It’s that time of year again, that tiny Gregorian sliver when being a silly little coffee gear geek is no longer levied pejoratively. Here in 2025 there is no shortage of very cool gear for coffee lovers of all stripe. The world of coffee is vast and there are tools to match. This year Sprudge Managing Editor Zac Cadwalader is picking out 15-ish gifts that any coffee lover would go gaga over. These are things any coffee lover (and also, specifically, Zac Cadwalader) would love to receive and/or have. No matter your level of coffee knowledge or knowledge of your favorite coffee lover’s level of involvement, there is a gift idea here for you.
Slow Pour Supply Gift Card
Sometimes writers will just slap a gift card option to the bottom of their guides as a space filler; they need to hit a certain number for the listicle to reach maximal SEO profitability. This is not one of those times and it’s why I’m leading up with the gift card top. Game recognize game as it were. Slow Pour Supply is a one-stop shop for thoughtful coffee gifts of all stripe. It’s so well curated that anything you choose is going to be a hit. But it does run into the issue of, you have to know the coffee preferences of the person you’re buying for. Which is why the gift card is so clutch. Just give them a gift card and let them go to town. I have previously suggested the Kimera, their tri-spout latte art pitcher, and I considered doing it again, but everything at Slow Pour Supply is worth gifting. They even have their own gift guide.
Twist my arm and make me choose a single gift and I’m heading straight to their filters page, because what would be cooler to receive as a pour-over dork than a selection of different paper filter types to experiment with. This would require you to know about that person’s brewing proclivities, flat versus conical etc., but if you do, it would be a deeply loved gift. Otherwise, gift cards, baby!
Crowka Pot
2025 was the Year of the Moka Pot and an annual coffee gift guide would be wise to take that into consideration. You could of course get the classic Bialetti moka pot. It’s iconic for a reason. But in 2025 there was a clear winner in the moka pot wars. The Crowka Pot. It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a moka pot, shaped like a crow. A little silly maybe, but news of the Crowka Pot was one of the most beloved stories we ran this year, and that’s hard to argue with. Now, the Crowka Pot is currently on pre-order, which means it’s unlikely to arrive in time to make it under the tree. If that’s a dealbreaker, then consider the Turbo Moka. It’s another design-forward take on the traditional moka pot, and it’s ready to ship right this very instant. Otherwise, put a bird on it.
Hand Grinders
I love hand grinders. I don’t know why but I do. Something about being able to make fresh coffee anywhere you go. Hand grinders these days are so good that they could easily replace the tabletop grinder, were one willing to apply the requisite elbow grease day in and day out. And there are so many good options.
My go-to hand grinder, the one I’ve used for a decade now and taken with me around the world is the Comandante C40. It is the gold standard of hand grinders. And the newer models are even better. Sturdier, smoother, with a handful of finishing options. They’ve even recently released the C60, which uses 60mm conical burrs as opposed to the 40mm in the C40. (In the burr world, bigger is usually better.) Some would say the Comandante is maybe a little too big for ulta-light travel, and if weight is the top concern they may be right. But I’ve taken my into the backwoods many a time and was glad for it. The results speak for themselves (and I have on more than one occasion used it to make what I can only describe as a frustratingly good shot of espresso).
Speaking of not packable but worth it, the Pietro Pro by Fiorenzato. If the Comandante is the one I have, the Pietro Pro is the one I want. This is because it is one of the only, if not the only, flat burr hand grinder on the market. I personally prefer flat burrs to conical; they are generally more even and I can really push the fineness. As a manual grinder, though, they can be a bit bulky. But if anything were to ever get me away from my Comandante, it would be the Pietro Pro.
A third option for those valuing packability would be AeroPress’s new Manual Coffee Grinder. It’s small and compact, with the key feature being its ability to nest inside the plunger of an AeroPress coffee maker. If the person you are buying for is an outdoorsy type, where light and efficient are key factors, this may be the grinder for them.
Flair Espresso Machine
Coffee is as much a ritual as it is a beverage. It’s the care and the process and the attention that goes into it that are as important as the results themselves. For lovers of ritual, especially the cost-conscious espresso fanatics, the Flair Manual Espresso Machine fits the bill. The Flair is a little more involved than a traditional home espresso machine, which those looking to pull a quick shot may not love, but for those willing to slow down and take in the process, it’s hard to deny the allure of manual espresso making. And honestly, at $149, the cost of the Flair Classic, you’d be hard pressed to find a less expensive means of making cafe-quality espresso.
