#Or in one case a fancy espresso machine that you just pressed a button on and it ground its own beans?

[theostrophywife]

the crush theory.

pairing: lorenzo berkshire x reader.

song inspiration: london boy by taylor swift.

author’s note: this is just a cute indulgent coffee shop! au with my sweetheart enzo. majorly inspired by all the boyfriend vibes louis has been serving with miss olivia lately. let’s not even talk about the ass grab with his big hands and rings…🫣

Enzo Berkshire never quite managed to master the language of love. 

Despite being a polyglot and a linguistics major, romance remained a complete mystery to him. It wasn't like he could craft a conjugation chart to help him not make a fool of himself in front of the girl of his dreams. When it came to matters of the heart, Enzo often found himself at a loss for words. Perhaps that was the reason why he never mustered up the courage to speak to you. 

Until that one fateful fall morning. 

The kiss of autumn arrived on campus a few weeks into the semester, freeing the city from the grips of the summer heat and bringing with it the changing of leaves and the distinct scent of cinnamon and apples. Enzo shoved his hands into the pockets of his burnt orange corduroy trousers and savored the sound of the jewel toned leaves crunching underneath his loafers. As the wind picked up, he wrapped his chunky knit cardigan tighter around himself to shield against the chilly breeze. 

The ivy covered brick buildings and cobblestone streets faded into the background as he walked past the quad. Deja Brew, the little hole in the wall cafe that Enzo frequented, greeted him like an old friend. The coffee shop was located on the outskirts of campus and was only a short walk from his dorm, which made it the ideal place to conduct his tutoring sessions. Not only was it convenient, but the cozy and quiet ambience provided the perfect setting for Enzo to teach his fellow struggling students. 

As time went on, the choice of location became less about convenience and more about catching a glimpse of you—the surly barista that worked the morning shift. For the past few months, Enzo developed a rather embarrassing crush on you. There was something about your scowl and no bullshit attitude that drew him to you like a moth to a flame. Though in his case, Enzo was perfectly content to hover a safe distance from the proverbial light of your fancy French cigarette lest he get burned. 

Upon first glance, anyone would have been intimidated by you. With your faded band tees, ripped jeans, and scuffed leather boots, Enzo was well aware that a girl like you would never be interested in a bloke who's wardrobe consisted of sweaters with elbow patches, floral print button downs, and neatly pressed pleated trousers. Needless to say, you were way too cool for him. 

Enzo was resigned to merely admiring you from afar, but fate seemed to have other ideas. The bell above the door tinkled softly as he made his way into Deja Brew only to stop dead in his tracks when he spotted you at the register. Usually, you were behind the bar manning the espresso machine during the early morning rush, but not today.

Today, you were front and center. 

Part of him considered walking out the door, but given the fact that the shop was nearly empty, a hasty exit would definitely not go unnoticed. Enzo had no choice but to suck it up and approach the register with resignation. The minute he opened his mouth, he was sure he’d muck things up. 

Enzo swallowed thickly and pushed his round framed glasses further up the bridge of his nose; a nervous habit he developed when he was younger. The erratic beat of his heart echoed in Enzo’s ears as his gaze flickered up to your face, expecting to be greeted with a frown. To his surprise, your lips curved into a small smile once you spotted him. 

“Lemon balm tea with two pumps of peach syrup and a dollop of honey, right?” 

Enzo blinked at the melodious sound of your voice, nearly missing the fact that you’d recited his exact order, which shouldn’t have been surprising given the fact that you’ve been making it for him for months. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little warm inside as you looked at him expectantly. He stared in stunned silence for a moment. 

You furrowed your brow in doubt. “Did I get that wrong?” 

“No, no, it’s right. It’s great. It’s perfect—“ Enzo cleared his throat, mentally kicking himself for rambling. “I’m just surprised that you remembered it.” 

“Of course I remember it, you’re one of my regulars. I’d be a pretty shit barista if I forgot your order.” You cocked your head, tapping your lips thoughtfully. “Speaking of which, do you want your croissant warmed up, Lorenzo?” 

“You know my name?” 

Enzo hadn’t meant to sound so starstruck, but hearing his name come out of your mouth made his heart skip a beat.

“And your social security number too,” you deadpanned. Enzo’s eyes widened, which made you chuckle. “I’m just having a laugh. I promise I won’t commit identity theft against you. Unless you piss me off.” 

You accompanied the statement with a cheeky wink, which only made Enzo even more nervous. 

"Don't look so nervous, peach. I swear I don't bite."

“Right. Sure. Of course,” he stammered. “The tea and the croissant sounds good, Y/N.” The realization that you’ve never told him your name came a beat too late. “It’s on your chest. The name tag, I mean. I wasn’t just staring at your chest. Though I’m sure it’s very nice. Bloody hell, I’ll stop talking now.” 

Enzo cringed at himself, but eased when you laughed. “You’re a strange bloke, Lorenzo.” You said as you began making his drink. “But I’ve got to admit, it’s oddly charming.” 

He chuckled, trying to hide the flush coloring his cheeks. “That seems to be my sweet spot.” 

"As sweet as peaches," you retorted as you added two pumps of peach syrup into his tea. "You'll have to excuse the fruit references. Before I knew your name, I referred to you solely as the peach guy."

"Is that good or bad?"

Enzo hiked his backpack over his shoulder and meandered down the end of the counter where you were topping off his tea with a dollop of honey. You swirled it into a heart pattern before sliding the warm cup into a sleeve. 

"Well, I've never met anyone who's preferred drink could constitute as a dessert, so it's certainly something. You're an enigma, Lorenzo," you said thoughtfully. "Though I think I like peach better. You don't really strike me as a Lorenzo."

“You can call me Enzo. I prefer it over my full name. It sounds so stuffy.” 

“We certainly can’t have that,” you said with a smirk. “Enzo. I like it. It’s rather becoming. Not stuffy at all.” He chuckled as you handed him a brown bag. "I might still call you peach from time to time. Force of habit. You understand, right?"

"Of course," Enzo replied. "El loro viejo no aprende a hablar."

"You kiss your mum with that mouth, peach?"

Enzo flushed. "It's Spanish for the old parrot does not learn to talk. Basically their equivalent of you can't teach an old dog new tricks." He shifted his weight onto his other foot. "What I'm trying to say is, I don't mind if you call me peach or Enzo or whatever else you'd like."

"You're giving me way too much freedom, Enzo. I intend on taking full advantage." You winked as you slid his drink over to him. “Enjoy your croissant. I put a little something extra in there for you.” 

Enzo peered into the bag and saw an extra pastry wrapped in black cellophane next to his croissant. The brownie didn’t look like any of the ones behind the counter, which meant that it was probably homemade. Strange, he wouldn’t have pegged you for a baker. 

“Oh, you really don’t have to—” 

“Nonsense,” you countered, waving off his protests. “Really, you’d be doing me a favor. It’s an experimental recipe of mine, which makes you my guinea pig. As payment, I expect a full report on the brownie tomorrow morning. Don’t hold back either, peach. I want a brutally honest review.”

“I’m sure it’ll be great,” Enzo said in reassurance. “In any case, your guinea pig will take ample notes.” 

“That would be much appreciated,” you said with a serious nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Enzo-not-Lorenzo.”

Enzo couldn’t help but grin. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N.” 

Enzo rubbed his temples, willing the headache forming behind his eyes to vanish. Unfortunately for him, his last tutoring session with Flint seemed to have left a permanent mark. While Enzo usually enjoyed teaching French, Marcus was proving to be a rather difficult case. Not only was Flint unwilling to do the work, the knobhead also spent the entire session leering at you instead of studying the conjugation chart that Enzo poured his blood, sweat, and tears on. 

“Merlin, I have no idea how you deal with rich, smarmy arseholes all day.” 

Enzo looked up to find you seated across the table, sliding a sandwich, a fruit cup, and a bag of crisps towards him without missing a beat. He hadn’t even realized it was already an hour past lunch until his stomach grumbled at the sight of food.

“One could argue that I’m also a rich, smarmy arsehole,” Enzo countered, picking up a grape and popping it into his mouth with a slight smile. “Yet you seem to have no problems dealing with me.” 

“Yes, well, everyone knows I’m just using you for your body. Specifically, your taste buds.” Enzo shook his head in amusement before taking a bite out of the sandwich. Peanut butter and jelly, his favorite. “Besides, how else am I supposed to learn new insults in different languages if I hadn’t met you? Speaking of which, I believe I’m completely justified in saying that Flint is a total gehirnverweigerer.”

“Marcus isn’t so bad. He just needs a bit of a push,” Enzo replied rather unconvincingly. 

“If by a push you mean my boot against his arse, then I wholeheartedly agree.” 

“The French have this saying, petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid. In English, it roughly translates to: little by little, the bird builds its nest.” 

“Except Flint isn’t a bird, he’s a twat,” you deadpanned. “The bloke was too busy staring at my arse to even pick up a lick of French. To think, you even made this cute little chart and everything. You have the patience of a saint, Enz.” 

“One of us has to,” Enzo replied as he tore open the bag of wotsits. “Given your proclivity to violence.” 

“Don’t make me take your crisps away, Lorenzo.” 

Shielding his wotsits from your vengeful wrath, Enzo flashed you a saccharine smile. For good measure, he even batted his pretty honey eyes at you. The audacity. “Have I ever told you that you’re my favorite person in the whole entire world?” 

You rolled your eyes fondly. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Berkshire. Now finish your lunch or else I’ll be very cross with you.” 

Enzo smiled to himself, wondering at the fact you were complete strangers until a few weeks ago. Ever since you gifted him with the best brownie he’s ever tasted in his entire life, he became your designated taste tester. Every morning, Enzo would start his day off with his usual lemon tea and whatever new pastry recipe you had chosen to tackle that week. Between the scones and muffins, Enzo learned that you intended on opening your own bakery after uni. Hence, his very important role of reviewing your recipes. 

