Gifts for coffee lovers who make espresso at home: a vinyl-record barista kit with tamper and distributor, a wooden knock box, a coffee scale with timer, a dosing cup with a built-in scale, an electric tamper, a 64 mm flat-burr grinder and a lever espresso machine with PID temperature control.
The tools around it: a scale with a timer, a distributor and tamper, a knock box. They change the cup more than a new machine would, and few people buy them for themselves.
It is the upgrade most home baristas need first. A flat-burr grinder with stepless adjustment lets them dial in each new bag of beans, which a pre-ground supply or a blade grinder cannot do.
The barista kit is sized for 58.5 mm, which suits most 58 mm commercial-style portafilters. Check the size on the product page against the machine it will be used with.
