A bag of coffee for the Holidays is a many-splendored thing—delicious, functional, highly seasonal, and conveniently sized to stuff a stocking (if that’s your thing). We outlined 21 of our very favorite holiday coffees in this year’s Holiday Blend Guide, but today we’re looking for something more. Something you can really get your arms around—a box you can shake so as to ascertain its contents. A parcel you can wrap in festive paper. Something a little too big for the stocking, and perhaps destined to take a place of honor beneath the tree. This, friends, is the 2016 Sprudge Holiday Gift Guide to Coffee Box Sets and Bundles.
From rare lots of cherished coffees to choose your own adventure sampler packs, to gorgeous apron & coffee combos and innovative brewing systems, this guide has a little bit of everything for the gift-desirous coffee lover in your life. Give the gift of gift-giving this holiday season, and happy holidays from all of us at Sprudge.
Madcap Coffee — “Ethiopia Tasting Series” —$50 — Shop via Madcap Coffee
We were blown away by last year’s Colombia box set from Madcap, and this year’s Ethiopia Tasting Series takes the concept to new heights: 8 individual coffees from 8 of Ethiopia’s most revered names in coffee, including Hunkute, Reko, Ardi, Harar, Tracon, Yukro, Uraga and Kochere. Each tin offers an example of Madcap’s industry-leading approach to packaging and design, and the coffees inside—some washed, some natural—amount to a masterclasss in how tasty Ethiopian coffee can be in 2016. Highly recommended.
Camber Coffee — “Kenya Trifecta Box” — $50 — Shop via Camber Coffee
The first-ever box set from Camber Coffee, offering three coffees hailing from the coffee washing stations of southern Mount Kenya. Hook yourself up with some Kii AA, Gatomboya AA, and Kamwangi AA—three delicious coffees from some of the most beautiful and expressive coffee terroir in the world.
Populace Coffee — “Coffee Nerd Extreme Bundle” — $30 — Shop via Populace Coffee
Are you horrified to discover that your loved one is a nerd? It’s not a comedy, but it might be the perfect time to get them this nerd-forward gift box from Populace Coffee. It comes with a tasty bag of their Joyeux holiday blend, plus a copy of Habitual and and a super-geeky Brewing Method Pin Set. When the coffee nerds come for their revenge this is what they’ll be wearing.
Blue Bottle Coffee — “Barista Apron + Coffee” — $98 — Shop via Blue Bottle Coffee
More of a bundle than a box set, Blue Bottle Coffee has teamed with LA apron trendsetter Ellen Bennett for a custom barista apron collabo—perfect for the coffee-loving chef or committed home barista on your list. It ships with a nice bag of Bluebs beans and comes all wrapped up in a lovely linen gift bag. If you dig this aesthetic the Blue Bottle web store has several other bundle options; we picked this one because Hedley & Bennett rules, and so any excuse to talk aprons on Sprudge, we’re taking it.
notNeutral — “Deluxe Brewing Kit” — $98 — Shop via notNeutral
The New California design leaders at notNeutral have a lovely coffee kit for this year’s holiday season: a combo of two distinctive LINO mugs alongside nN’s innovative GINO glass dripper and server. You also get 100 filters for the brewer. This is a stunning conversation piece for any classy kitchen, and brews a fine cup of coffee.
Joe Coffee NYC — “Manhattan Portage Coffee Travel Kit” — $140 — Shop via Joe Coffee NYC
The New York do-goodniks at Joe Coffee have teamed up with fellow NYC’ers Manhattan Portage for a lovely new travel bag. This waxed canvas bag is a one-stop shop for everything you need to brew a tasty cup of coffee: a Porlex hand grinder, an Aerobie AeroPress, a light-weight Joe mug, and a bag of Joe’s signature blend, The Daily. Whether you’re braving the Appalachian Trail, or just braving the G train, this tasteful collabo has you covered.
Onyx Coffee Lab — “Roaster Sampler Box” — $25 — Shop via Onyx Coffee Lab
“Never Settle For Good Enough” is the mantra at Onyx Coffee Lab. This Roaster Sampler Box is the perfect introduction to this roaster, and comes stocked with four seasonal 4oz bags of coffee from the Onyx playbook. We’re huge fans of this roaster and think you will be too—plus this box is perfectly designed to snuggle in under the tree.
