coffee society journal — buying smarter
The hard person to shop for is the one who already has the grinder, the scale, and the kettle. Another mug isn't going to do it. What they really want is the thing they keep running out of, which is fresh coffee, chosen well. Here's what lands, what to skip, and how to get it right even if you don't know their taste.
01what actually lands
- Three months of subscription. Coffee that arrives days after roasting and keeps showing up in February. A gift card covers it if you'd rather they pick the sub themselves.
- A bag of something they would not buy themselves. A natural process Ethiopian that tastes like blueberries, a rare lot, or something with a cup score they can brag about.
- A gift card, honestly. Coffee people have opinions, so a card from a roaster they trust lets them pick. Ours come in $50, $100, and $150.
- Filters, in bulk. Unglamorous, but always used. Nobody is sad to receive 200 filters.
02what to skip
Flavored coffee, a giant variety pack of tiny bags, anything without a roast date, and novelty mugs. A pod machine too, unless you've been told to buy one. The more gear someone owns, the more the gift should probably be the coffee itself.
03if you do not know how they brew
Ask one question, espresso or filter, and that's usually enough. Espresso drinkers get our americano or latte sub, and filter drinkers get pour over or the rotating sub. If you can't ask, the rotating sub is the safe pick. It's our current favorite lot, whatever that is that week, and it works on any brewer.
04common questions
Fresh coffee from a roaster that prints roast dates, or a few months of a sub so it keeps coming. Skip the flavored coffee and novelty gear.
Yes, especially for three months. It arrives after the holidays when other gifts are used up, and it can be matched to how they brew.
A single great bag is about $20. A three month sub is about $55. A gift card lets them choose, and it comes in $50, $100, and $150.
the gift that shows up in february
A few months of a sub, a gift card, or a single bag of something special. Every lot is 85+ and roasted to order in Berkeley.
gift a subscription gift cards current lotscoffee society · specialty micro roaster · berkeley, ca · est. 2023