Granted, Enzo didn’t know how much of a help he actually was given the fact that he thought everything you made was amazing. Still, the novelty of finding a fresh pastry in his bag with a handwritten note from you never failed to brighten his morning. Especially since you signed each one with a crimson kiss print that made him blush every time he laid his eyes upon it. It was safe to say his crush had only gotten worse the more he got to know you. 

As you settled behind the counter to help with the afternoon rush, Enzo attempted to get some work done before classes started for the day. With finals fast approaching, he was caught up on making sure he had everything in order. It wasn’t until Enzo heard a familiar voice when he finally tore his gaze away from his laptop screen. 

Enzo froze as he watched one of his best mates saunter up to the counter. Even from his seat by the window, he could tell that Mattheo was flirting with you. In hindsight, his friend seemed exactly like the type of guy you would go for. The broody bad boy who probably listened to all the obscure bands that you often talked to him about. As Mattheo directed his smoldering gaze at you, Enzo thought he might be violently ill. 

Squinting across the coffee shop, Enzo angrily shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers in an attempt to keep himself from strangling his curly headed friend. 

In a tone that was at least an octave deeper than his regular voice, Mattheo drawled a question at you. “What’s good here?” 

You stared at him pointedly before waving a hand towards the menu. “There’s coffee, there’s pastries. It’s really not rocket science.”

The deadpan delivery combined with the utterly unenthused expression on your face nearly made Enzo snort out loud. It might’ve been an arsehole move to rejoice at Mattheo’s fumble, but he found it immensely satisfying that you seemed to be immune to the infamous Riddle charm. 

“A bit feisty today aren’t we, love? I just wanted to see what the pretty lady behind the counter recommends.” 

Enzo watched in amusement as you slipped on your signature scowl, the one that made him fall for you in the first place. “The pretty lady recommends that you stop holding up the line so she can get to the other customers who actually know what they want.” 

Hiding his smirk, Enzo feigned surprise as a dejected Mattheo plopped down across from him. “Merlin, that was brutal. Is the barista always this mean? I complimented her pins and she stared at me like I’d grown an extra head.” 

“Y/N isn’t really a people person,” Enzo supplied. 

“No shit, Berkshire.” Mattheo tapped his fingers on the counter. “Let’s just get to class before I embarrass myself any further.”

“That’s probably for the best,” replied Enzo. 

Ignoring Mattheo’s glare, Enzo packed up his laptop and put his tray away. He followed his mate through the throng of people, which had thinned out once more. They were a few steps away from the door when you called out his name. With a raised brow, you held out a pink box. Enzo smiled sheepishly in return. He couldn’t believe he’d almost forgotten the dessert of the day. 

“One lemon berry scone. Less tart, per your critique last week.” He took the box from your hands, blushing furiously when your fingers brushed against his. “Have a good class, peach.” 

“Thanks, Y/N. I’ll have your full report ready tomorrow.” 

“You better.” Enzo nearly dropped the box when you winked at him. “Later, Berkshire.” 

Smiling to himself, Enzo came face to face with a gaping Mattheo. “For Salazar’s sake, it’s like I don’t even exist.” He muttered before breaking out into a grin. “No wonder my moves had no effect. Mate, she obviously fancies you.” 

Enzo’s cheeks immediately heated as he pushed out into the quad. “What? No. Y/N and I are just really good friends.” 

“Now I understand why you come here so often,” Mattheo remarked. “If the mean hot barista plied me with baked goods and called me peach, I’d be coming here every day.” 

“It's an inside joke about my drink order..." Enzo tried to explain. "The point is, Y/N isn’t mean. She’s actually really nice.” 

“Yeah, because she likes you.” 

“No, she doesn’t.”

“Does too.” Mattheo countered. “Why else would she bake you a scone?” 

“She wants to own a bakery someday. Obviously, that means she needs someone to test her recipes out on,” Enzo explained. “It’s how we became friends.” 

“Right,” Mattheo said with a shit eating grin. “Friends.” 

Enzo rolled his eyes. “Can we just please get to class?” 

“Whatever you say, peach.” 

“I have a theory,” Mattheo announced. 

Enzo sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Not this again, mate.” 

The rest of their friends perked up, abandoning their laptop screens and textbooks in favor of the newest piece of gossip. The little corner of the library that their group had claimed was fairly quiet, which was supposed to be optimal for revising, but Mattheo couldn’t seem to let his conspiracy theory go. He'd been badgering Enzo about it for a week.

“Berkshire here refuses to believe me, but I have it on good authority that Y/N has a crush on him. 

“Y/N,” Theo started, “You mean his mean barista friend? She’s proper fit.” 

“Don’t call her fit,” Enzo replied rather defensively. 

“A little touchy there, Berkshire.” Regulus said with a chuckle. “Is that jealousy I sense?” 

“For the millionth time, Y/N and I are just friends.” 

“Is that the same friend that makes all those tasty pastries for you?” Draco asked with a raised brow. “I’ve seen the cute little notes she leaves for you posted all around your dorm. With the adorable kiss prints and hearts. Seems to me like Mattheo’s right. Y/N’s sweet on you, cousin.” 

“Do me a favour and stop being a snooping twat, cousin.” Enzo retorted with a frown. “Y/N’s just being nice. It’s what friends do.”

“None of my mates have ever gone out of their way to bake me a bloody thing,” Blaise declared in feigned offense as he wrapped an arm around Pansy. 

“Yes, well, none of your mates even know where the oven is located, let alone how to operate it,” replied his girlfriend. Pansy smiled at Enzo. “Besides, I think their friendship is sweet.” 

“Thanks, Pans.” 

“So you don’t fancy Y/N?” Theo asked. Enzo opened his mouth then closed it. He was well aware that his friend was baiting him, but he refused to fall into Theo’s trap. 

“Like I said, we’re friends.” 

“In that case, you wouldn’t mind if I asked for her number, right?” 

As a matter of fact, Enzo did fucking mind. He minded very much. Too much, probably. But he couldn’t very well say that out loud. Instead, he masked his scowl and returned his attention to revising. 

“Knock yourself out, mate.” 

Theo smirked. “Alright then, let’s go.” 

“Go where?” Enzo asked disinterestedly, flipping through his study sheet for Latin. 

“To Deja Brew,” Theo replied smugly. “We all need a study break, anyways.” 

“You want to go there? Right now?” With each question, Enzo’s death grip tightened on his notes. “To ask for Y/N’s number?” 

“That shouldn’t be a problem, right? In fact, maybe you could introduce us.” 

Enzo would rather walk on hot coals. “I think I'll pass. I've already seen her turn Mattheo down and that was brutal enough as it is. I don’t need an encore.”

“Riddle’s probably not her type.” 

Mattheo frowned, crossing his arms. “I’m everyone’s type.” 

Theo chuckled. “Apparently not hers. Perhaps she’d prefer a handsome Italian, no?” 

Mattheo rolled his eyes. “In your dreams, Nott.” 

“Now I’m intrigued,” exclaimed Blaise. “I’d never miss an opportunity to witness Theodore get humbled. Are you sure you’re ready for a woman like Y/N, Nott?” 

“Please,” Theo scoffed. “I was born ready.” 

Against his will, Enzo found himself at Deja Brew ten minutes later. In his usual corner by the window, he brooded like a petulant child. This was a horrible, terrible, and idiotic idea. All he wanted to do was revise and now his study session had been hijacked just so he could watch Theo flirt with the girl he fancied. 

“You know, you can put a stop to this any time you’d like,” Mattheo said in a sing-songy voice. “Just admit that my theory is right. Y/N has a crush on you and I’m willing to bet that the feeling is mutual. Isn’t it, Berkshire?” 

Enzo crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. Instead of giving into Mattheo’s childish pursuits, he opened his laptop and pretended to be immersed with Russian translations. 

“Have it your way, Enzo.” Regulus declared, nodding towards the register. “Nott’s about to give us a show.” 

As irritated as he was with his friends, Enzo couldn’t tear his gaze away. Theo marched up to the counter with swagger and confidence, slipping on his signature smirk. You looked up from your phone screen, giving the tall and lanky boy a sweeping gaze. The unenthused expression on your face screamed that you weren’t at all impressed.

“Y/N, is it?” Theo drawled, squinting at the nametag pinned to your apron. “A pretty name for a pretty lady.” 

“Thanks,” you deadpanned. “My parents gave it to me. Now what can I get started for you?” 

“Aren’t you going to ask me for my name?” 

“I know who you are,” you replied dismissively. “One of Enzo’s friends, right? I heard about your little stunt in the fountain. You know, December’s not really a smart time to go skinny dipping.” Theo flushed as your eyes trailed down to his crotch. “Certain parts shrivel in the cold, Nott.” 

“I assure you, my parts were perfectly intact.” 

“That’s not what Katie Bell said,” you countered, tapping your lips thoughtfully. “I believe I heard something about shrinkage.” Theo opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. “I’ll tell you what, Theodore. Why don’t I fix you up a cappuccino? It’ll help keep you and your parts warm and cozy.” 

Enzo bit his lip to keep himself from bursting into laughter. The rest of his friends snickered as they watched a dejected Theo return to the table. 

Regulus snorted as he sat back down in defeat. “Merlin, that was hard to watch. Absolutely brutal, really.” 

Theo glared at Regulus in response. “I’d like to see you do better, Black.” 

Regulus winked. “Watch and learn, boys.” 

The older boy had about as much luck as Theo. Though the attempts had put him in a foul mood at first, Enzo was absolutely elated as he watched you turn down his friends. Regulus received an eye roll while Draco reeled from the head to toe once-over that humbled the absolute hell out of him. 

“It’s useless,” his cousin mumbled. “She hates everyone.” 

“Or maybe Y/N just doesn’t appreciate random blokes chatting her up while she’s trying to do her job,” Pansy said with an eye roll. 

“Oh bloody hell, here she comes.” Regulus muttered under his breath. “I don’t think my ego can take another hit.” 

The boys cowered as you came closer, but you didn’t pay them any mind. Instead, you set a fresh mug of tea and a lemon scone down in front of Enzo. 

