10 best Christmas gifts for coffee connoisseurs: From pod machines to espresso liquer’s

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

If ever there was an advent calendar to lure us away from our daily chocolate fix, this is it. Mark the build-up to the big day with 24 freshly roasted coffees, which, after your third consecutive Christmas party, you’re going to need. Choose between whole beans, espresso, filter grind of French press depending on your preferred at-home method. There’s a good mixture throughout December (four light roasts, 14 medium roasts and four darker roasts) and you can learn more about each blend via Yawn’s Instagram each morning.

Best: Coffee machine

Rating: 9/10

Make no mistake, this is an all-singing, all-dancing bean-to-cup coffee machine, with the price tag to prove it. But if you’re looking to replace your barista this Christmas, this is the way to do it. Sage has just about every at-home coffee function covered, from automatic grinding and tamping (yep, no more errant coffee grinds scattered along your countertop) to a genius milk texturing system, which makes it all the easier to do fancy latté art… even if we’ve not quite nailed it yet.

Best of all, the convenient touch screen enables you to select your chosen coffee (and save your preferred brew if you want to deviate from the standard flat white), making bleary-eyed mornings a breeze. We can’t fault it, though you’d best be prepared to have the neighbours come knocking for a coffee come Christmas morning… and perhaps Boxing Day, too.

Best: Christmas coffee

Rating: 9/10

OK, we’ll admit it: we were initially drawn to the festive wreath design on the bag (courtesy of the London-based illustrator, Karen Brotherton). But this isn’t a case of style over substance, as the coffee inside is of superior quality – which is to be expected of one of IndyBest’s favourite coffee subscriptions. A fuller-bodied roast full of fermented fruit, chocolate and brandy aromas – this would make a delicious end to the festive meal (and, hopefully, prevent any sofa snoozing through the post-lunch charades).

Best: Coffee mug

Rating: 9/10

Ever gone through the process of painstakingly making the perfect brew, before returning to your desk to be waylaid with emails and find your coffee has gone cold? Of course you have. Never let your hard work go to waste again with Ember’s self-heating mug. The smart temperature sets at 57 degrees (which you can customise to your temperature preference via the app), with an LED light when it reaches optimal drinking temperature. Sure, it’s a little over-indulgent, but isn’t that what Christmas is for?

Best: Coffee grinder

Rating: 9/10

There’s no point investing in quality beans if you’re not going to treat them with the grind they deserve. As a rule, it’s always best to grind your beans just before brewing, to ensure they retain maximum freshness and flavour. With 60 unique settings, this is a great buy for households of coffee drinkers using different coffee-making methods. The intelligent, one-touch design makes it straightforward to dispense the perfect dosage for your morning cup, and you can grind directly into the portafilter, an airtight container, or paper filter meaning minimal fuss first thing.

Best: Coffee kettle

Rating: 9/10

If a Chemex or V60 is your chosen at-home brewing method, then you need a precise kettle to perfect your pour-over. Stagg’s slender spout ensures you can steadily bloom and brew your coffee, which is crucial to avoid a bitter cup, plus the built-in thermometer will ensure you don’t scald your beans. The best bit? It’s compatible with gas, electric and induction ranges, meaning it doesn’t take up prime real estate on your kitchen countertop.

Best: Coffee storage

Rating: 7/10

We know what you’re thinking… this isn’t exactly going to set the recipient’s world alight. It’s just a tin… right? Wrong. This genius contraption is an absolute must for coffee aficionados that have every other gadget covered. As the name suggests, the Airscape works by expelling air from the beans meaning they will retain their freshness and flavour for longer. Plus, the sleek black stainless steel canister looks way chicer than your battered old coffee tin.

Best: Coffee subscription

Rating: 9/10

If there’s one thing that’s going to ease the stresses and strains of the festive season, it’s knowing your caffeine fix is covered. We’ve tried plenty of coffee subscriptions, but we find ourselves coming back to Easy Jose – yes, because the coffee is undeniably delicious, but also because of their eco-credentials and praiseworthy work with the Mayni Indigenous Community to help tackle deforestation in the Amazon.

Subscriptions start at £18 for two plastic-free, sustainably-sourced 250g bags, which you can ramp up to 500g depending on your coffee consumption. Drink good, do good? Sounds like a win, win to us.

Best: Bottled espresso martini

Rating: 9/10

It’s no secret that December is busy and the annual festive drinks creep up on the calendar before you’ve had time to panic buy some canapés and stick a bottle of champers in the fridge – that’s why we always like to have a bottle of Black Lines on our bar trolley. We’re big fans of their bottled cocktail range (which, FYI, now includes a suitably festive rum-laced Oatnog), but their espresso martini might just be our favourite.

Combining speciality Origin coffee and Chase vodka, simply add to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and strain into chilled coupe glasses. Garnish with a few coffee beans and you’ve got an espresso martini to rival most bar serves. Trust us, we’ve tried our fair share.

Best: Coffee liqueur

Rating: 9/10

If you’re in need of something a little stronger than your double shot this festive season, then Mr Black is the answer. This cold-pressed, unfiltered liqueur combines Australian grain spirit and coffee for an intensely flavoured liqueur. We like ours served straight up over ice, but it’s equally delicious when added to an adults-only hot chocolate after a bracing winter walk.