Tips for Choosing Mother’s Day Coffee Gifts

More than a Mug - Unexpected Coffee Gifts for Mom

If you’re the loving offspring of a coffee-loving mom, the biggest problem with Mother’s Day gifts is picking just one that she’ll love. Most coffee lovers have very particular tastes, and finding just the right coffee subscription, coffee maker, coffee gadget or even coffee mug can be tricky.

And seriously, let’s be real. Does mom really need one more coffee mug? If you’re looking for that special Mother’s Day coffee gift, check out these inspired unexpected coffee gift ideas.

Pick Coffee Your Mother Likes

So, okay, you’re a coffee gourmand yourself and you’d love to open mom’s eyes to the wide world of coffee beyond Folgers. Just don’t. Seriously. The point of a gift is to give someone something they like and appreciate. If your mother loves Starbucks, gift her with a Starbucks gift card. If she swears by her Keurig machine, creep in her cupboards to see which K-cups she orders, and put them on auto-pilot for her – on your credit card. If, on the other hand, she really appreciates the finer types of specialty coffee, consider a gift coffee subscription to keep her in a steady supply of lovely coffees for three, six or twelve months.

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Five Favorite Coffee Subscription Services:

Beanbox Coffee of the Month Club – Seattle’s best roasters every month
Mistobox (Ed. note – My son-in-law got me a Mistobox subscription for Mother’s Day two years ago – and he just keeps renewing. I HEARTILY endorse it!)
Driftaway Coffee – If mom doesn’t have a grinder, buy her one if you go with this one!
Bluebottle Coffee – Possibly the trendiest coffee subscription right now, featuring Bluebottle’s own roasts in a variety of blends and single origins
Brothers Coffee – For the mother who knows what she likes, and really likes to feel like she’s helping do good in the world. Brothers donate a portion of each subscription to partners who are working on making the world a better place for coffee growers and their communities

Choose a Coffee Maker that Makes Coffee Easier for Her

So many coffee gadgets, so little time! For the mom on the go, pick a gift that makes it easier for her to enjoy her coffee the way she lives her life. While there’s a growing trend for “slow coffee,” that just doesn’t always fit an active lifestyle. If your mother isn’t really down with finicky manual pourover coffee cones or fancy cold brew towers, consider a coffee brewer that does it all for her. From single serve brewers, to coffee makers that dispense directly into a travel mug, there’s an enormous selection of coffee makers that make coffee convenient. In addition, there are many that make it easy to make coffee wherever you are, so you’re not bound into cafe coffee prices.

Our Favorite Convenient Coffee Makers

Aicok Single Serve Coffee Brewer – designed to use most standard single cup pods, including K-cups, the Aicok has a small footprint that can easily sit on mom’s desk at the office
Black and Decker Single Serve Coffee Maker – dispenses coffee directly into the perfectly sized travel mug. Just grab and go – it even turns itself off so you don’t have to worry about it burning out if you forget to hit the switch.
Hamilton Beach Single Serve & Full Pot Coffee Maker – Make a single cup of coffee or a full pot, whichever works for you. It’s programmable, so you can set it up to make your coffee before you get up – and it even includes a permanent filter and reusable K-cup replacement.
Ninja Coffee Brewer System – does it all – full pots, single serve, travel cup – and lets you pick from multiple strengths and sizes. It even has a built in milk frother, so you can have cappuccino in a hurry.
Spinn Coffee Brewer – in pre-order, Spinn REALLY does it all, from grinding to dispensing. The connected app lets you start your coffee brewing from anywhere so it’s ready when you get to the kitchen. It even will order more of your favorite coffee when the bean hopper is running low.

Give Her a Coffee Experience

For the mom who really enjoys learning new things, gift her with some new knowledge and a coffee experience she’ll never forget. Check the calendar of events at local coffee bars and coffee houses for coffee cupping classes, coffee tasting events, or classes on how to brew the perfect cup of coffee using various methods. If you’ve got bucks to burn, consider a coffee tour – many coffee roasters offer sponsored trips to visit their coffee plantations and get to know coffee from the very roots. And because nothing is ever as special as time with you, consider signing up for the both of you!

Unexpected Coffee Experiences

Boot Coffee Camp – San Rafael, CA Train in state of the art coffee labs, with courses from coffee roasting to coffee cupping to latte art. Aimed at professionals, open to aficionados
Counter Culture Training Center – Counter Culture opens its regional training centers – including Boston, Atlanta, Asheville, LA and more – to coffee lovers, offering lessons that range from basic coffee info to brewing at home like a master.
Joe Coffee NYC – Iconic NYC roaster, Joe Coffee, offers a range of coffee classes, from Cupping for Beginners to Latte Art. You can even set up private events for mom and a group of her friends. Prices start as low as $40.