DiFluid Refractometer
Go with me down the coffee geek rabbit hole now if you will. Total Dissolved Solids, or TDS, is a measurement of how much of the coffee made it into your cup of coffee. For those looking to fine tune their brewing or shot pulling, it is a crucial data point. There is so much you can learn about your coffee making by knowing the TDS of your brews. The tool used to measure TDS is called a refractometer, which historically have been prohibitively expensive for home use. The VST Lab refractometer goes for over $700, which is a tough pill to swallow, even for the geekiest geeks. Enter the R2 Extract by DiFluid. It’s smaller, cheaper ($229), and app-connected, and it opens the world of refractometry to the home user.
CremaLoop Slow Feeder
In the home grinder world, everyone is chasing consistency. The more similar in size the coffee grounds are, the clearer the flavor. But grinders can only be so precise; they’re basically crushing machines. The traditional solution to the problem is to use bigger burrs and stronger motors with more torque. This helps alleviate the risk of a persnickety little bean gumming up the works (imagine a grinder stopping and starting and how that would affect grind consistency). But this solution comes with a hefty price tag as well as requiring the purchase of a whole new grinder. The CremaLoop Slow Feeder offers another option. It’s an attachment that goes on top of the hopper that controls the rate at which coffee is fed into it, thus reducing the risk of the grinder getting overloaded. This promotes greater grind consistency without requiring the purchase of a whole new grinder. There are versions for most commercially available grinders as well as a variable speed model, and they won’t run you more than $120. (CremaLoop will also make you a custom one for $150 if they don’t currently make one for your grinder.)
Acaia Ion Beam
Another sticking point in the home grinder world is grind retention. Static builds up inside the grinder, and the small, nearly weightless particles cling to the interior. One option folks go with is given the coffee a little spritz of water before loading up the hopper, which is a pretty effective hack. But this is a gear guide not a workaround guide. Thus the Acaia Ion Beam is the only real option worth considering. It works by shooting a steady stream of ions at the grinder chute, neutralizing the static build up. The result is less grind retention and decreased clumping. And as a stand alone unit, it works with any grinder.
STC Turkish Coffee Maker
I included this in last year’s gift guide and I’m doing so again because it is one of the easiest wins when it comes to coffee gifts. The facts of the matter are these: everyone who has ever had it loves Turkish coffee; very few coffee nerds own a cezve/ibrik, the item used to make Turkish coffee; and beautiful, handcrafted pieces of hardware always make for thoughtful gifts. And that’s what the STC (Specialty Turkish Coffee) provides. Created by Turgay Yildizli, a former World Cezve/Ibrik Champion, the STC line of Turkish coffee makers are well-built, purpose-minded, and absolutely stunning to look at. Just talking about them has me eyeing my STC Pro copper 2-cup sitting on my coffee shelf. This is the sort of gift that the coffee person in your life won’t even know they wanted until they open the package and wonder how they lived so long without it.
Home Grinders
I’m loathe to write this particular entry because of its near impossibility. Grinders are expensive, and even if you’re willing to pony up (which is very kind of you), you have to know quite a bit about the coffee habits of the person you are buying for. Which is why I would normally avoid the topic altogether. BUT, if you do know a little something about the giftee’s coffee habits, then there are some options. If, for instance, the person you are buying for is somewhat new to the world of specialty coffee and home brewing, then the Baratza Encore Pro is the way to go. It’s an omni-grinder, meaning it is suitable for both making espresso and pour-over. A lot of grinders on the market claim omni status but generally falter on espresso, where the grinds need to be ultra-fine. But I’ve used the Encore Pro to make espresso and it punches way above its weight class there. And at just $299, it comes with a very newcomer friendly price tag to match with Baratza’s industry-renown customer service should repairs be necessary.
Moving up from there and you need to start having an idea of the grinders intended use. Will it be for espresso primarily or are they a pour-over person? If it’s brewed coffee, the Timemore Sculptor Series is a great option. Along with a variable RPM rate and a rotary knocker, the Sculptor Series comes in a host of burr configurations, most notably the 78mm flat burrs, some of the largest on the home market. Timemore also offers burr configurations for omni-grinding, but in the $700 and up range, where the 78mm Sculptor Series exists, I focus on a singular task to get the most out of my purchase.
