Coffee lovers, please help!

[CostaCosta]

I'd like to get my dh a coffee related present for his birthday. I was thinking of getting a kettle that boils quickly and then a lovely coffee. I have £50 to spend. Any recommendations gratefully received!

I have just bought a cappuccino milk frother - it is superb! I think it is a MAP brand - it heats milk, froths it, or chills and froths cold milk - so makes really good milkshakes.

What kind of coffee drinker is he OP - does he already have a coffee machine and if so what kind? Is he a filter coffee man or does he like espressos/lattes/cappuccinos?

I'm not sure about the quick boiling kettle, I quite enjoy the 2-3 mins the regular kettle takes to boil as just the right amount of time to quickly wipe the surfaces/empty the dishwasher stare blankly out of the kitchen window so I don't think I'd take that well to a quick one!

If he doesn't already have a fancy machine, how about an aeropress and some really nice ground coffee to go in it? The aeropress is really highly recommended on here as the best cheap coffee maker, makes really good filter coffee (nicer than a cafetiere and the advantage is that it's small and portable and really easy to use and clean). The only thing is that if he loves espressos I'm not sure how well it does that, or if he likes lattes etc you'd want more of a espresso pot/machine. I think you can get a complete start up kit with the filter papers etc for £25-£30 which would leave plenty for either a couple of bags of really nice ready-ground coffee, or even a cheap bean grinder and some nice whole beans (personally I don't bother grinding my own beans as it's just one more thing to store/clean, but I'm sure if your DH is a real connoisseur he'd appreciate it?)

@Yesyoudoknowme this sounds great, thanks very much!

@maxelly Thanks! I just saw the aeropress on amazon. I've never seen such good reviews on there! He likes americano coffee. With the aeropress, do I get ground coffee beans? Is there a particular blend that's really nice? Obvs I have no idea! Thanks for the tip

You could get a coffee grinder if you don't already have one.

The aeropress is great, btw and, yes, you use ground coffee with it.

I was given a 6 month supply of delicious coffee as a gift from dB and it's from Pact coffee. A new pack arrives every month and it's amazing coffee. I really look forward to receiving it. Not sure of cost though?

Another suggestion is a moka pot.

Have a look at a "one cup" we all love ours!

Yes, the aeropress needs ground coffee, so you either buy the ready-ground stuff that goes into cafetieries (easiest) or whole beans and a grinder (tastier/fresher but more faff).

Technically if he likes americanos, those are made using a small ratio of water:coffee in an espresso machine or pot, then adding extra hot water to the espresso to make it long, whereas the aeropress is a filter machine that runs a large quantity of water through the coffee so you end up with a long coffee (no extra water). Purists would say they're very different but I suspect to most people the effect is the same, a large mug of hot strong coffee! But perhaps double check he isn't fussy about filter vs americano before you invest!

Personally I like cafedirect, good coffee and ethically sourced/produced as well. You can buy it online, it's about £3.50 per bag of ready ground, or they do a subscription model (which I think is whole beans only) for £7.50ish a month where you get a different bag of special/limited edition through the post, so you could get the aeropress, a cheap grinder and 3 months of that if you wanted to go the whole-bean route?

Thank you Mumsnet! I went for the aeropress, coffee grinder (£39 for both) and a monthly subscription to cafe direct (£7.50). Really appreciate the tips!

MiconiumHappens what is 'one cup'? I've goggled it but a hundred different things to do with coffee come up.