# £100 Coffee Xmas Present Challenge



## Phobic (Aug 17, 2016)

Don't boo or hiss, Christmas isn't far away, I want to get some friends into coffee.

What's the best complete setup for under £100?

Must have's


Be new

Include good "easy to dial in" newbie friendly beans

Have everything someone would need to make a decent cup

Be easy to use, easy to setup, and easy to get good results from

Not have a steep challenging learning curve


Assume's they will use a standard kitchen kettle and they have their own cups!

Ideally this needs to look nice on the table so I'm ruling out an aeropress even though I own one and they're great.

I'm currently thinking something along the lines of a Porlex and Chemex with jewelry scales.

Any suggestions?


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Porlex, v60 or kalitta or clever, cheap ebay scales, bag of good beans.

The Chemex and Aeropress are great but I think you need to be ready to devote a bit of time and interest to coffee or they might seem like a bit of faff and get stuck in a cupboard and not used.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

750ml V60; Porlex & Hario scales. Should leave enough over for a couple of bags of beans.


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Porlex , French press, eBay scales (enough to take weight of FP) . Two bottles of appropriate mineral water And as they say good beans


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

If there is any doubt that they will enjoy a manual process of making coffee and all that goes with it, maybe go down the Colonna pod route (there have said it, feel dirty now







) logic being that for £100, sadly, there may well be compromises that ultimately means whatever you choose goes to the back of the cupboard. This is born out of gifts made in the past which have become ornaments or dusty relics.

If they are however likely to enjoy the effort would suggest either a Cafetiere rather than a chemex, less room for error, or a stovetop cona (no filters ongoing) for consideration along with a couple of bottles of volvic (just in case) and some beans suited to filter use, maybe something chocolatey and something more adventurous (see LSOL offerings or a Rocko Mountain from Lee @foundry). One will ease them gently in and the other show what is possible from a brewed.

Only thoughts and ruminations, now off to go pull some levers to balance my earlier comments...









John


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## forzajuve (Feb 2, 2011)

CCD FTW! Easiest to work with and to get filter papers (any supermarket stock them).


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## Jacko112 (Oct 29, 2015)

I did something on a smaller scale for my brother in law this year & went with the CCD, filters & some decent coffee.

Another one converted!


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## christos_geo (Feb 9, 2016)

Not for everyone, but a hario syphon with a proper Bunsen burner makes for quite an impressive gift (got that myself last Xmas), but then again I absolutely love faff. With a hand grinder go with I guess it works out closer to £130.


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## Lefteye (Dec 30, 2014)

I find the salter disc scales pretty good for pour over. Cheaper than hario. Okay can't measure to 0.1g but still fine for my use and only about £15.


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## Robbo (Feb 17, 2016)

Id go for the moka pot, hand grinder and a 3 month gift subscription to Rave or similar.

Chose the moka as its easy to produce a good brew with less faff measuring and they look good in the kitchen as opposed to plastic brewers.


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## frandavi99 (Jun 8, 2014)

+1 for the clever. Plus scales and a porlex. With the remaining money funding a short subscription for coffee, which should produce something that gets them excited.

Although if aesthetics are more important then a porcelain V60 or a French press.

Whichever one you go for probably worth including a how to guide for reference.


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## Phobic (Aug 17, 2016)

Wow, great response thanks everyone. Some really good suggestions, I really like the idea of including coffee subscription and water.

Chemex might be boarder line if it requires a lot of effort to get right.

V60 decanter would work rather than an over the cup version or CCD given it's for a couple. can you get decent results from a V60 without a pouring kettle?

will steer away from french press as they'll have seen/used them before and want to give them something different. Will also steer away from nespresso as Mr. Friend has taken an interest in me grinding beans, I think he'll enjoy the experience of doing it himself.

Cona or hario syphon looks like it was made to be a present.

will go and do a bit of research on V60 decanter, cona and hario syphon's I think - which would be easiest for a newbie to get good results from?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Chemex difficult to get right?? Why?


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## Tewdric (Apr 20, 2014)

That's easy. Porlex, Aeropress, metal gauze filter and some beans.


