gear | Coffee, It's a Helluva Drug

The Matty Macchiato 5th Annual Holiday Gift Guide: Part I

So two weeks before Christmas may be a little late to be much help. Remember, if something doesn’t arrive in time you can always print a picture and let them know their present is on the way! Or start normalizing New Year’s gifts.

If for some reason you’d prefer well-written professional writing and images – can’t imagine why – many quality coffee roasters have added holiday gift guides to their websites. You should also check out Counter Culture Coffee’s staff recommendations page for recommendations on the best gear for making great coffee at home.

Many of these are repeats from past guides, but I’ve tried as much as possible to find new/different/improved versions. Okay, let’s go.

Swag ’em up
Everybody loves swag, whether it represents their favorite sports team, beer, or coffee roaster/café. Our beloved Little Red Fox tee is no longer available, but here are some awesome pieces of branded merch from coffee world.

Tees
Verve Coffee Roasters Fuego Pocket Tee, regularly $25, currently on sale for $13(!)
The mullet of coffee tees: all business in the front and all party in the back.

say hello to my little friend

This is Eddie.

I’d been thinking about finding an affordable way to improve my home gear to make better coffee. For me, ‘affordable’ would not mean splashing out north of $1,700 for a Rocket Appartamento, even if it’s gorgeous and Gail from Seattle Coffee and my buddy Dillon each have one.

I was browsing through the Fellow Products website with that idea in the back of my mind when I came across the Eddie pitcher. Hmm, maybe it wouldn’t make a big difference in taste, but it would be nice to up my milk art game. Also very convenient to have a bigger pitcher than my stock Breville, for those times I make two or three coffees at a time for me and the fam.

The Matty Macchiato 4th Annual Holiday Gift Guide

This year I’m taking a slightly different approach to my previous gift guides (2018, 2019, and 2020). While some of the models may have been replaced by newer iterations, pretty much all the recommended items in those posts would still make for great gifts. This version, however, is for those of you who just thought, “Oh $#%@!, it’s five days to Christmas and I haven’t ~~written my annual gift guide post~~ finished my shopping yet!”

So if the calendar is not your friend, supply chain worries are making you pull out your hair, and you’ve got a coffee lover in your life, here are a few suggestions.

making our new house a home

We moved a couple days ago. The most important unpacking is done.

new object of coffee gear lust

The folks at Mahlkönig, the German company whose grinders grace the counters of specialty coffee houses around the world, are entering the home enthusiast market with the X54.

The folks at Sprudge were fortunate enough to take it for a test drive ahead of the imminent US release. Sounds like it’s as amazing as it looks, though the biggest problem is the hopper is too tall. I’d suffer through that. Then again I’m not really looking to spend $900 on a home grinder, as magnificent as it may be. But if money were no object, that bad boy would soon be sitting in my kitchen next to a La Marzocco Linea Mini or a Rocket Appartamento.

look what I got

new toy

So I splurged on something totally unnecessary, because it looks great and is high-level nerd tech. I treated myself to the Acaia Lunar scale, which I featured in 2018 as part of my original holiday gift guide. It’s still one of the most well-regarded coffee scales available. And as expected, it’s gorgeous.

3rd Annual Holiday Gift Guide

also see my 2018 and 2019 guides

As terrible as the year 2020 has been, the holiday season gives us a chance to end on a positive note and get ready for better days ahead. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the coffee obsessive in your life, or want to treat yourself, here are a few ideas for you. All are available online for those unable or unwilling to do in-person shopping. I also encourage you to take a look through my previous gift guides (links above), as most everything in there is still available and still makes for great presents.

Shop Local
If your giftee’s favorite coffee shop is still open, you can bet they’re fighting for survival. Give a gift that will be appreciated by the recipient and the merchant. Look up the website of that favorite shop, there’s a good chance you can find electronic gift certificates, beans, and merch.

Category: gear