Coffee grinder and coffee for Christmas present?

[mrsadm]

Hi everyone, I'd like to get a coffee grinder and a nice selection of whole bean coffee for my brother for Christmas. When I search the net for gift sets, I get ones with too much stuff, like a mug, cookies, etc. So I will buy them separately.

Does anyone have a favorite grinder, inexpensive? My husband uses a cheapo one and it seems to do fine.

Any recommendations for coffee sources, not Starbucks?

Thanks for the help!

Linda

[rotuts]

How much does your brother like coffee? Has he ever ground his own?

If a beginner then look for coffee that might be roasted in your community. Some higher end supermarkets carry whole beans. be very careful with the roast date on those bags. A blade grinder will be OK as a 'starter'

If intermediate, a burr grinder. About $50 at Bed and Bath. Peets if there is one in your area will sell you 1/4 lbs bags which increase the selection. Mind you, peet's way over roasts their beans. but as an introductory gift, you get a wider selection with 1/4 lbs bags.

Edited December 6, 2012 by rotuts (log)

[Junkbot]

What's your budget for a grinder and how much of a coffee person is your brother?

If you like the cheapo one, then there's no reason to upgrade it necessarily. You might want to consider a manual grinder since they generally have better burrs than a similar priced electric.

Edited December 6, 2012 by Junkbot (log)

[Special K]

If your brother is not a super coffee snob aficionado, you might consider a Keurig and a selection of K-cups. We got one as a gift a couple of years ago and have grown to love it. We've since given several to family and friends (the former "Mr. Coffee" set). There is a wide selection of coffees and teas, each cup is always fresh, it's simple to use and very quick (priceless for that first cup), and if your brother is more of a do-it-yourselfer you can still get him a grinder and beans and he can use the resusable K-cup thingy that comes with the machine.

You're a good sister.

[HungryC]

How is he making his coffee? Blade grinders are fine if he's a French drip man, but if espresso is his thing (or is in his near future), then a blade won't cut it. I'm a fan of Baratza's burr grinders... http://www.baratza.com/ well priced for the quality, and they'll grind fine enough for an espresso machine. And my "local roaster" is Orleans Coffee Exchange: http://www.orleanscoffee.com/ Orleans will send you whole beans from a variety of roasts, or you can get a "subscription" of beans delivered to his door. I drink Orleans Coffee's espresso crema or italia roast nearly every single AM.