Christmas coffee as a present: Tips for picking the perfect flavor

Decaf blends and limited Christmas editions included – at least while the stock lasts!

Three reasons for gifting coffee

Universal vouchers give the message of “I didn't know what to get you”. Coffee, on the other hand, says “I know what you enjoy and made a thought out choice”. Especially if you do reach for something more specific than the supermarket brand.

Compared to unnecessary decor, coffee has a major advantage: it’s a consumable. It won’t take up much space in the pantry and it certainly won’t gather dust somewhere in the corner. Instead, it will be transformed into special occasions your giftee will be able to enjoy day by day. And maybe, they will think of you each time they take a sip.

Every coffee lover is different. Some prefer their tried-and-tested flavors, others like to dive into the more unusual varieties, and others still choose to monitor their caffeine intake. That’s why we’ve compiled our tips into six categories, so each can find their own.

Coffee-themed presents that bring the festive atmosphere

These Christmas specialties are available for only a few weeks each year, which gives them some extra value. Christmas Flavored Coffee Sample Set offers five distinct choices and Christmas Gingerbread Flavored Roasted Coffee can bring you the aroma of Christmas no matter the time of year. And the peak is our Christmas Espresso Blend Gift Tin 300g – a limited-edition coffee composed of four individually roasted arabicas.

For everyday coffee lovers

This kind of person makes their favorite coffee without fault every morning. Some people simply know what they like and don’t see a need to change it. For them, reach for the established classics – balanced, reliable, and so good there’s no need for anything else.

Honduras SHG EP Los Geranios Light Roast Coffee grows among the hills of Central America, where fog alternates with rain and the humidity is ever present. Local farmers have worked in a cooperative for over 40 years, growing the Catuai variety with the kind of honed experience that’s extra evident in the result. Brew it using a dripper to fully enjoy the notes of wine, florals, nuts, and dark chocolate.

An even more surefire bet is Brazil Santos NY2. This arabica from the São Paulo region is synonymous with harmony. There’s almost no acidity, which is perfect for people with stomach sensitivities, and it’s full of chocolate-nutty flavors. It’s a great gift for both beginners and experienced coffee enthusiasts – both will appreciate it in their own way.

For those who need a little boost in the morning, we recommend Robusta India Monsooned. After harvesting and drying, these coffee beans were exposed to monsoons for up to seven weeks, which defined their final flavor. Robusta is naturally higher in caffeine, with pronounced bitterness and a dark crema that can even support the weight of sugar crystals. It makes a great base for an espresso.

And if you're looking for something extra convenient that takes mere seconds to prepare, we recommend Ecuador Freeze-dried Instant Coffee – a blend of arabica and robusta (70:30) that, thanks to careful processing, stays fresh and full of subtle notes of wine and citruses. Mix with hot water, stir, and it’s done.

For experienced home baristas

This category is meant for the biggest coffee experts – the ones who have kitchen scales that can distinguish weight down to the tenth of a gram, carefully monitor water temperature, and watch the extraction times. These people will appreciate only the top-quality coffee beans; a random store-bought arabica just won’t do. And maybe they’d enjoy a new tool to help them push their artistic hobby even further.

Let’s start with coffee beans. Costa Rica San Rafael Tarrazu comes from a mountainous region where the coffee plants are cultivated on volcanic soil. Costa Rica is known for their high quality – lower-quality robusta is even banned in the country. The result is an arabica with a full body, caramel sweetness, and minimal acidity.

A more complex taste profile is provided by Burundi Kinyovu Profile. Burundi is a small African country where coffee is very carefully processed. It offers notes of citruses and cinnamon, its body is stable, and the crema is compact. Perfect for a single-origin espresso.

The uttermost highlight of this category is Kenya AA Nakuru Mutungat Microlot. The Nakuru region is riddled with volcanoes and lakes, so the red volcanic soil fills local coffee with minerals that give it a distinctive taste with notes of currant, apricots, grapes, and pomegranate as well as high acidity level. All these coffees are all nicely suited for Bialetti Red Emotion Moka Pot. The vibrant red will add a dash of color into any kitchen and its aluminum body will ensure an even temperature while brewing.

For those who prefer filters, we recommend Hario Pour Over Kit and for always freshly ground coffee, there’s Kaffia Tall Coffee Grinder. This manual grinder with stone burrs is lightweight, portable, and lets you choose the precise coarseness of the resulting ground coffee. If you really want to spoil your giftee, consider also our Single Origin Christmas Coffee Sample Set. It offers coffee varieties from Ethiopia, Brazil, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica as well as our limited-edition Christmas espresso blend.

Simplicity for the well-travelled

Some enjoy coffee in the mountains, others on the beach, and others yet need it with them for every train ride. For travelers, it’s important that the coffee is prepared quickly, doesn’t take up much space, and still tastes amazing.

Ethiopia Yirga Cheffe Light Roast Coffee tastes like apricots and smells like flowers. You can brew it on a filter, it’s sweet, and makes a nice travel companion. Similarly suited for travels is the Organic Tanzania Freeze-Dried 100% Arabica. Freeze-drying preserves all the chocolate and fruit notes.

The best coffee-related travel tool is AeroPress. It’s lightweight, almost indestructible, and AeroPress coffee is ready within minutes. You can play with water temperature, coarseness or type of coffee, and the result will always be at least nice.

If you’d like to give something that satisfies the taste buds as well as curiosity, reach for our World Selection Coffee Sample Set with coffees from Burundi, Mexico, Ethiopia, Java, and Brazil. It’s a small journey across the world from your kitchen. Each coffee is distinctive, yet every single one has been carefully processed and carries the aroma of faraway adventures. You can also try Unique Mexico – Gift Tin 300g. The Maragogype variety has unusually large beans as well as a sweet, balanced taste with notes of fruit. What’s more, the tin looks amazing and it’s packed chock-full.

Gifts for sweet tooths

Not everyone is into acidic or bitter coffee. Some prefer their coffee sweet, aromatic, more like a liquid dessert. High-quality flavored coffees always use arabica as a base and opt for natural flavorings instead of artificial chemicals. Sweet Cuba – Gift Tin 300g contains a Cuban arabica Serrano Superior with a mild, sweet taste and a full body. It has less acidity and a hint of dark chocolate as well as caramel.

Still unsure which coffee would make the best gift? Flavored Coffee Sample Gift Set contains coffees flavored with salted caramel, Irish cream, chocolate truffles, chocolate-orange, and vanilla. Toffee Flavored Roasted Coffee, on the other hand, is a Peruvian arabica with butterscotch flavor – perfect with a croissant for a breakfast or a snack.

For the winter months, we recommend Cinnamon-Apple Flavored Roasted Coffee, reminiscent of homemade apple pie. To make a sweet coffee in a blink, pick up Instant Caramel Coffee. If made correctly, it even has a nice foam. And if your loved one likes to experiment, surprise them with a Caramel Espresso Syrup.

Decaffeinated coffee for dedicated dreamers and natural early birds

Maybe you’re your giftee this year is an expecting woman, a nursing mom, or just someone who wants to fall asleep easily even after having coffee. In that case, consider the rich Mexico HG Swiss Water Decaf or the organic Honduras SHG Swiss Water Decaf.

For those aforementioned sweet tooths, we offer Eggnog Decaf Coffee, a decaffeinated arabica with a festive liqueur flavoring. Or maybe Cinnamon Flavored Roasted Coffee with the bittersweet chocolate and nutty notes full of cinnamon flavor.