Gift Ideas For Coffee Lovers

Gift Ideas Coffee Lovers

Do you have a coffee lover to buy gifts for this holiday season?

I’m a huge coffee lover. The best part of getting up each day (I am NOT a morning person!) is making coffee. Most days I use a French Press to make my coffee, with one of my two favorite Italian coffees. I am not a Folgers girl and after spending time in Italy I don’t like American drip coffee anymore, so I got rid of my 12 cup drip coffee maker years ago.

coffee lovers

The other way I make coffee at home is with my Nespresso machine. I only got mine last Christmas, even though I  had been wanting one for years. My favorite Nespresso coffee is Arpeggio, a full bodied, rich, but not too strong blend. If you are going to Italy anytime soon you can stock up on Nespresso pods for only 35 cents each instead of 70 cents here in the USA. Be advised that the Vertuoline machines aren’t sold in Italy and you can’t buy Vertuoline pods there.

Related Post: How To Order Coffee In Italy

Gift ideas for the coffee lovers in your life.

A French Press.

French Press coffee makers are fabulous. The standard size makes 2 to 3 cups of coffee. They are very chic to bring out when you have guests over for coffee, but are also wonderful for daily use. Typically you will make stronger coffee in a French Press than in a regular drip coffee maker.

I’m loving this copper French press from Target! It is very sleek, makes a gorgeous looking gift, and is only $24.99 I have Bodum Chambourd French Press,  which is silver colored. It costs a little more at $39.99, but I have had it for more than 20 years, so it has been worth it’s weight in gold. Both of these, plus a huge variety of others are available online at Target.com

A Nespresso Machine

Nespresso coffee maker

This is a great way to make an Italian cup of coffee. Where Keurigs make large cups a Nespresso is designed to make espresso style coffees. You can make cappuccinos, macchiatos, lattes etc using the Nespresso as the base for your coffee. There are several different Nespresso machines to choose from. I loved the look of the Vertuoline machines, but the coffee pods were more expensive so I went with the Inissia model. You can see it here. Its a smaller model, but is everything that I need. I love it. I didn’t know that Target carried Nespresso until writing this post, but they have a great selection of them to choose from! You can see them all here.

A Moka.

moka coffee pot

A moka makes Italian stove-top espresso, or what Italians just call coffee. The coffee is strong but really, really good! The Moka Pot pictured above is the Bialetti Moka Pot, which retails for $34.99 at Target.com and comes with free shipping. You can also find other Moka pots online at varying price points at Target.com

Related Post: How To Make Italian Coffee In A Moka

A Milk Frother.

Cuisinart Tazzaccion Milk Frother

To make a cappuccino or a latte you need a milk frother. I didn’t think I needed one until I got one – now I can’t imagine mornings without it! I prefer freestanding frothers to the ones that come attached to a coffee machine. They are easier to clean, and in my opinion the fewer gadgets attached to your coffee machine, the fewer things there are to breakdown. The Cuisinart Tazzaccion pictured above is just fantastic. I definitely prefer the electric frothers to the hand held ones, as they make a thicker foam. See a selection of milk frothers here.

A Keurig

keurig coffee maker

Keurigs are designed to make a full cup of coffee, in a speedier, more efficient way than a drip coffee maker. Choose between a small Keurig for just one person, or a larger model like this one pictured above. There are lots of models to choose from, you can see them all here at Target.com

Keurig Coffee Pods.

There are endless choices available for K cups (the coffee pods that go inside your Keurig). I used to have a Keurig like the one pictured above, and would have K cups for coffee, cocoa/hot chocolate for my son, apple cider – all kinds of things! You can see an assortment of K Cups here at Target.com

 Keurig Refillable Pods.

Buying pods for each cup of coffee you are planning on drinking each day can get expensive. You can buy re-useable, refillable pods that you can fill with your favorite coffee, and cut the cost down. There are several to choose from and you can see them here at Target.com

Keurig Accessories

There are all kinds of accessories available for Keurigs, from drawers to hold your K Cups to carafes, to all manner of gadgets. If your coffee lover already has a Keurig you can check out potential accessories here.