“Last one, I promise. It’s finally perfect this time.” 

“You said that the last three times,” Enzo said with a chuckle. “They were all brilliant, by the way. Not that you listen to my well crafted reviews.” 

“You say that about everything I make, Enz. Honestly, a girl bakes you a couple of treats and suddenly I’m the best thing since sliced bread.” 

“I’m just being honest,” he replied with a shrug. “You couldn’t bake a single bad pastry if you tried.” 

“I’d like to try a pastry,” Mattheo interjected. 

You tore your attention away from Enzo. The smile that you reserved for him transformed into a scowl, your entire body language turning stern. “I’m sorry. Who are you again?” 

“Riddle,” Mattheo supplied. “Mattheo Riddle.” 

“Right,” you said slowly, as if speaking to a small child. “My pastries aren’t for sale. You’re more than welcome to try the day-old brownie behind the counter though. If you can manage to chew through it.” 

Mattheo sputtered, but you paid no mind to his aghast expression. Enzo fought the urge to kiss you right then and there. 

“Closing again tonight?” he asked, ignoring the blatant stares from the rest of his friends. 

“Unfortunately. Diggory bailed again. Probably too busy snogging Cho to come in for his shift,” you said with an eye roll. 

“Leave those lovebirds alone,” Enzo quipped back. “They’re in their honeymoon phase.” 

“I can’t for the life of me understand how they aren’t sick of each other by now.” 

“That’s because you’re a mean old grump.” You glared at him, which only made Enzo smile. “Luckily for you, that doesn’t deter me. I’ll come keep you company if you want. I promise to be way more entertaining than Cedric.” 

“It’s not a hard task to accomplish, but I’ll take you up on it nonetheless.” 

“I thought you might say that,” he said with a small smile. “I’ll meet you back here after my last class. Pad Thai tonight?” 

You nodded and grinned back. “This is why you’re my favorite, peach.” 

The boys gaped as you ruffled his hair in parting. They waited until you were out of earshot before launching into a tirade. 

“What the bloody hell was that?”

“Just friends my arse.”

“I can’t believe she actually smiled at you!” 

“It’s strange how treating Y/N like an actual human being instead of pestering her while she’s trying to work yields such positive results,” Pansy retorted. “I think you all need to start following Enzo’s example. Clearly he’s had more success than you lot.” 

Blaise patted Enzo on the back. “Mate, you might be the most oblivious bloke in all of Britain, but you’d have to be an absolute knobhead not to see what’s right in front of you.” 

He hummed in response, glancing up at the exact same time that your gaze met his from across the room. You winked, making him blush furiously. Merlin, you were pretty. It was honestly unfair. Maybe Zabini was onto something.

When it came to you, even Enzo had to agree that he was a total and absolute knobhead.

Later that night, Enzo helped you clear the plates and mugs as the last customers trickled out of Deja Brew. The soft sounds of your perfectly curated playlist trickled over the speakers as you flipped the sign to closed. He watched with a small smile as you hopped up onto the counter and beckoned him over. The fairy lights twinkled above the ceiling, illuminating your smile as Enzo took his place next to you. 

The sight of you grinning up at him tugged at his heartstrings. There were coffee stains on your jeans and apron, your thick hair was falling out of its braid, and a cold bowl of Pad Thai awaited in your lap and yet he’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life. 

“Aren’t you glad Cedric bailed?” Enzo teased, knocking his shoulder with yours. “Now you get to enjoy cold noodles with your favorite person.” 

You chuckled, nudging him back. “I suppose this is nicer than listening to Diggory ramble on about Quidditch. It’s always bludger this, bludger that. I honestly considered bludgeoning him myself.” 

“To be fair, the man could merely breathe and you’d still find a way to be annoyed by it.” 

“No one needs to inhale that much oxygen.”

“I rest my case, you mean old grump.” 

You rolled your eyes affectionately. “You know, if anyone else called me that I’d poke their eye out with a fork.” Enzo chuckled as you stabbed into your bowl of noodles. “Besides, I have every right to be grumpy. It’s been a long day. Thanks to your incessant little friends.” 

“I’m sorry about the guys,” he said earnestly. “I tried to talk them out of flirting with you, but they’ve got this crazy theory.” 

“Oh?” You asked, raising a brow. “What’s the theory, then?” 

Enzo flushed, avoiding your gaze. “They uh…” He cleared his throat and stared at his shoes. “They think you fancy me.” 

“Hmm,” you hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe they’re not idiots after all. Your friends are right. I do fancy you.” 

White noise rushed through his ears. Enzo’s mouth fell open as he met your gaze. Surely, he hadn’t heard you correctly. 

“You alright there, peach?” 

“You…” Enzo trailed off, his voice tinged with disbelief. “You like me?” 

You chuckled. “I have for a bit. Thanks for finally noticing.” 

“How?” Enzo muttered. “What?” He cocked his head, trying to search for the proper words. “Why?” 

At the moment, it appeared that one syllable words were the full extent of his vocabulary. All those languages in his head and yet he couldn’t form a single coherent sentence. 

“Enz, I know your drink order by heart,” you explained softly. “I make you cupcakes and muffins. I write you notes every day. I thought I made myself pretty obvious.” 

“Gods,” he breathed, silently reprimanding himself. “I really am the most oblivious bloke in Britain.” Enzo licked his lips, turning over to look at you. “I just thought you were being nice.” 

“Lorenzo, when have I ever been nice to anyone?” 

“I am a bloody idiot.” 

“You never made a move, so I just thought you didn’t see me that way. Which is fine, by the way. I don’t mind being friends.” 

Enzo turned so fast he nearly smacked into the register. “Are you kidding? I’ve had a crush on you for months. You’re the best part of my day. Waking up and knowing that I get to see you every morning is the only thing that gets me out of bed.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“Because,” he stated matter-of-factly. “You’re out of my league. You’re smart and funny and not to mention way too cool. Honestly, I thought you’d go for someone like Mattheo or Theo or literally anyone else but me. Someone a little more…” he trailed off, waving a hand over you. 

“Scary?” 

“No! Well, yes. Someone more confident and intimidating.” 

“Bad boys aren’t really my type.”

He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. “They’re not?” 

“No,” you said, setting down your food and turning over to face him. “My type is a nerdy linguistics major who teaches me how to curse in six different languages and who makes cute little conjugation charts and orders drinks that should quite frankly classify as a dessert.” 

Enzo’s smile grew wider. "I like you too, you know. A lot. Like, embarrassingly so. With your grumpy little scowl and all black wardrobe and dry humor. I like all of it."

You beamed as Enzo leaned closer, tracing your lips like he was trying to commit the curves of your smile to his memory. His heart pounded in his chest as your eyes flickered up to meet his.

"Then kiss me like you mean it, Enzo."

Despite your confidence, the air left your lungs as soon as Enzo cradled your face in his hands. The twinkling lights made his brown eyes shimmer like pools of honey in the dark. The tension stretched between you as he leaned in closer, his lips brushing yours ever so gently. They briefly closed around yours—tasting, testing, taunting. Then the dam broke free.

Enzo pressed you closer and kissed you like his life depended on it. You smiled against his lips, melting into his touch as he tilted your head back for more. Butterflies erupted in your stomach as Enzo sighed into your mouth, his lips molding perfectly against yours. The once shy and experimental kisses turned needy and passionate, making you feel slightly lightheaded. Enzo savored your soft sighs, kissing you over and over again to elicit more.

It wasn't until you felt like the air had been depleted from your lungs when he finally relented. He pressed his forehead against yours, noses brushing as you both grinned at each other. It felt right to be this close. It felt like you were made to do this all along. Enzo brushed his thumb over your cheek, looking dazed as he pulled back to look at you. 

“It’s about time, Berkshire.” 

“Hey,” Enzo grumbled, pecking at your lips. “You can’t blame me. I couldn’t even look at you without blushing and making a fool of myself. You’re so intimidating.” 

“Not so scary now, am I?” 

“Oh no, I’m still terrified of you. But I’ve also seen you cry during the Notebook, so I know that deep down inside, you’re just a big softie.” 

You started to protest, but Enzo just leaned in and kissed you again. With his lips pressed against yours, you couldn’t even remember what you were about to say. As he pulled you into his lap, you heard cheers coming from outside. Behind the glass window, his friends were cheering and wolf-whistling rather obnoxiously on the street. 

Enzo responded by flicking them off and kissing you even harder, pressing your bodies together as you giggled. He hauled you to your feet, his arms circling around your waist as he dipped you for a better angle. Your back hit the counter as you raised to your tiptoes, winding your arms around his neck and mussing up his hair as you arched for more. The hollering only grew more incessant when Enzo grabbed your ass and squeezed. The groan that escaped from his mouth made you dizzy with desire.

If one kiss could elicit such a response out of you, it was almost scary to think what else Enzo had in his arsenal. A cheeky little smile curved against his lips as though he knew exactly what you were thinking. You basked under the warmth of his gaze, feeling flushed and flustered. That pretty face had you entirely fooled. Enzo was far from innocent.

“Gods, I really fucking fancy you.”

With a smile, you kissed the tip of his nose. “I really fucking fancy you too, peach.” 

Despite the many languages in Enzo's arsenal, no phrase or saying could convey how he felt better than his lips against yours. Maybe he hadn't quite mastered the language of love, but he had a feeling that you'd be more than willing to teach him.

[averbaldumpingground]

On the stoop, she’s still wearing her prom dress. It’s after eight and it’s dark. Through the window in the living room, she can see her brother crouched over his homework, doing his best not to watch her get soaked in the rain. Her mother, she knows, is just inside in the hallway. But Jake told her he’d be there to take her. Not that she could go like this now, not with her mascara running. She can’t see any headlights on the road even standing up on her tiptoes in the driveway. Jake called and swore that he’d be there. She really wanted to go.

