COFFEE
Even if you aren’t a regular coffee drinker, chances are someone on your Christmas list definitely is. If you’re drawing a blank for what to get the coffee lover in your life this year, you’ve hit the jackpot here. From domestic espresso machines to grinders to fresh beans, there’s something here for everyone on your list.
Sometimes, it has to be just so. Instant kicked the bucket a long time ago. Coffee pods aren’t quite giving them the flavour they want. They’ve experimented with brew techniques – a V60 here, an Aeropress there – but what they really really really want is to be able to brew a proper, banging, raise-the-roof, shot of espresso at home .
Imagine the look of childlike glee on Dad’s face as he’s foaming milk for the first time. Or Grandma Betty, pulling a shot of espresso like a true pro and reminiscing for the umpteenth time about the time the waiter flirted with her on her 1972 trip to Rome.
For the real coffee lover, only a domestic espresso machine is going to do.
That’s where Rocket’s compact Appartamento HX machines come in. Made by hand in Milan, these manual lever machines combine minimalist design and great temperature stability for perfect espresso every time.
The Appartamento HX features an advanced heat exchanger design, allowing you to brew espresso and steam milk simultaneously. The machine runs from an internal reservoir, so there’s no need to plumb it into your kitchen, and is easy to refill.
It’s the most aesthetically pleasing domestic machine we’ve come across, due to its slick cutaway designs featuring copper or white side panels.
The Rocket Appartamento HX costs £1,069, and is also available as a bundle deal with the Eureka Mignon MK11 grinder, 4x Inker cups of your choice, and 1kg of fresh Machina coffee beans for £1295 (saving you £100!). Check it out here.
Okay, so you’ve settled on a swish espresso machine. Mum’s going to be chuffed. Now, to get the best out of those shots, you need to think about a grinder. Sure, you can buy coffee pre-ground – but nothing is more satisfying (or smells better) than freshly grinding your own beans. Plus, a grinder allows you to play around your settings – ensuring you get the best coffee you possibly can.
For an espresso grinder for your home that doesn’t break the bank, you’re going to be hard pushed finding something that beats the uber-colourful Eureka Mignon MK11. We’ve been in this game for five years now, and we’re yet to find anything that gives us such a consistent and precise grind for such an affordable price.
The Mignon is a simple, well-built, and surprisingly quiet bit of kit, boasting 50mm flat steel burrs, stepless grind control and a 250g hopper. Not only that, it comes in pretty much every colour under the sun and will sit proudly alongside your espresso machine.
At £279.95, the Eureka Mignon MK11 is the best domestic espresso grinder you’ll find for under £300. Click to check out the full Eureka coffee grinder range.
Espresso not your cup of tea? Uncle Jerry prefers a filter coffee? Or looking to spend a little less on some exciting kit? (Brexit, am I right?)
When you’re stuffed full of turkey and trimmings, you don’t want to faff around with anything too complicated. The Wilfa Classic+ Coffee Maker is the easiest bit of brewing kit we’ve come across. Simply add the desired amount of fresh ground coffee and water, press a button, and wait. In less than five minutes, you’ll have 1-10 cups of perfectly brewed filter coffee. It really is that easy, and the Scandinavian design is sure to get Cousin Alfred hot under the collar.
Check out the Wilfa Classic+ Coffee Maker here, or save £22 and grab our filter bundle with the Wilfa Svart grinder, Filtropa filter papers, and 250g of Machina coffee beans all included.
Our favourite option for home or office filter coffee use, the Wilfa Svart helps you to get the most out of your brew. The Svart grinds for all filter brew methods, including Aeropress, V60, french press, and Chemex. At £99, this is the most reasonably priced and well-designed domestic grinder on the market. Find out more here. You can also grab it in our filter bundle here.
Coffee machine? Check. Grinder? Check. What’s missing?
Coffee – for a start! Here at Machina, we roast our own beans in our Edinburgh roastery. Sourcing from around the world, we carefully select beans based on their flavour and quality, ensuring that the beans are both sustainably grown and have a traceable origin. Fancy hints of orange blossom? Notes of toffee? A taste of candy floss? We’ve got you covered – browse our full selection of beans here.
Can’t decide on one batch? We also offer espresso and filter collection packs, perfect for getting to grips with your new machines.
Last, but by no means least – you need something to drink your new coffee from! We’re proud to stock the largest range of Inker cups in the UK. Well-crafted, great for retaining heat, and bursting with colour, Inker cups are the final piece of the perfect coffee puzzle. Browse our range here.