PT’s Coffee — “PT’s Sample Box” — $24 — Shop via PT’s Coffee
A fully customizable sample box from the Third Wave leaders at PT’s Coffee of Topeka, Kansas. You’ll get four individual 4oz bags, perfect for brewing up a Chemex, and you can pick from a diverse range of PT’s offerings, from their popular blends, single origin coffees, and even seasonal specials like “Abominable Snowbrew” and “Lump o’Coal”.
ReAnimator Coffee — “ReAnimator Mug Combo Pack” — $40 — Shop via ReAnimator Coffee
ReAnimator’s iconic skeleton & alchemist logo looks great on a mug, and even better alongside a bag of beans. Choose from any coffee on the current roster, and get ready to protect those mugs from sticky-fingered house guests tryin’ to steal your swag.
Stumptown Coffee — “Chemist” — $225 — Shop via Stumptown Coffee
A beautiful and practical gift set from the folks at Stumptown, with everything you need to elevate your home coffee game. It includes a lovely glass Chemex brewer, some proprietary filters for said Chemex, an entry-level home burr grinder from Baratza, a Bonavita gooseneck kettle, pocket scale, Chemex brew guide, bag o’beans and ceramic Stumptown logo mug. This could be a real gamechanger for someone on your holiday list this season, and is highly recommended as a combo set by Sprudge.
La Colombe Coffee — “Ethiopia Pack” —$33 — Shop via La Colombe
The folks at La Colombe get really into the gifting spirit, including publishing out this fun barista-driven gift guide section on their website. The brand offers multiple gift bundle options—if you have someone on your list who likes a more classic cup profile, that’s definitely here—but under my tree I’d prefer this collection of Ethiopian coffees, both washed and natural processed, roasted to show off nuance and flavor.
Intelligentsia Coffee — “Bourbon County Set” — $35 — Shop via Intelligentsia Coffee
Beer nerds love beer. Coffee nerds love coffee. But what if there were a box set that united both these interests? Enter the Intelligentsia Bourbon County Set, featuring Intelli’s Flecher Roja Costa Rica—the very same coffee used by Goose Island to brew their annual Bourbon County Stout. Get yours with a limited edition Intelli x Goose Island mug.
Brewista — “Holiday Bundle #4” — $173 — Shop via Brewista
A great start-up set for someone looking to jump in on brewing at home, the Holiday Bundle #4 from Brewista includes a Smart Pour variable temp kettle, a glass dripper brewer, glass coffee server, and innovative Flex-A-Bowl coffee scale. Ships worldwide.
Cafes Belleville — “Kit Office” — $67 — Shop via Cafes Belleville
This is a rad little gift pack from Belleville, the Parisian roaster helping transform coffee culture in the City of Light. Your “Kit Office” comes with a Hario hand grinder, a commuter Javapress, a bag of your choice of Belleville beans, and best of all, a custom “Je Bois De Belleville” tote. Sporting this bag around town, you *will* receive compliments and inquiries from both friends and strangers alike, so clear-cut and magnetic is its je ne sais quoi.
Fellow Products — “Stagg Pour-Over System” — $119 — Shop via Fellow Products
Not so much a bundle as a complete all-in-one brewing system, the Stagg Pour-Over System from Fellow Products closes the design loop they started with their popular Fellow Kettle. The Stagg Pour-Over System includes the new Fellow Dripper, a double-wall carafe, and a set of glass tasting glasses. This is a really beautiful, design-forward approach to brewing coffee at home.
Five Elephant — “Holiday Box” — $37 — Shop via Five Elephant
Berlin roasting heroes Five Elephant are back with a tasteful coffee sampler for the holidays. Designed by the team at Sunst. Studio, the box itself is gorgeous and can be filled with your choice of three 100 gram bags of coffee from the Five Elephant roaster roster. Customizable boxes like this are rare, and it’s a cool opportunity to taste a flavor snapshot of what they’re roasting up right now at 5E.
Several of the companies featured in this guide are advertising partners on Sprudge. A complete list of partners is published on the lower right-hand side of each article.