[fanficsofmine]

Jealousy - Jongdae smut

With the help of @watermonkey0 - your wish is our command! -T

He came at the same time almost every day and thought that was being subtle. He ordered something different every time though, which meant it was always a suprise when I looked at the cup of coffee and read off his name to the busy shop.

"Jongdae!"

He came up leisurely, grinning at me like he knew he'd fooled me again, and I would just shake my head. "An Americano this morning?" I asked. He usually ordered on the sweeter side.

"I like to be unpredictable." He grinned, taking the cup.

"Who knows," I returned cordially, "Maybe tomorrow you'll get tea." I watched him perform his daily ritual of discreetly checking the space underneath the hand warmer, just in case I'd written some secret message there. Just as every other day, he hid his disappointment well, and I bit my lip to hide my smile. I was torturing the poor guy, I knew that. If he came right out and asked for my number I would give it without a second thought. But as it was, I liked watching him work for it.

A few hours later, my second appointment came strolling in.

"I swear you put an ad out for desperate men." My coworker Jessica sneered from behind the espresso machine.

"Maybe they just like coffee." I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Maybe they like you handing them their coffee."

"I do have exceptionally nice hands." I shrugged. It was such a struggle to be this beautiful. Jessica scoffed and left me and my hands to get more milk from the back. I finished making the Non-Fat Latte With Caramel Drizzle for my regular without looking. He got the same thing everytime.

"Hoetaek!"

He was a smaller guy, with faded grey/blue hair, and was always polite and eager to talk. He took the cup thankfully, glancing at my fingers as they grazed his on the side of the cup.

"How's it going?" He asked quietly.

"So far so good. How about you?" I was already half way into another drink, a Half-Caff Soy Latte. I probably wasn't giving him the full focus he wanted, but he surprised me into attention with his answer.

"If I asked you to get a cup of coffee with me sometime, would it be too ironic?"

"N-No." I stammered, hands stilled on the foamer.

"How about tonight?" Hoetaek grabbed one of the cup sleeves and used it to jot down his name and number. He handed it to me like I usually handed him his coffee, and I took it without thinking. "I'll pick you up here at 6:30pm." He shot me the biggest smile before almost running out of the store. I stood dumbfounded until Jessica came up behind me and snatched the holder from my hand.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She roared as I blushed.

My shift ended at 6pm, so I quickly ran home and changed. I didn't want to come off as too desperate, or too slutty, or too anything really. So I opted for my nice jeans, a nice shirt, and some bootie heels that made my calves look good.

As promised, Hoetaek was right on time. He pulled up in his car and waved at me as I sat at a patio table. He even ran around the car to open his passenger door for me. It was all very gentlemanly.

"So where are we going?" I asked once we were driving.

"There's this really cool bar I'd like to take you to." In my head I let out a groan, cause I hated the bar scene, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. He had good taste in coffee, so here was hoping it carried over into alcohol.

Two hours later, I was sitting at a very crowded bar by myself, watching Hoetaek sing drunk karaoke. He was good. He was very good. But I was very done. I slumped against the bar with my back to the big entrance window.

Over the obnoxiously loud music and singing, I heard a gentle tap tap tap. Enough to make me turn and gasp. Jongdae stood outside, clad in a jean jacket and a smile. He motioned for me to come outside. I quickly looked to Hoetaek, but he was heart deep in a ballad, and I didn't want to interrupt.

Outside the bar, it was chilly, and I hugged my arms, but Jongdae's bright smile warmed my chest.

"Fancy meeting you here!" He grinned, and I mirrored it.

"I feel like I should be serving the drinks if you're here too!" I laughed.

"Too?" He asked, his smile turning tense.

"I'm here with another regular from the coffee shop. He's..." I gestured back inside to the stage, "performing."

For a moment, the smile on Jongdae's face was plastered there, even when I saw it falling in his eyes.

“Ah. I see. Well, are you at least enjoying yourself” I raised my eyebrow as if to say, “do you think I would be out here talking to another guy if I was enjoying myself?”

Instead, I shrugged. “He at least had the guts to ask me out.” It was meant to be a teasing dig at Jongdae, but he didn’t find it very funny. The next thing I knew, he had a hand around my wrist and was pulling me to the side of the building.

An arm pressed on either side of my body as my back met the wall. Jongdae’s face was no more than a few inches away from mine. I did my best to appear as if his dominance and jealousy had no effect over me, but I felt as though my rapid breathing gave me away.

“So, you’re telling me that you would rather be out there with him than right here with me?” His hips pressed against mine lightly, but enough for me to see that he was also enjoying the fact that he was dominating me a bit.

“I’m just saying that Hoetaek had the balls to ask me out first.” I quipped back. Jongdae raised an eyebrow and let a smirk crawl across his face.

“That’s fair; but did he have the balls to do this?”

One of his hands cupped my chin and placed an aggressive kiss to my lips. It was as if he were trying to kiss me as quickly as he could before I pulls away and slapped that stunning face of his.

I did no such thing.

Instead, I kissed him back. When he realized that I wasn’t going to shove him off of me, he slowed the kiss down and moved his hand from my chin to rest right at my collarbone. I could sense that he was plotting something, and I was right.

His hand slid down the front of my jeans as he whispered “and was Hoetaek brave enough to do this?” With no hesitation, he began to tease my core with a couple of his fingers. Jongdae’s lips placed kisses along my neck and jawline as I covered my mouth to try to keep myself from giving us away. I shouldn’t have been letting him finger me against the wall of a public place like this, but the second he slid two fingers deep into me, the fear of getting caught faded and all that I cared about was him moving his hand.

“Go ahead,” Jongdae whispered, “let me know. Say, out loud, who you actually want. Is it him or is it me?” He took his fingers out of my slit and I whined. I didn’t want to give in. I didn’t want him to know that he was winning.

But I wanted him to make me cum more than I wanted to win this battle.

“Jongdae. Please?” I whined, the absence of his hand between my legs driving me insane.

“Say it again.” Cocky asshole.

“I said, ‘Jongdae. Please!’”

With his name leaving my lips again, Jongdae fully i did the button of my jeans and put his hand back into my pants so that he had more range of motion. This time, his thumb circled my clit as his fingers slid in and out of me, and I allowed myself to ride his hand until I felt myself tighten around him.

I put both hands over my mouth as my orgasm flowed through me. Impressed that he had made me cum that quickly and with his hand, I had to balance myself on the wall I was standing against. My head fell back as I attempted to catch my breath.

Regulating my breathing was difficult when he kept trying to kiss me, though.

Finally, he broke away and said, “go end your date. I’ll wait for you in my car out front.”

[mundialboost]

There are two types of coffee drinkers: people who drink coffee and people who are obsessed with coffee. I fall into the latter category. A few years ago I became friends with a couple roasters while living in Savannah, Georgia and I've never looked back. I currently have five different methods for brewing coffee in my house (more if you count the multiple pour-over contraptions). It's a serious habit.

And I'm not alone. Coffee culture is thriving all over the world. It's easy to find roasters akin to your favorite local small-batch outfit anywhere in the world. However, there might not always be time to go exploring while traveling, or the people on your list could maybe use an upgrade to their at-home setup. No matter what you're looking for, we've got a range options that make great coffee gifts for everyone, including travelers and aspiring coffee pros.

Something for everyone

Let's face it: the coffee lover on your list might know their stuff, but you don't know what they already have in their arsenal. No worries! There's an easy solution that's perfect for both novices and experts that you're shopping for.

Coffee Subscriptions

One of the best coffee decisions I've made is getting fresh beans delivered to me on a regular schedule. I only run out during cold brew season when I'm using a lot more coffee for both hot and iced beverages. And I could easily fix that by adjusting the frequency. In my experience with Counter Culture and Hatchet, you can get two bags of single-origin beans for around $35, shipping included. I'm not recommending those roasters, per se, even though I've found they deliver consistently good quality and a range of rotating options. You should explore what's available from your recipient's favorite roaster. If they have a local one that's solid, that's probably your best option for the freshest beans. A lot of coffee companies will roast and ship the same day, or at least the day after. Plus, you can choose a frequency that fits their consumption habit. I typically get two bags every two weeks (typically 12 ounces from most roasters), but two bags a month also makes a nice gift.

AeroPress

The AeroPress wasn't the answer to my coffee woes while traveling, but it's still a nice piece of brewing gear to have on hand. With its plunger-driven design, the device offers immersion brewing that extracts flavors from the beans without a lot of the bitterness. The end result is a great cup of coffee that tastes much different than if you brewed the same variety with a pour-over or French Press. Besides brewing a smooth full-flavored cup, another key advantage of the AeroPress is speed. You can make a cup of regular coffee in about two minutes. The device also makes espresso, which you can do in about 30 seconds. When I run out of cold brew (or planned poorly), I like to brew a stronger cup, plunge it down over ice and add a splash of milk. All of the accoutrements pack up neatly, and take up little space, which makes the AeroPress a great gift for aspiring coffee nerds to add to their arsenal. Plus, it was designed by an engineer who spent much of his career making toys. How's that for holiday spirit?

Buy AeroPress on Amazon - $30

For Travelers

While any coffee aficionado will go exploring a new city for a solid cup or decent cortado, sometimes their schedule doesn't allow for that. You can pretty much always carve out a few minutes in your hotel room to make something good, though, and these devices will help the person on your list do just that. It's time to skip the lobby swill. Pakt Coffee Kit

I tried for years to piece together my own travel kit for work trips, but I wasn't able to solve a key piece of the equation: the kettle. Sure, you can heat water a myriad of ways, but pouring was always the issue. You need precision when trying to brew a pour-over or an Aeropress. Thankfully, Pakt designed an all-in-one solution that makes nearly the perfect travel kit for coffee lovers. Taking cues from Russian nesting dolls, the grounds container and travel cup fit inside the kettle to save space. The kettle's base and collapsable dripper sit snugly against it in a zippered case about the size of a pair of shoes. The whole setup weighs under four pounds, so you can easily put in a carry on or checked bag. You might get some funny looks from TSA, but after a quick explanation, you'll be on your way. The two things this kit doesn't have are a grinder and a scale. But I'll be honest, I'll gladly trade a kettle, one with a spout that allows slow pouring like my usual gooseneck model does, for those two pieces of gear. While I prefer freshly ground beans every morning, I can make an exception. With how convenient the Pakt Coffee Kit is to stash in a suitcase, and the stellar brewing experience it offers, I'll bet the coffee snob on your list won't mind the sacrifice either.

