-Coffee/Klatch-Belle-Espresso
SIPHON
yeahyeah | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 14:11It is a bit over the limit but a vac pot would be a great gift too. The coffee tastes great and they are a great center piece at parties as well.
I WOULD SUGGEST GETTING THE
intrepid510 | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 13:48I would suggest getting the book "Home Coffee Roastings; Romance and Revival" by Kenneth Davids. I am reading through it right and now, it's a nice book in that it contains a bit about the history of coffee, but it also gives lots of tips on how to blend beans, storage and how to use various home roasters. Best of all it's only like 12 dollars at Amazon.
OHH...
Chamie | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 13:33I forgot the Aeropress! That's a great suggestion. The Buono kettle is definitely on the list, and I'm torn between several different coffee drippers. Thanks for the suggestions!
AEROPRESS
EricBNC | Fri, 11/25/2011 - 13:00The Aeropress is a great gift - so is the Clever Coffee Dripper along with a nice Hario cone and a Buono kettle.