Pour Over Coffee & Other Genius Ideas To Make Your Morning Caffeine Even Better

A French Press is a classic, simple way to make morning coffee (fun fact: the design of the Bodum Chambord was inspired by France’s famous Château du Chambord, a castle in the Loire Valley). Add course grounds and hot water, and in just four minutes, you can have a whole carafe of piping fresh coffee. The beaker is made of borosilicate glass, which is strong and heat-resistant, and it has an easy-to-grip, polypropylene handle. There’s a stainless plunger, and a mesh filter to extract the flavor of the coffee — the beaker, filter, and plunger are also dishwasher-safe. This version has the added benefit of a copper finish on the lid and frame to keep kitchen countertops looking extra stylish, and it holds 34 ounces of liquid. One reviewer said, “Loving my Bodum coffee press! I wish I would have found it sooner. Makes great coffee with no sediment. We have gotten rid of our drip coffee maker and only use our coffee presses and a pour over (for the husband).”

There are some people who can’t live without iced coffee, no matter what time it is or how cold the temperature is outside. For those who love their caffeine chilled, cold brew is the answer. Whereas traditional iced coffee is usually hot coffee poured over ice, cold brew involves soaking coffee grounds in room temperature or cold water for up to 24 hours. Even though it requires some planning ahead and patience, the result is often less acidic (read: easier on your stomach), and stronger in both flavor and caffeine. This handy Hario glass bottle from Japan makes drinking cold brew as effortless as possible. Put in ground coffee into the ultrafine filter, fill the bottle with water, and place it in the fridge for 8-12 hours. It makes about 590ml (over two cups) of delicious cold brew. The filter is removable if you want to store extra cold brew (if any) for later drinking, and the bottle is also dishwasher-safe.

Pour over brewing can create a bolder cup of coffee because it tends to extract more flavor from the beans. If you’ve been curious to try it out at home but haven’t known where to start, this kit makes it easy. It has all the equipment you need to make 1-2 cups of fresh brewed pour over coffee — a BPA-free carafe, stainless steel dripper, and filter. Add your grounds into the filter, slowly pour in the hot water, let the water drip, and enjoy your cup in minutes. The Coffee Gator comes with a mesh filter that won’t rust and is reusable, so you can take paper filters off your grocery list and go a little greener.One reviewer said, “We have only had for a couple weeks but seems like it’s well built. Definitely easy to use and takes less than 5 min to have probably the best cup of coffee you have had in a very long time. Kudos to the team as we love this product.”

Enjoy coffee, Italian style, with the Bialetti Express Moka Pot which has been around for 80 years). It’s compact, easy-to-use, and requires no electricity or fancy gadgets. You add water in the lower part, coffee grounds in the funnel, and put the Moka pot on the stove. The heat pushes coffee up into the pot, and in about five minutes, you’ll have 9.2 ounces of strong coffee.One reviewer said, “It makes delicious coffee. Put some full city roast in there and fire it up and what comes out is espresso. From my readings I’ve gathered that its not actually espresso, as the Moka pot doesn’t make enough pressure for it to be real espresso. But its playing the part convincingly, I can’t tell the difference between what comes out of this and a shot of espresso. Its paid for itself a dozen times over at this point. Absolutely one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I couldn’t be happier.”

For true coffee connoisseurs, one way to ensure each cup is the freshest it can be is to buy whole beans and then grind them at home. Burr grinders have two surfaces (called burrs) where the beans pass through and are crushed and ground. Compared to blade grinders (which have one rotating blade, like a blender), burr grinders can lead to a more consistent, even grind. The Baratza Encore Burr Grinder is small enough to fit on a countertop or in a cabinet and it’s easy to use, with a front pulse button and side on/off switch. It can hold eight ounces of whole beans and has 40 different grind settings, from fine to course, to fit a variety of brew methods.One reviewer said, “Because I’m pulling espresso shots, I have to use a burr grinder, so I can get the kind of consistent, finely-ground coffee that’s required (for a couple days I tried an old blade grinder we had lying around, and the results were pitiful). I checked multiple round-up reviews, and the overwhelming consensus that that the Baratza Encore is the perfect marriage of inexpensive price and superior function. So, I bought one (yes, this is a recommendation based on an actual purchase), and after a few days of use, I can strongly encourage people in the market to try it as well. Right out of the box, the grinds were more consistent and perfectly sized than what had been coming out of the old machine, and the shots were some of the best I’d pulled in quite a while. Highly recommended!”

The Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother can steam milk (up to eight ounces) or transform cold or hot milk into delicious froth (four ounces) to let a coffee lover enjoy a foamy cappuccino or creamy latte at home with a push of a button. It takes just 60 seconds to completey froth cold milk and 70 seconds for hot milk, and there’s an auto-shut off once it’s done. The small whisk inside can be removed to make cleaning easy, and it’s much quieter than the loud milk steamers you hear inside cafes. One reviewer said, “My sister told me about this model. She has one and has seen them all over Europe. It was more expensive than the others but it works great. I use non dairy milk alternatives and it works on them. It froths my non-dairy milk and warms it to perfection. Spend the money and you will be pleased.”

Looking for something new in the coffee world? Here it is and it’s called gold coffee. Imagine a world with coffee that’s lighter, less acidic, yet more rich and flavorful…and imagine there’s no brew involved, you just use it like a tea bag. Yep. We said it, coffee in a tea bag, it’s that easy. With Golden Ratio you can subscribe monthly or buy one pouch at a time, each coming with 7 sachets of coffee to get you through the week. They offer 2 delicious flavors, vanilla coconut and spiced chai, in addition to original gold. Mamas, it don’t get much easier than this. Dunk it in the am if you like it hot, steep it overnight for cold brew.So why is it “gold”? They roast their beans at lower temps to create a smooth taste that’s 5x less acidic than regular coffee with zero bitterness. Basically, it’s coffee but better. Gold for the win!

Atlas Coffee Club combines a love of coffee and travel into one. The company curates some of the best single-origin coffees from all over the world, from Costa Rica to Rwanda and everywhere in between. Each month subscribers can receive a different coffee roasted to-order along with flavor notes, brewing tips, and a postcard from the coffee’s country of origin. Even the bag is designed to reflect different countries’ landscapes textiles. You can give three-, six-, or 12-month subscriptions to let friends or family experience unique coffees from different corners of the globe. You’re guaranteed to sip on something you won’t find on ordinary store shelves. It’s also a surefire way to please a parent. One reviewer said, “Got this for my stepmom and she loves it! Says the coffee is very good and it is fun to get it from a new place every month.”

For a taste of something local, Trade offers coffee subscriptions from roasters across the US. You can sign up for or gift a Trade subscription (including three, six, 12, and 24 bag options), and you’ll be sent a quiz to fill out your taste preferences, how experienced of a coffee drinker you are, what kind of roast you like, and how you like to prepare their coffee at home. Then you’ll get personalized matches to roasters and get a customized coffee delivery at whatever frequency you prefer. There are over 400 coffees available and you can also rate each bag to make future recommendations even better. One reviewer said, “Good gift for coffee lovers. Almost like a bookstore for coffee!”

There is nothing simpler than the Copper Cow method— it’s like coffee in a tea bag. And for those who love the taste of coffee but are minding their caffeine levels, there’s a five-pack of pour-over decaf lattes, too. There’s no additional equipment needed to brew a cup — each pack comes with a handy single-serve Vietnamese pour-over as well as packets of milk and sugar, so you just need to add hot water. COO Jessica Franksen (who is also expecting) says, “I was a coffee person through and through before my pregnancy, so I count on my fresh decaf pour-over and the smell of those grinds to start my days right! I love that I can feel good about what I’m drinking, too, from the chemical-free ingredients to the biodegradable materials. It’s keeping my baby and me safe and happy.“ Copper Cow is a women-owned, sustainably-sourced company that also offers golden latte five-packs ($15) as well as caffeinated pour-over subscription boxes ($30).

We all wish we could slowly savor a large mug of coffee, but often, we pulled away by distractions that needed tending to (ahem, children), and by the time you get back, the coffee is already cold. The Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug can keep your drink at the exact temperature you want (between 120-145 degrees), and you can use your smartphone to control the temp, set presets, and get notifications. By itself, the 10-ounce mug has a one hour battery life, but the coaster doubles as a charger, so no matter how many minor emergencies you have to deal with around the house, you can still enjoy a warm beverage. One reviewer said, “I was quite surprised by the range of connectivity my phone maintained with the mug— I could be in a separate room with my phone without affecting the mugs ability to maintain temperature! My favorite feature is how the ember app notifies you when your coffee is at your perfect temperature. The app also has some awesome preset temps to choose from (I.e. coffee, tea, latte, etc.). Although the battery doesn’t last for hours, the battery has more than enough energy capacity for your morning coffee or tea rituals.”