Buy Pakt Coffee Kit - $149+

Miir Camp Cup and Tumbler

I can appreciate people who want a travel mug that keeps their coffee hot for several hours, but to me, that's a job for a thermos. I'll drink my coffee within an hour, so I prefer more stylish drinkware than your stereotypical travel cup. A few years ago, I discovered Miir's vacuum insulated Camp Cup, and recently, I added the 12-ounce Tumbler, which fits better in a cup holder. No, these won't keep your coffee hot all day, but they will keep it warm for at least a few of hours. And if you're not finished with a cup in that time, I question your dedication to the cause. But seriously, Miir's choice of surgical-grade stainless steel means your hot (or cold) beverage won't taste like metal, and neither of the cups sweat if your drink contains ice that'll eventually melt. Plus, there's a fancy new speckled version of the Camp Cup that offers an outdoorsy vibe in an everyday mug. Miir also donates a portion of each sale to various projects around the world. Those include initiatives for clean water, strong communities and healthy environment. You can see which project your cup is helping by entering the code on the bottom at Miir's website.

Buy Miir Camp Cup on Amazon - $25

Buy Miir Tumbler on Amazon - $20

For the at-home barista

I'm not going to recommend espresso machines in this guide, but there are a few barista-grade devices that you can employ at home to improve your brewing skills. They're a little pricey compared to some of the alternatives, but they're useful, well-designed and will boost the street cred (bean cred?) for the coffee lover on your list. Acaia Pearl

I'll admit I wasn't sold on the Acaia Pearl when I first reviewed it, but after years of use since, I've come around. The Pearl is quick, accurate and sensitive, plus there's a degree of customization available. You can get time and weight right on the scale. And, thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, you can pair it with one of the company's many apps. Those software options provide brewing guides, log your coffee brewing data and record your brewing process. What's more, the Pearl looks a lot better than most other scales.

Buy Acacia Pearl - $140+

Stagg EKG

Yes, you can get an electric kettle for much less that allows you to set and hold a certain temperature. But a lot of the alternatives are stainless steel, and they're rather boring looking. They can also be kind of bulky. Fellow's Stagg EKG is anything but that. While you can choose a polished steel version, there's also polished copper, white and matte black options. The overall design is modern and minimalist, which will surely give any at-home brew bar an aesthetic upgrade. The handle, for example, is a lot more comfortable to hold than most gooseneck kettles and offers better control for your pour. The Stagg EKG also features variable temperature control with an LCD display, and it can hold temp for up to an hour. Like the Acaia Pearl, there's a built-in timer here, so you can keep tabs on your brew session once the water is heated. And you won't have to wait long for the water to come to temp either: The Stagg EKG is powered by 1200-att current. There's also a $199 Bluetooth-equipped model that adds the ability to control the kettle and monitor things from your phone.

Buy Stagg EKG - $129+

Buy Stagg EKG+ Bluetooth - $199

Baratza Encore

Coffee grinders come in all shapes and sizes, and with varying degrees of performance. You can get a solid Cuisinart one for under $40 that will serve you well, but if you're looking to impress the coffee aficionado in your life with a nice gift, you'll have to do better. Baratza's Encore grinder has been a popular choice among roasters and coffee pros for a while now. It's a little pricey for a grinder, but it offers a ton of attractive features that will immediately improve brewing across a variety of methods. Plus, it grinds coffee a lot more consistently, so you have more uniform grounds for your method of choice. The controls are simple: There's an on/off button on the side and a pulse button on the front. The Encore also offers 40 grind settings so you can get the exact coffee you need for a variety of methods: automatic brewers, AeroPress, Chemex, french press and more. This grinder is also relatively compact, so it won't take up a lot of counter space, and it fits nicely under your cabinets.

Buy Baratza Encore on Amazon - $139

The 2019 Engadget Holiday Gift Guide

The best gifts for the home

The best audio gifts, from headphones to DJ gear

The media streamers and soundbars to buy this holiday season

The movies and books we'd give as gifts

The best smartphones, tablets and smartwatches to give as gifts

The best gifts and games for console gamers

PC and mobile accessories that'll make great gifts

The best laptops and 2-in-1s to give as gifts

Subscriptions and gift cards that make great last-minute gifts

The best gifts for PC gamers, from laptops to GPUs

The best cameras, accessories and bags to give as gifts

The best fitness gadgets for the athlete on your list

The best tech toys and STEM kits

In this article: acaia, aciaia pearl, aeropress, baratza, baratza encore, coffee, encore, fellow products, food and drink, food-and-drink, foodanddrink, gear, grinder, hgg2019, kettle, miir, pakt, pakt coffee kit, stagg ekg, subscription, thebuyersguide

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This is a news and / or article edited by Mundial Boost published on November 13, 2019 at 09:39 AM. If you want to know more information or complement this news, we invite you to press the button above: SEE MORE that will take you to the full version of it.

[michaelfallcon]

Best budget electric burr coffee grinders in the UK in 2018

This is a post about the best budget burr grinders in the UK in 2018, but this is about electric burr grinders specifically – if you’re thinking about manual burr grinders, see my best manual hand coffee grinders post. By the way, that post also explains some of the reasons – in addition to budget – that you may want to go for a manual grinder as opposed to an electric burr coffee grinder.

What do I mean by best budget burr grinders?

Well, obviously I mean cheap, or cheaper ;-), but cheap is a bit of a dirty word – although really, I think the phrase “domestic” is probably better when it comes to describing budget electric grinders. In other words, I’m talking about the best domestic grinders, as opposed to the best prosumer or commercial coffee grinders. 

If we look at the best commercial grinders, the kind of electric burr coffee grinders that you’ll find in coffee shops all over the world, such as Mazzer Super Jolly, Mythos One, Anfim Caimano  etc., the one thing they all have in common – as well as being well built, made to last for years and grind a lot of coffee, and made to grind well, in terms of even grinds distribution and good grind size range – is that they’re not cheap! Grinders like this are usually a thousand pounds or more. 

Then there are the grinders for the prosumer market, or the grinders that are intended for commercial use but have become popular within the prosumer market (prosumer meaning commercial level machinery made for domestic use), such as Eureka Mignon, Rancilio Rocky, and so on. 

Then there are the domestic electric burr grinders, which are made with a price tag which doesn’t rule anyone out except the avid home barista. 

Why we can rule out most of these grinders…

Many of the results you’ll find when you’re searching for less expensive grinders, we can rule out because they’re not grinders…

There are machines out there that have blades, that are either sold as coffee grinders or are sold as something else but list that they can also grind coffee – but blades don’t grind, they slice, chop, cut & smash, which isn’t what we want to be doing to our coffee beans. What we need to be doing to our beans is grinding them, and for this we need burrs, not blades. 

Once you rule out these machines, the positive news when you’re trying to choose which grinder to go for, is that there isn’t actually all that much choice, as there are not many actual electric burr grinders that come within this kind of price range. 

  Krups Expert GVX231

Around since 2004, the Expert GVX231 by Krups has been around for some time and has been a very popular low-cost burr grinder. It’s since been upgraded by the GVX242 grinder which features a bit further down in this post, but the 231 is still available at the bargain price, from just over £30, vs the upgraded 242 at around £80, so it’s a still a strong contender for the best budget electric burr coffee grinder. 

Blurb

Fineness selector with 17 positions

Able to grind beans for two to 12 cups of coffee

Removable ground coffee container with safety lid and removable upper burr

On/off with blue LED

Get more from your espresso, explore the Krups recipe book found in the Technical Specification section of this page

The Krups GVX2 burr grinder allows you to grind beans to suit your taste and the type of coffee you are preparing, while preserving the original aroma of the coffee. Its fineness selector has 17 positions from fine to coarse, adapted to each brewing method from espresso to drip coffee or French press. It also boasts a selector for the amount of coffee you wish to prepare from two to 12 cups. The grinder has a 225 g capacity with a removable upper burr and ground coffee container. It has a safety lid to ensure messy spills and accidents are avoided.

  Size & Weight

21 x 17 x 30 cm – 1.95 Kg

Hopper Capacity

225g.

Burrs

Steel flat burrs.

Reviews

4.1/5 from 458 Amazon reviews. 15% 1 star, 7% 2 star, 8% 3 star, 19% 4 star, 51% 5 star. 

My Observations

I’m impressed with this grinder at the price, from reading the many positive and negative reviews I’ve seen online. For example, one of the worst reviews slates this sub £50 electric burr grinder because it stopped working after 2 years, after having ground about a thousand cups worth of coffee according to the reviewer, who goes on to call it crap.

Well, my opinion of a grinder for this price, which lasts for two years of being used for roughly 10 cups per week, is not that it’s crap – quite the opposite, although this review doesn’t go into much detail about the quality of the grind. Another reviewer decides to give this grinder 4 stars out of 5 as it “only lasted 2.5 years”. People seem to have very high expectations when it comes to how long they can expect a VERY cheap burr grinder to last for, I think 2 years or more is great going. If I wanted 5, 10 years or more, I wouldn’t be looking at investing £50. 

It does seem that there’s one issue which comes up repeatedly, which is the on button failing. Some of those who complain about this issue state that Krups wanted to repair, but that they went via the Amazon return/replace process instead, which is one of the reasons I personally buy so much from Amazon! Most of the people mentioning this issue though seem to be describing an issue which occurs over time with quite a bit of use, and again, don’t forget this is under £50… 

Most of the reviews I’ve read describe this grinder as performing well for a range from Espresso to cafetiere. There are some comments that it’s quite loud.

