Holiday gift guide for coffee lovers

Header image for Interrobang article
Dark roast, light roast, espressos, decaf; coffee lovers know what they like, which means it may be hard to know what to buy these curators of caffeine. Don’t worry — if you’re struggling to pick something out for the coffee lover in your life, we’ve got you covered with some unique ideas to give your friends the jitters!

1. Death Wish Coffee Beans

This “deadly” brew is small batch roasted in America using only fair trade and organic beans. The name is no joke though; this intensely dark roast has 200 per cent more caffeine than your average cup of joe. On the bright side, the taste is still smooth and enjoyable, with hints of chocolate and cherry. The best part: it’s available on Amazon.ca for $29.99/lb.

Navigator. Londons student lifestyles magazine.

2. Chocosol Rustico Pack

Chocosol is a Toronto-based chocolate trader specializing in fair trade and organic chocolate. Chocolate and coffee go hand-in-hand and supporting a local Canadian company is the cocoa on top of delicious gift idea. The Rustico pack is a $50 assortment of seven different dark chocolate bars. Order online from Chocosol’s website or find it at one of their four London retailers.

3. Specialty Mugs

Anyone who loves coffee has that one special mug that makes their first cup of the day that much better. For unique and novelty mugs, try your local thrift store. Many custom T-shirt shops will also custom-make coffee mugs with anything you can imagine for less than $20. This is a super simple gift idea that is cost effective and easy to find.

4. Breville Barista Express

Okay, it’s not cheap. But hey, neither is buying a $6 latte from Starbucks every day. Give the coffee-lover in your life the chance to make their own delicious espresso at home with this top of the line home coffee machine. Available at Hudson’s Bay for the generous price of $679.99, this machine has everything your home barista needs.

5. CoffeeSock

As the world moves towards more sustainable forms of food production, give your coffee lover the gift of zerowaste this year. The CoffeeSock is a reusable coffee filter made from 100 percent organic cotton. Get it locally from Reimagine Co. on King Street for only $17.

6. Bodum French Press

Bodum has a wide range of coffee making devices, but their classic Chambord is easily their best seller (and with good reason). They’ve been making this model the same way since the ’50s, only now they come in a variety of colours and are reinforced with chrome plating. The one-litre press is available direct from Bodum’s website for $54.99.

7. Trip to Las Chicas Del Café

Take your coffee-obsessed pal on a daytrip to the historic Canadian Southern Railway Station in St. Thomas, where local roasters Las Chicas prepare their many fair trade, organic roasts. To learn more go to laschicasdelcafe.com.

8. Contigo Travel Mug

A hasty commute is no match for these infallible travel mugs, which always seal automatically and keep coffee hot for up to seven hours. They come in every possible colour you can imagine and are available at most Shoppers Drug Mart locations or on Amazon.ca for around $20.

9. Krups Coffee Grinder GX5000

Give the gift of professionally ground coffee at home with this reasonably priced home grinder. It’s adjustable to any grind, promising the perfect brew every time. Available direct from Krups.ca for $49.99, give your gifted friend the chance to grind all the beans they please.

10. Department of Brewology Pins

Department of Brewology is an online merch store that was founded by a “recovering barista”. Choose from a variety of pin options like one reading “decaf espresso” written in the familiar Stranger Things font. Buy direct from their online store or find $10 pins at local London coffee shop, Locomotive Espresso, located at the corner of Colborne and Pall Mall Streets.