Halloween is over—and now the real fright begins.
The holiday shopping season is here, at least according to retailers and anyone who likes to plan their shopping early and/or likes to take to take advantage of blockbuster deals, many of which start today. (In this digital day and age, if you’re waiting until the day after Thanksgiving, you’re doing it wrong.)
However, not everyone has time to shop around or look for the newest items on the market that could appeal to the people on their gift lists (or for themselves, because let’s be honest, we look at holiday gift guides and deals for ourselves just as much for others). There is no shame or lump of coal in that, so here is a list of suggestions for the coffee and tea lovers.
Bialetti: The iconic Moka Express stovetop coffee maker is touted to be one of the top-selling coffee makers in the world with over 200 million units sold—so it must be doing something right. This is truly a solid option for anyone who wants to make espresso easily and in a hurry, and doesn’t need to bother with any fancy machines. This is just a matter of water, ground coffee, some heat, and a few minutes of patience. It’s nearly foolproof. Also now available in a Project RED edition, the aluminum pot features Bialetti’s distinctive eight-sided shape, which is supposed to diffuse heat perfectly to enhance the aroma. SRP: $49.99.
DAVIDsTEA: The Canadian speciality tea shop is a virtual winter wonderland of potential gifts, from snowy-white tea presses decorated with dancing penguins to mugs adorned with reindeer that change color with the temperature of the beverage. But for the tea lover who likes to think outside the box, David’s Tea has plenty of…boxes offering a diversity of teas to sample. Dubbed as “24 teas to love,” these are essentially Advent Calendar-style sample packs with 24 organic teas in ready-to-steep sachets. Flavors include Blueberry Jam, Cinnamon Rooibos Chai, Japanese Sencha, North African Mint, Peppermint Amour, Sweet Almond Green, and Vanilla Chai. SRP: $32.
Fire Dept. Coffee: Launched in 2016, this veteran-owned brand specializes in roasted-to-order coffees, delivered straight to the customer’s door. And 10% of all proceeds from each order goes to support firefighter and military charities nationwide. Fire Dept. Coffee just launched its new Backdraft Espresso, a bold roast, on October 3. Backdraft Espresso is available in either 14-ounce or 5-pound, and can be purchased ground or whole bean. There’s also a a 10% discount to subscribers, and 15% off for orders from military, firefighters, and other first responders. SRP: $12.99 for a 14-ounce ground bag.
Copper Cow Coffee: Based in California, founder Debbie Wei Mullin said she set out to elevate one of her family’s favorite past times: Vietnamese coffee. In 2016, she traveled to her mother’s hometown of Saigon, Vietnam in search of crafting natural, sustainable, specialty Vietnamese coffee. Since then, Copper Cow Coffee has settled on single serving pour over bags in order to produce a Vietnamese-style cup of coffee with a strong, nutty brew that can be whipped up anywhere without any fancy gadgetry. The compostable pour-over filter filled with dark-roast Vietnamese coffee is designed to fit snugly over most glasses and mugs. Just add hot water and the included packet of sweetened condensed milk. (The brand has also added an on-the-go Thai Iced Tea flavor.) SRP: $4.00-$15.00 for the Vietnamese Coffee Kit with Sweetened Condensed Milk.
Hamilton Beach: This particular Single Serve Coffee Maker was one of Amazon’s choice picks for coffee makers in its holiday preview lookbook issued to the media over the summer. So chances are you can not only expect some special deals on this model—but it might go fast, too. (Another reason it was likely included: It supports an Amazon Dash replenishment button.) Yes, it does support K-Cups, and if that’s not your thing for a variety of reasons, it also brews from ground coffee. Just place them in the holder, lower the lid, and press brew. The coffee maker automatically shuts off when brewing is complete. The coffee maker supports up to three sizes of coffee mugs, including up to a 14-ounce travel mug. SRP: $79.99.