Nespresso Pods

Image result for nespresso arpeggio

You can buy assorted Nespresso coffee pods, flavored coffee pods, or choose to just get your favorite. The darker color the pod, the stronger the coffee. My personal favorite is Nespresso: Arpeggio.   (Arpeggio is the purple colored pod.)

A Coffee Bean Grinder

chic coffee grinders

To get the richest, most aromatic coffee you need to start by grinding fresh coffee beans. If your coffee lover enjoys freshly ground coffee beans you cannot beat this chic, sleek coffee bean grinder from Tru. The Tru Burr Coffee Grinder is only $34.99 at Target.com. You can see Target’s full selection of coffee grinders here.

Italian Coffee.

Illy coffee

My two favorite coffees are Lavazza  Crema E Gusto andIlly , both from Italy. If you come to my house for coffee chances are you will be having one of these. Or a Nespresso – I will let you choose!

Biscotti

You can’t beat a biscotto with your morning coffee! If you are buying coffee centered gifts, add a box of Biscotti to the parcel. Your coffee lover will appreciate it!

Most of the above items are available online at Target.com

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How To Make Italian Coffee With A Moka

If you have traveled in Italy you have probably seen one of these coffee making devices.  The device is called a Moka and it makes strong little cups of coffee that I recently heard referred to as stovetop espresso.

how to use a moka

Italians don’t drink the big, long cups of coffee that we do, theirs are smaller and stronger. When I’m using my moka I make a coffee that is somewhere in the middle. Be advised that coffee made in a moka, or stovetop espresso, is strong!

The first time I rented an apartment in Italy I couldn’t for the life of me figure this thing out. The apartment’s cleaning lady had to come over and show me how to do it!

 

how to use a moka

Saturday morning coffee and cupcakes with my dear friend, photographer Kristina Wood.

Traditional mokas come in an octagonal shape. Mine is a little more modern looking, and was a gift from my dear friend Anna Maria, when I was staying at her beautiful home in Varese.

 

how to use a moka

A moka breaks down to 3 pieces.

 

how to use a moka

The base, a funnel looking filter basket, and the body or caraf of the moka.

The first step is to fill the base with water.

how to use a moka

Next put the filter funnel into the base.

how to use a moka

how to use a moka

 

Put a couple of table spoons of coffee into the filter basket, and  don’t pack it down hard. I let it sit loosely in the basket.

 

how to use a moka

I recommend using Italian coffee. I use Illy or Lavazza Crema E Gusto . Normally I buy Illy Moka, but I couldn’t find any in the local stores today, so had to buy Espresso instead. You can order both coffees here and here on Amazon.

 

how to use a moka

The body or carafe of the moka  screws onto the base.

how to use a moka

Now sit it on the stove over a medium high flame.

 

how to use a moka

 

The water in the base is going to boil, and push up through the funnel, through the filter in the base of the top section of the moka, and will fill up in the top section.

 

how to use a moka

And now we wait…

how to use a moka

I periodically check it so that it doesn’t end up spitting out over the stove.

I normally find the handle gets quite hot, so I use a cloth when I take it off the stove and pour it. I’m sure I just run the flame on the stove too high, but old habits die hard, and this is just how I do it!

how to use a moka

I cheat quite often, putting it in a medium sized cup and adding a little boiling water, so that I can have a slightly longer coffee. Just don’t tell my Italian friends….

Once you get the swing of this you will be hooked. Moka, or stovetop espresso is so incredibly good!

Where to buy a Moka

You can find Moka coffee makers online: The Alessio Moka and the Bialetti Moka are in my Amazon store here (Amazon.com/shop/corinnatravels), Bialetti Stovetop Espresso Maker at Amazon.com here and the Primula Stovetop Espresso Maker at Target, here.

Where to buy Italian Coffee

Find illy Medium Roast Ground Moka Coffee for Stovetop Coffeemakers here
and Lavazza 2 Pack Crema E Gusto Ground Coffee here

All images in this post are courtesy of KristinaBeth.Photography

Related posts:

How To Order Coffee In Italy

10 Things You Absolutely MUST Do in Rome

10 Things You Absolutely MUST Do In Florence

10 Reasons To Visit Puglia

 

how to make coffee in a moka
stovetop espresso how to use a moka

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