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## Phobic (Aug 17, 2016)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Chemex difficult to get right?? Why?


Might be my interpretation of what others have said but the impression I got reading the responses was that you need to devote a bit more time to the chemex, and it has more things that you can get wrong.

I've never used one, only drunk the resuts, so not sure how straight forward they are, maybe this is a reference to timing, bloom, stiring etc, not sure??!


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## BenJM (Sep 7, 2016)

A 1500ml cafetiere + grinder gets my vote.

Good instruction and the right beans will be the most important part!


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Kruve sifter (Rafino), cafetière and Rhino/Porlex grinder. Might be slightly over £100 after tax. Or a cheap pod machine and capsules.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Phobic said:


> I've never used one, only drunk the resuts, so not sure how straight forward they are, maybe this is a reference to timing, bloom, stiring etc, not sure??!


Use Chemex on a daily basis. Very clean taste, consistent - easy to master.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Cheaper version of the Chemex is the Bodum. I use V60 papers in the metal filter, as the metal filter that comes with it lets to much sludge through. Bodum comes in different colours as well. That plus a cheap pouring kettle (my better half bought me one for my birthday, was around £20 IIRC), V60 papers, beans and a hand grinder. You can also use Chemex papers in the Bodum (if you use a bendy straw to let air out as it doesn't have a chanel like the Chemex does.)

Or, a V60 and a carafe, or stand to put your cup under.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Phobic said:


> Wow, great response thanks everyone. Some really good suggestions, I really like the idea of including coffee subscription and water.
> 
> Chemex might be boarder line if it requires a lot of effort to get right.
> 
> ...


The French press is probably the least faff, the fact that they have used it before shouldn't rule it out, they will have just as much chance of misusing the other brewers. French press, scales, grinder & good coffee, good basic technique will yield fair results without too much of a learning curve. If they already have one, they just need the other bits. Or, if you feel you really have to buy a brewer, you can buy a posh French press like this...https://www.coffeehit.co.uk/coffee-brewing/manual-coffee-brewers/espro-press-p5.html

A decent sized press will allow them to use it if entertaining too.

I wouldn't try brewing with a V60 without a pouring kettle. I wouldn't assume that it will be easier than a Chemex.

CCD makes enough coffee for 2 mugs/3 cups.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

I'm with mark, if they have a French press already then I would go for a hand grinder, porlex, rhino and a subscription to a decent roaster.

If you buy them the gear they may just get bored and end up buying supermarket pre ground/beans, with a sub they will stick with decent beans over the sub period and maybe continue with that roaster or be keen to try other roasters.

Always have to remember that not everyone is as anal as us lot over a cup of coffee.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Lefteye said:


> I find the salter disc scales pretty good for pour over. Cheaper than hario. Okay can't measure to 0.1g but still fine for my use and only about £15.


And this, I have a set on the boat, sits a large French press on and they can use them.for cooking also!


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

christos_geo said:


> Not for everyone, but a hario syphon with a proper Bunsen burner makes for quite an impressive gift (got that myself last Xmas), but then again I absolutely love faff. With a hand grinder go with I guess it works out closer to £130.


The hario version for me is way over priced, cheaper ones on Amazon,think i paid £50 for syphon and gas burner.


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## Phobic (Aug 17, 2016)

thanks everyone, definitely going to go with a subscription and grinder, I'll have to find out if they have a french press already or not before committing to something.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

I'll put this forward, and even though it says personal, it makes enough coffee for 4 cups.

I much prefer filter to cafetiere myself.

I'll leave the grinder and beans down to you, but theres change for those as I found it for £66 and id only cause uproar by mentioning a blade grinder

https://www.go-electrical.co.uk/kitchenaid-5kcm0402bob-personal-coffee-maker-onyx-black.html?gclid=CjwKEAjw7ZHABRCTr_DV4_ejvgQSJACr-YcwmpBicf0BuzQ-INXjpOya_tYyAq8ZUzHMgdKB7C7liBoCdgvw_wcB


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Clever, rhino, £20 scales and a bag of decent beans. £90

please excuse any brevity, I'm a moron with a mobile


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