Price

RRP £41 – but usually available quite a bit cheaper. Click here to check the latest Amazon price – the best deal I can see at the time of writing is £32.54, and this is available on Amazon prime too, fulfilled by Amazon, meaning if you’re an Amazon prime customer you’ll get it delivered free, next day.

  De’Longhi KG79 Burr Grinder

Another grinder that’s been around quite a while, the KG79 has been available for over 8 years at the time of writing, and has been a popular low-cost burr grinder, which you can see from the huge number of Amazon reviews. 

Blurb

Professional burr grinder

120 g coffee beans capacity

Cup selector and separate grind selector dials

Transparent bean container and top lid

Transparent and removable powder container

The professional burr grinder from De’Longhi is a tool for coffee lovers. With the capacity to grind 120 g of coffee beans, producing up to 12 coffee cups at your grind setting and all at the touch of the on/off button. The transparent bean container, top lid and transparent, removable powder container make this grinder easy to use. The built-in cord storage helps you tidy away neatly and ready for the next time you fancy the smell and taste of freshly ground coffee in your own home.

Size & Weight

16 x 13 x 26 cm. 1.5k

Hopper Capacity

120g.

Burrs

Stainless steel flat burrs.

Reviews

4/5 from 951 Amazon reviews. 11% 1 star, 6% 2 star, 8% 3 star, 17% 4 star, 58% 5 star. 

My Observations

At this kind of price, back when I was first looking at getting setup at home for Espresso, if I hadn’t have ended up on a slightly different path, I’d have either gone for this one or the Krups expert above, I think. They’re both burr grinders, both offered by very well known companies, they both have a lot of praise from users, and they’re both really, really cheap for an electric burr grinder.

This is another grinder with a stonking number of Amazon reviews, and although the overall score is .1 lower (4.0 vs 4.1) than the Krups Expert  – it has a lower percentage of 1 star reviews (11% vs 15%), and a higher percentage of 5 star reviews (58% vs 51%). 

It’s a bit more petite than the Krups, slightly lighter, and it does have a very small hopper at 110g, although I doubt this is an issue for most people – a double shot of Espresso, for instance, is usually about 18g. I assume they’ve done this on purpose to give it a shorter profile, making it easier to fit it into smaller spaces, as it’s 4cm shorter than the Krups expert, and they could have easily had a taller, higher capacity hopper. 

There are lots, and lots of very good reviews about this grinder, from users who state it’s good for a range from Espresso to cafetiere.

If you read through the negatives, though, there are a fair number of users complaining that it doesn’t grind fine enough for Espresso. This could be down to users who’re using Espresso machines and/or beans that require a finer grind than others who’ve stated that it does grind plenty fine enough for Espresso. Or it could mean that those who’re saying it does grind fine enough are pulling under extracted shots and don’t realise it, or that those who’re saying it doesn’t grind fine enough are pulling over extracted shots and don’t realise it ;-), it’s hard to say without trying it.

One thing I would say is that if you’re buying from Amazon, and you get it out of the box and find it doesn’t grind fine enough for Espresso – if that’s the case it’s not fit for purpose, and you should be returning it. Again, one of the reasons I buy so much from Amazon is that I know that if there is any issue like this, I don’t need to have any arguments with anyone, I just click the return button on Amazon and get it sorted. 

Price

RRP £49.99, but currently on offer here on Amazon (fulfilled by Amazon, so it’s on Amazon prime ) for £44.95.

  Krups Expert GVX242 Burr Grinder

This is the newer updated version of the Krups Expert GVX231 that I mentioned earlier. 

Blurb

Same as the previous model, with the addition of:

Updated and re-engineered to improve performance on previous models – Grounds fineness selector for anything from Espresso to Cafetiere – Professional grade burr milling system for premium results – Number of cups selector – Removable ground coffee container with safety lid.

Size & Weight

21 x 17 x 30 cm – 1.95 Kg

Hopper Capacity

225g.

Burrs

Stainless steel flat burrs.

Reviews

4.4/5 from 43 Amazon reviews. 2% 1 star, 5% 2 star, no 3 star, 26% 4 star, 67% 

My Observations

This machine hasn’t been around for as long as it’s predecessor, and it doesn’t have as many reviews, but the mix of reviews is quite a lot better than the previous model, only 2% 1 star (one 1 star review) vs 15%, and 67% 5 star vs 51%. Also, the one 1 star review this machine has had is due to a faulty machine, or a machine damaged during transit, as it didn’t switch on so it was sent back, so it’s not really a reflection on the grinder itself. 

Most of the reviews are very positive, and I’m getting the impression so far that the Krups guys have done a really good job with this replacement model, of keeping what people loved about the previous version while ironing out the kinks.

Price

The only place I can currently find this grinder is on Amazon, but from German suppliers. At the time of writing there appears to be no UK stock listed on Amazon, which is a bit of a pain, especially when it comes to the delivery time and cost. Currently £83.66, plus £17.64 for delivery. Hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, someone is selling UK stock on Amazon – click here to check if that’s happening yet (just check the “dispatched from” bit on the right hand side.).

  Wilfa SVART Aroma Electric Burr Coffee Grinder

The SVART Aroma grinder is a joint effort between Tim Wendelboe (2004 World Barista Champion & 2005 World Cup Tasting Champion) and Norwegian firm Wilfa. 

Blurb

The Wilfa Svart Aroma is a professional electric coffee grinder. Combining stylish design and quality with an entry level price point, the Wilfa Grinder ensures you can create cafe-quality ground coffee in the comfort of your home or office.

The Wilfa Grinder comes with five different grinding sizes for a range of brewing techniques, from AeroPress to French press. It is powered by an efficient DC motor that generates minimal heat to preserve the full flavour of the coffee beans.

The supplied coffee bean container and coffee tray are made of transparent plastic material with a UV filter that protects against sunlight. Timer function allows you to set the time in relation to the amount of coffee.

250 gm capacity

5 different grinding sizes

DC engine

Timer function

Safety protection against overload of the engine

Adjustable grind size for steeped brewing through to espresso extraction

Adjustable grind time for “set and forget” coffee grinding

Intelligent grind basket

Approved by the European Coffee Brewing Centre

Size & Weight

20cm x 15.5cm x 31cm  1.9k

Hopper Capacity

250g

Motor Power

DC motor. 130 Watts.

Burrs

40mm stainless steel conical burrs.

Reviews

3.8/5 stars so far on Amazon from 6 reviews. No 1 star, 33% 2 star, 17% 4 star, 50% 5 star. 

5/5 stars on Horsham Coffee Roasters from 8 reviews. 

5/5 stars on Union Coffee Roasters from 5 reviews.

My Observations

This is a grinder intended for brew processes from Aeropress to cafetiere, and it has had a lot praise within the speciality coffee community since its release, especially when it comes to pourover, being regarded as “easily the best electric grinder we’ve come across for filter brewing at home” by Workshop Coffee. This isn’t marketed as an Espresso grinder, it’s intended for anything from Aeropress and above in terms of grind size.

Price

£105 from Hasbean, Horsham, York Coffee Emporium &  Union. Currently £114.99 on Amazon & about the same price currently on eBay. 

  Baratza Encore

The Baratza Encore is a well-known entry-level coffee grinder among the speciality coffee community. Whether it’s a suitable grinder for Espresso is a bone of contention, however there are many reviews and forum threads such as this one on coffeeforums.co.uk which would suggest it is, albeit with some tweaking (burr shims). 

Blurb

The Encore is lauded by coffee experts as THE go-to entry level grinder for those brewing coffee at home. The Encore gives a great grind for drip/manual brew and also grinds fine enough for espresso.

Featuring 40 individual grind settings, from fine to coarse, the Encore can please any palate with its gamut of accurate and repeatable grind settings.

The Encore has an accurate medium to coarse grind for the increasingly popular manual brew methods such as pour-over, Aeropress, Siphon and Chemex.

The specially designed burrs give a precise grind with minimal fines for a flavorful, balanced extraction when making espresso. And, of course, the Encore is built with the quality Baratza parts you’ve come to trust.

The efficient DC motor keeps your beans cool, even during extended grind times, while a combination of electric and gear speed reducers slow the burr to 450 RPM, ensuring a smooth bean feed and reducing noise, heat and static buildup.

Beyond a great coffee-drinking experience, the Encore makes for a great coffee-making experience. A convenient, front-mounted pulse button makes it easy to grind on demand into your brew basket. Whether you are looking for an espresso grinder or a grinder to help you explore that extensive range of brew methods, the Encore is a great all around home grinder.

Size & Weight

16 x 12 x 35 cm – 3.1 Kg

Hopper Capacity

227g.

Motor Power

DC motor. 130 Watts.

Burrs

40mm stainless steel conical burrs. 

Reviews

3.8/5 from 66 Amazon Reviews. 21% 1 star, 4% 2 star, 3% 3 star, 11% 4 star, 61% 5 star. 

5/5 from 15 reviews on Wholelattelove

4.2/5 from 96 reviews on Seattlecoffeegear

5/5 on eBay, although only from one review so far.

My Observations

Baratza know what they’re doing, they do some very well respected higher priced grinders such as the Sette, and the Encore is their entry level grinder. I’ve read enough about this grinder over the years to know that it’s a really good choice at this price, especially when it comes to brew methods excluding Espresso. When it comes to Espresso, as I mentioned earlier this is a contentious issue, but as far as I can see, while the Encore might not grind fine enough for all machines and all beans or roast profiles etc., out of the box, it’s capable of doing so with a bit of adjustment.

Having said that, there does appear to be quite a high rate of failure according to the Amazon reviews. Many of the 1 star reviews on Amazon are from users who report that the grinder died, some within 12 months, and some not long after. Some of these reports are quite recent too so I would be slightly dubious if I were looking for a new grinder right now. I’d at least want to make sure I’m buying it from a firm who’ll offer support if this does happen. If you’re buying from Amazon (which as I’ve mentioned previously, is a good choice when it comes to returns) just see the various buying options, you’ll see that one of them is sold and fulfilled by Amazon, which means no third party involved, I would think this would be the safest choice when it comes to returns.

