Great Gifts for Caffeine Loyalists, According to Nguyen Coffee Supply's Sahra Nguyen

Beans, cups, products, and tools that will elevate any coffee-lover's daily ritual.

Design by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist
Design by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist
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Coffee merch may be having a moment (think: T-shirts with genius quips like, “but first, coffee” or “yoga, coffee, wine”), but a deep cut, dependent affection for caffeine is no fleeting trend. Instead, it’s a staple of personhood—and it’s certainly not likely to go out of style.

Of course, the coffee world, too, experiences the occasional hype-y trend. Surely you remember the quarantine “whipped coffee” phenomenon, or the emergence of the hallowed nitro cold brew. And dare we mention the looming presence of Pumpkin Spice? But on the flipside, there will always be coffee purists, too: simple espresso devotees or committed dollar-deli-coffee disciples.

Regardless, the general ethos remains: no matter how you may take your morning caffeine dosage, it is, indeed, a staple of daily life. “The most sacred thing about a great cup of coffee is personalization,” says Sahra Nguyen, founder of single-origin, Vietnamese coffee brand, Nguyen Coffee Supply. “It's all about you, your brew, your flavor profile, your preferences.”

For her, that refers to fresh-roasted “Robusta” style Vietnamese beans. “In 2016, I couldn't find a single origin, fresh roasted Vietnamese coffee bean anywhere on the market. So I set out to change that by developing my own direct-trade supply chain and learning how to import and then roast Vietnamese coffee beans,” she explains. Now, as a way of bringing some diversity and equity to the 3rd wave, specialty coffee movement, she’s giving Vietnamese coffee a new stage. “Even though Vietnam is the world's second largest coffee producer, Vietnam has been rendered invisible in the global coffee conversation,” she says.

So, when it comes to holiday gifting, how do we go about selecting products that’ll sate the caffeine enthusiasts in our lives, while also keeping a pulse on the coffee industry? We tapped Nguyen for her best seasonal selects in the world of caffeine—and no, there are no Etsy T-shirts involved.

The Original Phin Kit (Filter + Coffee)
Nguyen Coffee Supply

Why it's a great gift: According to Nguyen, there are few better things than a perfect cup of drip coffee—so, for folks who love the ritual of coffee prep, this eco-friendly brew tool is an easy gifting option. The paperless phin filter creates no waste, and it’ll have your steaming cup of coffee ready in under five minutes. 

Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
Amazon

Why it's a great gift: For folks grinding their own coffee at home, a strong, versatile coffee grinder is a must. Nguyen prefers this electric grinder with precision-cut, commercial-grade steel burrs as a way of ensuring she’s blending a diverse coffee menu at home.  

The Phin Filter Trio
Nguyen Coffee Supply

Why it's a great gift: Once you’ve secured the Phin filtration system, you’ll need some filters to complete the set. And fortunately, Nguyen has three separate filters for distinct coffee occasions: One for a  single serve cup of coffee, one for multi-cup servings, and one for batch brewing. And better yet, there’s no paper waste. 

Stagg EKG Electric Kettle
Fellow Products

Why it's a great gift: If you’re a big pour-over person like Nguyen, you’ll certainly need a good electric kettle. Test out this super sleek, powerful, electric number from Stagg, which even allows you to set your desired temperature. Plus, it looks sexy on a countertop. 

Nyugen Coffee Supply Coffee Subscription
Nguyen Coffee Supply

Why it's a great gift: Perhaps due to the pleasure of the ceremony, or perhaps due to coffee’s addictive properties, it’s unlikely that any of us plan to drop our caffeine habits anytime soon. So give a gift that’ll support longer term dependency like this coffee subscription set. Customize the duration of your plan, and pre-pay for each shipment. Then delight in the gratitude your giftee will feel towards you each time they get their fix. 

Airtight Coffee Canister
Amazon

Why it's a great gift: Just as critical as great, high-quality coffee is how you store your beans. And like with a fine wine, leaving ‘em out, unsealed, on the countertop will certainly impact flavor. Nguyen recommends keeping a few airtight coffee canisters around at home to limit air exposure and keep beans as fresh as possible for as long as possible. 

Breville Espresso Machine
Amazon

Why it's a great gift: “This is hands-down the best espresso machine I've experienced for the price,” admits Nguyen. With a grinding feature, a milk steaming wand, and restaurant quality espresso extraction, it’s the real deal. And while $600 for a coffee machine can certainly feel like an excessive expenditure, it might just save you money in the end. “The price can be intimidating at first, but when I did the math on how many lattes I was buying, I broke even after just 3 months,” says Nguyen.

Acaia Pearl Scale
Blue Bottle Coffee

Why it's a great gift: “Sometimes I use a scale when I’m pulling shots of espresso, and sometimes I just eyeball it,” says Nguyen. “Depends on the day and the brew method!” When she’s looking for utmost precision, though, she likes this little countertop scale from Acacia. 

Instant Milk Frother
Amazon

Why it's a great gift: No matter how you take your coffee (hot, cold, phin filter, French press), a little foamed milk is always a decadent addition. So froth up the dairy/alt milk beverage of your choosing (Nguyen, personally, likes condensed milk) with this ultra easy-to-use countertop milk frother. 

A Great Insulated Coffee Mug
Nguyen Coffee Supply

Why it's a great gift: The hot vs. cold coffee debate is certainly a divisive one—but regardless of your preference, Nguyen has a tool that’ll help you maintain your ideal coffee temperature for hours at a time. Created in collaboration with Miir, this coffee mug is made with Thermo 3D Double Wall Vacuum Insulation Technology to keep your beverage as hot—or cold—as possible. 

Eliza Dumais is a former staff writer at Thrillist. She now works as a lifestyle editor at Refinery29.