If espresso is what they love, then my pick would be La Marzocco’s Pico grinder. It’s La Marzocco’s first foray into the world of home grinders and they spent over a decade designing this one. It’s whisper quiet, has stepless grind size adjustments, customizable and programmable, and features “portafilter-actuated dosing,” an auto-dosing option where you simply set the portafilter onto the magnetic fork and the Pico will dish out the chosen amount of espresso. It’s got all the features of a commercial grinder but with the smaller footprint ready for the home counter.
Now, if you are looking for that do-it-all grinder that’s a little more high-end, but not like Mahlkönig EK43 high-end, then the Mazzer Philos may be the best bet. Touted as “light commercial,” the Philos is brand new to the market—a thing geeks of all stripe love—and is generating a bit of buzz. 64mm flat burrs aligned vertically for “zero retention” as well as the option between stepped and stepless grinding. Also available via La Marzocco Home, it’s going to set you back around $1,400 so it’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re looking for wow factor, this’ll do it.
Better Vessel
The hottest news to come out of this year’s World Barista Championship, other than Jack Simpson doing Jack Simpson things, was the Better Vessel. Designed by Philippines Barista Champion Michael Harris along with this son Liam and his coach, the renowned Federico Bolanos, the Better Vessel helped Harris achieve the highest espresso scores out of any competitor. How does it work? Simply pull shots directly into the Better Vessel and then place it over the serving cup. Once the trigger is engaged, the espresso will then pour into the cup below, leaving only the crema behind. Without the crema, the espresso presents with greater sweetness with less bitterness, and it allows baristas to pull longer shots with higher extractions without having to worry about the crema negatively impacting the flavor. This is another pre-order, and units aren’t expected out until the first quarter of 2026. But it is also the most talked-about new espresso tool out there right now. And if the person you are buying for is an espresso fanatic, they’ll happily wait.
Travel Mugs
There’s really no such thing as too many coffee mugs, and this extends to the travel variety. The thing about travel mugs is they work just as well at home. Which may sound a little glib, but travel mugs, particularly vacuum insulated ones, are the perfect way to keep your coffee hot—sometimes for hours—without the need for a heating element. I use my travel mug every day for this purpose, to hold my coffee until I’m ready to drink it out of my ceramic mug (it’s a two mug situation), and I don’t remember the last time it left the house. My go-to insulated mug is a Zojirushi, which comes in a variety of sizes and color options, and one I recommend any time I’m given the chance.
But if you’re looking for something with a little bit of a personal touch, MiiR may be the way to go. Like Zojirushi, MiiR has a host of size and color options—my personal favorite is the Tomo—but what gives them the edge is the ability to personalize their insulated mugs. You can choose one of their designs or upload one of your own and MiiR will custom etch it onto to mug for a one of a kind gift. And to sweeten the deal even more, they’ll do it for free if you order before December 1st (used code GIFTETCH25 at checkout).
Honorable Mentions
I was told to give 10 recommendations, I did 20, and still I had a few more. As a fan of analog things, I’d be remiss not to include the Brew Watch. It’s a time piece, that you wear on your wrist, in revolt against the smartphone-ening of it all. Each Brew Watch comes with a chronograph, which they’ve smartly built around timing a shot of espresso. It’s really just a 60-second timer but I love the tie-in and not being attached to my phone all the time. My personal favorite is the classic styling of the Retrograph, but the analog/digital blend of the Metric Digital Blend has a real calculator watch feel to it that any well-appointed nerd could appreciate.
Another thing I feel compelled to recommend, because I use it everyday, is the MeloDrip. It’s basically a dispersion screen on a stick but it is a clutch piece of gear for pour-over makers. The MeloDrip gives you more control over the amount of agitation in your brewing, which significantly affects the consistency in the total draw down time. Even my beloved Chemex (also a great gift by the by), not known for its consistency in that regard, with the MeloDrip it runs like a Swiss watch. Another reason I’m including the MeloDrip is because I didn’t really take price too deeply into consideration when creating the other entries on this list, so they shade a little higher. But at $26, the MeloDrip is a cost-conscious but no less valuable coffee gift.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