There are some negative ratings based on not grinding fine enough for certain espresso machines, but as I mentioned earlier it does seem this is possible with some adjustment. 

Price

Click here to check the latest price on Amazon, £118 at the time of writing, sold and fulfilled by Amazon. 

Around £135 new on eBay, click here to see used Baratza Virtuoso grinders on eBay.

  Sage Dose Control Pro

This is the slightly cheaper and slightly shorter sibling of my current grinder, the Sage Smart Grinder Pro, and it’s more or less the same grinder but without the digital grind size controls, timer programming and LED display. 

Blurb

Take control over your freshly roasted beans with 60 precise grind settings that give you up-to-the-second control. This machine’s stainless steel conical burrs minimize grind heat and protect essential oils where fresh coffee flavor resides.

  60 Grind Settings from Espresso to Plunger

High Torque, Direct Current Drive Motor

Adjustable Amount Dial

Precision Electronic Timer

Hands-free Grinding Cradle

Balanced Flavours start with the right amount of grinds. How do you repeat the dose every time? The Dose Control Pro delivers a consistent dose each time you grind. Includes 60 grind settings from Espresso to Plunger.

Conical burr grinders are most commonly used in commercial environments. The heavy burrs deliver a very consistent grind for a balanced extraction. They also turn more slowly to minimise heat transferring to the grinds to maximise flavour.

Different coffee styles require different grind sizes to maximise flavour, be it plunger, espresso or drip filter. Grinders with more adjustments will allow more flexibility.

Free Your Grind. The Dose Control ™ Pro lets you grind directly into the portafilter, gold tone filter basket or paper filter. The choice is yours.

60 Grind Settings. This wide range allows you to grind fine enough for Espresso or coarse enough for French Press.

Precision Electronic Timer. Adjust grind time by precise 1 second increments for the perfectly controlled dose for any brew size.

Grinding Mechanism. Stainless Steel conical burr grinder efficiently designed to minimize grinding heat and protect the essential oils in the coffee bean.

Size & Weight

20(W) X 16(D) X 34(H)cm. 3.54 Kg

Hopper Capacity

340g.

Motor Power

DC motor. 130 Watts.

Burrs

38mm stainless steel conical burrs. 

  Reviews

4.2/5 from 30 Amazon reviews. 10% 1 star, 3% 3 star, 17% 4 star, 70% 5 star. 

5/5 on eBay, (only from one review though, so far).

There are also lots of reviews for this grinder on American and Australian websites, just search for Breville instead of Sage (They can’t use the brand name Breville here for obvious reasons, hence they use the brand name Sage in the UK).

My Observations

Knowing how well the Sage Smart Grinder pro performs, and that this is essentially the same grinder with just a few bells and whistles removed, and a slightly smaller motor, I think this is a great value for money grinder. 

In terms of the features that the dose control pro doesn’t have vs the smart grinder pro, it’s mainly the way dosing and grind adjustment works. 

Dosing: With the smart grinder pro, you can dose in terms of numbers of cups or shots, depending on the grind range you’re in, and you can programme this. With the dose control pro, you simply do it by time, or just by pressing the grind button to start and then pressing it again to stop. 

Grind Adjusting: With the smart grinder pro, the grind size is displayed on the LED display, and you change the grind setting by turning the dial on the side of the machine. With the dose control pro, you just twist the hopper to the desired setting. 

The only other thing really to mention is that the hopper is a bit smaller on the dose control pro, which means you have 240g capacity vs 450g on the smart grinder pro. I never fill the hopper anyway, I always put in what I’m about to grind, so this wouldn’t bother me. Also the dose control pro is slightly shorter, which may be handy if you need to fit it into a short space.

The burrs are the same as far as I can see, but the motor is 130w on the Dose Control Pro vs the 165w motor on the Smart Grinder Pro. 

From what I can see, the Dose Control Pro doesn’t sell quite as well as the Smart Grinder Pro, and I personally think this is because they’ve got the price differences wrong. I don’t think there’s a big enough difference at £40 between these two grinders to put them into significantly different price points. The RRPs are a penny under 160 and a penny under 200. I would have thought just under the 150 mark would have been the perfect price point for this, with the Smart Grinder Pro at £199.99. I may well be talking rubbish though, I do that sometimes – try it, it’s fun ;-).

Price

RRP £159.99, at the time of writing the best price on Amazon is £139 – click here to check the current lowest price on Amazon. 

  The Sage Smart Grinder Pro.

Sage Smart Grinder Pro

This is my grinder – I’ve had it for about two years, at the time of writing, and I think it’s a brilliant grinder. I spoke to an SCAE Barista trainer recently who told me that they use this grinder as their home grinder, and believes its one of the best options for a reasonably priced grinder for home. See my Sage Smart Grinder Pro Review. 

Blurb

Grind intelligently with Dosing IQ technology

With 60 unique settings, this programmable conical burr grinder maximizes the potential of any brew. Choose between ‘cups’ for French Press or Filter and ‘shots’ for Espresso to get the right dose for the coffee you’re brewing. Grind directly into a portafilter or an air-tight container.

  Free Your Grind. The Smart Grinder™ Pro lets you grind directly into the portafilter, an airtight container, gold tone filter basket or paper filter. The choice is yours.

LCD Display. A clear and concise LCD screen shows grind setting, grind time and number of shots or cups you have selected.

Pre-Programmed Settings. Intelligent settings help your grinder achieve perfect results regardless of how fine or coarse you require your beans.

60 Grind Settings. With so many intuitive grind settings to choose from, you can create perfection from Espresso to French Press.

Dosing IQ. Precision Digital Time allows you to adjust and program grind time in 0.2 second increments giving you total control and a perfect dose every time.

Size & Weight

22(W) X 15(D) X 38(H). 4.1 Kg

Hopper Capacity

450g.

Motor Power

DC motor. 165 Watts.

Burrs

38mm stainless steel conical burrs. 

Reviews

4.6/5 from 90 Amazon reviews. 9% 1 star,  1% 2 star, 3% 3 star, 6% 4 star, 84% 5 star. 

5/5 on eBay, (Again, only from one review so far).

Loads of video and text reviews on US & Aus sites, try searching for Breville smart grinder pro (the brand name everywhere else except UK).

My Observations

To see what I think of this grinder, see my Sage Smart Grinder Pro Review. Basically, I think this grinder is amazing – I’ve been using it for a couple of years so far, I’ve ground a heck of a lot of coffee with it, and it has been a real workhorse. I haven’t really looked after this grinder in terms of cleaning, I’ve cleane it every so often but I’ve really not maintained it as well as I should have, and still, it’s been brilliant. 

One thing to mention is that I don’t grind a huge amount of dark roast, which tends to produce more oil when grinding and can be more problematic for grinders. So if you’re mainly going to be grinding dark roast rather than light to medium, you will probably need to be a bit more attentive when it comes to maintaining the grinder, than I have been. 

Price

RRP £199.99, at the time of writing the best price on Amazon is £159.99 – click here to check the current lowest price on Amazon. 

And there we go – we’ve come to the end of what I consider to be the best budget electric burr grinders in the UK. I have thought about extending this to a slightly higher range, but I then made the decision that two hundred quid should probably be the max when it comes to “budget” grinders. 

Life is like a box of chocolates, so follow me on Twitter, and that’s all I have to say about that. 

Best budget electric burr coffee grinders in the UK in 2018 published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

[amarymcdonnellnudeo]

Obtaining the Perfect Espresso From Your Coffee Coffee Maker

Almost everyone I run into as of late would seem to be besotted with espresso coffee. non-etheless, just how do you attempt which makes it yourself? Even though it is usually a create which takes a certain amount of your time to master, there are sufficient coffee coffee makers on the market, so anybody considering understanding how to do their very own fancy coffee drinks can find one that fulfills their demands just from undertaking minimal online. Keep in mind, creating common coffee is one thing while producing espresso is another thing.

So Precisely What Is The Greatest Espresso?

Everyone will have their own individual belief in regards to what exactly is really a perfect shot, however here is a summary account of exactly what you're really searching for. An ideal espresso is generally reasonably nice, have a noticeably powerful fragrance, and a taste similar to recently ground coffee beans. The actual java beans you choose clearly have an impact on flavour, scent, body, PH levels and surface consistency. It is well worth noting the truth that Arabica beans are typically usually intended for high end coffees while the Robusta coffee bean is mainly perceived as the more inexpensive choice. With a well executed flavored coffee coffee shot you will preferably notice a fine foam pomada that should settle on the actual the top of espresso. Your crema must be dark reddish-brown and constant. A good espresso is sometimes liked straight minus the hot dairy etc . A pleasant and fragrant after taste ought to stay upon the taste buds for any short while immediately following consuming the shot.

Espresso Reliant Coffee Beverages

Did you know caffeine coffee delivers the basis for many favorite high-street cafe premium coffee drinks, in particular sapine, long-black, latte macchiato, Caffe Breve, Frappuccino etc ..? Each one of these beverages originate from a shot associated with espresso. As an example, when creating planche you would pour heated shiny rich and creamy whole milk in a certain proportion towards the espresso foundation. The particular part of espresso to steamed milk products hinges on the particular refreshment becoming created.

Devices Used to Create Espresso

Basically you probably have a high-quality espresso device. The very best espresso making devices made use of commercially within restaurants and cafes are a little bit costly for those people exclusively wishing to create espresso in your own home, non-etheless much cheaper homebrew techniques are easily obtainable without all the special features that can get the job done adequately. You can choose to continue down just one of a couple of pathways at this point as you will take a look at. The initial thing to fully comprehend is that while there are numerous coffee coffee maker manufacturers these days, every one of them operate on precisely the same typical process. Heavy steam or simply warm water is pressured through a perfectly tamped-down handle of very carefully ground coffee, producing the actual shot of espresso that gets a lot of us going very first thing in the morning. That may well need a great deal of work on an individual's component or in some cases just a bit, broker upon individual preferences (in addition to specifically, the type of espresso machine they decide on).

