CH Gift Guide: Coffee Culture
Chris King’s espresso tamper, DFA’s tazza, Slate Coffee’s Nightcap decaf, year-round beans from Heart and more items inspired by the complex tropical plant
Maybe it’s a cappuccino on a cold winter morning, an espresso during your afternoon fika or a cup poured from a French press after a dinner with friends—whenever and however you drink coffee, chances are you always feel it hits the spot. As one of the world’s favorite beverages—enjoyed in seemingly infinite ways, from hot to cold and long to short with an insurmountable choice of beans—coffee (and coffee-related gifts) can be appreciated by almost everybody. We’ve narrowed down some options this holiday season, and below are 10 items from the Cool Hunting gift guide that are sure to make any java-head happy.
Tonx Coffee Subscription
Make sure that first cup of Joe each morning is worth waking up for with a subscription coffee service for coffee connoisseurs. Delivering freshly roasted 12 or 24-ounce bags of beans bi-weekly to your doorstep, Tonx works directly with speciality farmers around the world to ensure they supply you with quality all year. No matter your preferred ritual—be it French press, Chemex or pour over—Tonx means you’ll never have a case of the Mondays ever again. $19
Heart Coffee Subscription
Make sure your coffee-enthusiast loved ones are never lacking in the finest beans with a coffee subscription from Portland’s acclaimed Heart Roasters. Opt for weekly or bi-weekly service starting at three months for a pound of some of the finest beans this side of the Atlantic, mailed from Heart directly to your door. Give them a few preferences for roast and brewing style and they’ll do the rest. $135
Impress Coffee Brewer
The Impress Coffee Brewer combines a traditional French press with a travel mug, making it a great resource for mornings when there’s no time to steep. The clever design separates the grounds with an extra-fine filter basket, delivering a few clean cups of coffee, all while the double-walled stainless steel outer cup remains cool to the touch. $40
Leather Pint Glass + Coffee Cup Sleeve
Cocoon your beverage of choice in this classy hand-stitched leather drink holder from Friday & River. As you save the earth, one disposable koozie at a time, the biggest challenge you will face is whether to sip on the booze or hit the caffeine. Crafted in the US from a natural vegetable-tanned leather, which only gets better with age. $35
DFA Espresso Mug
We like our coffee strong and our beats heavy. Fine musical taste combines with the fine taste of your morning brew in this snazzy espresso mug from DFA records. Made in a limited edition of just 120, these tazza-style mugs are emblazoned with the NY-based label’s signature lightening bolt logo and read “get weird, get wired.” $10
Rubber-Dipped Dot Mugs
Cooper-Union grad and Greenpoint resident Josephine Heilpern crafts everyday art objects, meant to be loved as much for their ritualistic function as their eye-catching aesthetics. The artist’s printmaking background greatly influences her work, replete with patterns, and she takes inspiration from various design references, including the prominent Memphis Group. With its sunshine-yellow handle and whimsical polka dots, Heilpern’s Rubber-Dipped Dot Mug is sure to be a well-loved everyday vessel, as energizing as your morning brew. $30
Blue Bottle Coffee Beans
There’s nothing like gifting a bag of beans from the roaster known to refuse serving espresso in a paper cup, so as not to compromise the integrity of their beans’ distinctive flavor. Born in San Francisco and branched into NYC, Blue Bottle does more than never disappoint; their beans elevate every morning brew into an exquisite tasting experience with a good little buzz. $17
Nightcap Decaf
The friendly team behind Seattle’s Slate Coffee is dedicated to “the elevation of coffee culture.” Their highly methodical but minimalist approach allows the carefully selected beans to really shine and, with a bag of their Ethiopian decaf, you can enjoy all of the roast’s immense flavor even right before bed. $8
Coffee Spoons
From her Unique Series, Carola Zee’s set of four gray ceramic coffee spoons for Label Aleph will delight any bean expert. The various porcelain shapes are manipulated by pressing the thumb into the clay—a key feature in the design—not only for functionality but because it uniquely molds each shape during the firing process. $22
Chris King Espresso Tamper
Bike expert Chris King custom-crafted this professional-grade espresso tamper for Rapha and it’s the perfect accessory to prep for those early morning rides. With King’s legendarily talented hands at work and design insights from his collaborator, the America Barista & Coffee School, all topped off with Rapha’s signature pink accents, java-heads and cycling enthusiasts will find plenty to appreciate in this high-quality tamper. $125