Classic Espresso Devices

For people just like myself, who desire their kitchen area made espresso coffee to appear as well as taste just as if this has been just now freshly ready in a standard coffee shop with a qualified barista, a good guide espresso maker could be the way to go. Requiring the greatest patience, this sort of Java unit offers the best consumer control and, as followers would have it - generally the greatest results.

Fully Automated Espresso Makers

It's a good altogether different narrative using the automated coffee machine. You only have to press the large button also it does all that work for you. How can you presume Starbucks & McDonald's and so on make their high quality coffee? Without exception all of them use a super automatic java machine.

An automatic espresso equipment delivers an awesome shot regarding coffee with hardly any trouble and difficulty, and there are a variety of coffee machines that can be mode chosen to manual or automated. Furthermore, these espresso manufacturers do have a small number of additional incredible features. Prices vary considerably in accordance with manufacturer, capacity along with functionality.

So what would you usually be shelling out for one of those coffee machines?

Let's have a look.

Right after figuring out which variety of coffee machine meets your requirements, the next thing will be to select the brand that has the characteristics you would like at a price degree that suits your investing plan. Investigating some cofeemarkers ratings might be a major assistance here, and various encounters can be found in several places on the web. One website I found especially useful for espresso machines is the buying channel on. You might want to possess a swift glance through a amount of coffee maker reviews prior to you really purchase.

What Coffee Beans To make use of

You will find dozens of well-known flavored coffee beans existing on the market. Check out any store or professional gourmet coffee merchant and you might see a myriad of whole pulses and pre ground espresso bags. The thoroughly tested strategy as far as I am concerned is to quite simply test out a couple of assorted brands unless you find one that hits the location and most importantly, work well together with your espresso maker. If you are going to purchase preground for handiness, bear in mind that caffeine requires a fine ground consequently do not select filter otherwise plunger coffee grounds. Lookin into getting a bag that has "Espresso Grind" or something similar created on the packet. Coffee professionals advise a dark beef roasts for espresso but moderate or in fact light toast will suffice.

Grinding Types Own Beans

Of much more significance than the particular coffee beans you use is how refreshing they are. For best sampling espresso, it is strongly suggested which you utilize freshly-roasted espresso espresso beans and don't grind them till just before beginning the making process. Hand-operated and electro-mechanical Espresso coffee bean grinders tend to be inexpensive to purchase, and you will wish to check out the coffee grinder testimonials meticulously prior to buying. Quality and reliability is fundamental here, while you need to get hold of a java grinder that isn't going to eliminate the heart and soul from the beans while it grinds all of them down to the fine feed size needed to make the ideal mug of coffee. 2 or 3 suggestions you might want to consider:

-- The Capresso infinity Burr

- Delonghi Blade

: Mr. Coffee IDS7

Some other suppliers are Krups, Kitchen area aid, Capresso, Hamilton, Toastmaster, Delonghi.

The Ultimate Stage

The moment coffee is perfectly floor, You're set to get started on the particular pulling process itself. Because observed earlier, the complexness of this stage is dependent within the specific espresso maker. With a hands-on espresso maker you will be pulling typically the espresso yourself so you will certainly need to possess an awareness of time as to when to pause the device. Assuming the handle had been dossed correctly and you tamped the grounds using just enough stress, while ensuring not to get espresso grounds in and around often the handle casing in addition to using time to polish the surface through turning the tamper one / 2 turn, after that you're likely to be a-ok.

1 test of whether or not the cake you produced shot would pass gather at the local cafe may be the existence of 'crema' at first glance. If it's present, you know you might have done a great job. You'll understand that the timing was away, or the volume of coffee utilized or tamping was insufficient, if you find the shot does not seem to taste right. When the espresso is weak, the actual shot was in all probability pulled too rapidly. Within this situation, there possibly was not enough coffee used as well as handle was too freely packed. If turns out sour, your espresso was drawn too slowly and has been possibly tightly packed.click here

[charllieeldridge]

11 Unique Gifts Every Traveller Will Love (and Use)

Finding travel gifts for your friends and family who like to hit the road can be a daunting task. Not only do you need to find a gift that they’ll like, but something they’ll actually use. What do you give someone who lives out of a backpack? What can you buy your friend who’s hitting the road for a year? Definitely not a piece of furniture or artwork!

As travellers ourselves who have been on the road for 10 years now, we’ve got the inside scoop on useful and fun items for travel that would make great presents. Whether it’s a birthday, Christmas or a going away gift you’re after, you’ll find some ideas in this article.

In this post, I’ll list 11 unique, fun and practical travel gifts for your special someone.

1. Tinggly

What better gift for someone who loves to travel than giving an experience. When it comes to travel gifts, this unique idea from Tinggly is a good bet. Visit their website and choose a category that’s relevant to the recipient of the gift – “Key to Europe”, “Perfect For Him”, “Perfect For Her”, “Merry Christmas”, “Ultimate Collection”, “Bucketlist”, etc.

  In each category are numerous tours and experiences for your travel loving friend to choose from (in some cases, there are over 700 options). Once they’ve chosen the event that interests them, they have 5 years to redeem it. Experiences and tours are available worldwide, so just ensure that the gift you choose is offered in the country the recipient is going to.

When it comes to travel gifts, you really can’t go wrong with a wine tasting in Tuscany, a helicopter flight over Las Vegas, a day at the spa in Bali or volcano exploration in Hawaii! As travellers ourselves, we can say we definitely prefer memorable moments over possessions.

You can opt to send a physical box to the gift recipient, or send a voucher by email. Click here to learn more about this fun gift idea.

2. JBL Portable Speakers

We’ve tried numerous bluetooth portable speakers over the years, and as far as affordable electronic travel gifts go, these speakers are the best. Everyone has a smartphone these days and connecting to these JBL speakers is easy. Plus, it weighs in at just over 1lb, making it practical for travellers.

Many people like to listen to music while they’re at the beach, chilling out by the pool, or having a relaxing night playing cards with new friends. Bluetooth speakers are a must.

We have the JBL Flip 3 and love the crisp sound this compact speaker gives off, and it’s actually quite loud. However, there’s a new model out now – the JBL Flip 4 and it’s waterproof! Click here to read reviews and compare prices on Amazon.

*Update: December, 2019 – we just purchased the latest model, which is the JBL Flip 5. It’s a little bit bigger, but the sound is great and they are waterproof! Great for taking to the beach or pool.

3. Handpresso Portable Espresso

Not only is this travel gift great for those who love to wander, but it’s an excellent idea for coffee addicts.

If you’ve gone on a long-term trip before, or if you travel on a budget, you’ll know that the coffee available at hostels and guest houses is usually sub-par filter coffee. To get that real latte or americano espresso coffee, you would need to purchase one from a cafe – and to a traveller, that’s an addition on the budget each day that not many want to spend.

Luckily, there’s the Handpresso!

This portable espresso machine can be taken on the go. It’s small, compact and all you need is some hot water (which is found in basically every accommodation), and some espresso grounds (which you can pick up at the grocery store).

You simply add the grounds to a little pod, add some hot water, pump up the machine to build up some pressure, press the release button and voila, a shot of espresso appears. You can then add more hot water to your cup to make it less strong, or, add milk like we do to have a latte.

The only thing is that you do need to be fairly strong in order to pump up the machine (men will have no issue, and women with good upper body strength will be fine!)

We’ve used our Handpresso machine in apartments we’ve rented on Airbnb, while camping, and in various hotels around the world. Click here to see reviews and compare prices on Amazon.

4. Lush Body Care

Whether it’s a man or a woman you’re trying to buy a travel gift for, with products for both sexes, and unisex items, Lush has you covered. During our recent trip to Chicago, we discovered this brand and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Lush products are vegetarian, handmade and nothing is tested on animals. Not only that, but the ingredients are practically all natural (with some safe synthetics), and for the responsible traveller in your life, they’ll be happy to know that many of the items don’t have any packaging.

When you’re thinking about travel gifts, consider the shampoo, conditioner and soap (all of which are solids and have zero packaging). Lush has shampoo and conditioner “bars”, which have no wrapping. They come in a reusable tin can (which you purchase separately) and are perfect for travellers for many reasons.

There’s no plastic waste and since it’s not a liquid, it can be easily brought on board a flight – great for those who fly carry-on. Plus, it takes up less space in luggage than a shampoo or conditioner bottle.

Nick and I both use the “Honey I Washed My Hair” Shampoo Bar and the “Big” Conditioner Bar, and I use the Ultrabland Facial Cleanser as well. I love all 3 products. Click here to learn more about Lush and to purchase items online.

5. Travel Hammock

Travel hammocks are great for those are looking to sleep under the stars, or on remote beaches. It’s also great for campers or for those who like to do some multi-day trekking (provided there are trees around to hang the hammock from!).

A travel hammock is also an excellent travel gift for those who just plan to backpack around. Setting up a hammock on the balcony of your beachfront hut, or bringing it to the beach for a day of chilling out between two palm trees is the ultimate in relaxation.

There are numerous travel hammocks to choose from, just make sure you get one that is lightweight and rolls up into a small package. Travellers like small items! The ENO Eagles Nest Outfitters and Arbor Creek hammocks have great reviews on Amazon. But, you can click here to compare prices and reviews on numerous travel hammocks.

6. Bluffworks Clothing for Men

If you’re looking for travel gifts for men, Bluffworks brand of clothing is a good option. Why? Because they are quick dry and don’t wrinkle, which is a huge issue for travellers. For business travellers, or those who jet-set, having a nice set of clothing in your luggage is essential. Even if the guy you’re buying a gift for plans on budget backpacking around the world, it’s always a good idea to have 1 nice dress shirt and 1 nice pair of pants.

You never know what can happen on the road. We’ve been randomly invited to weddings, found ourselves in the area when a new bar was opening up, and were invited to enjoy a 7 course fine dining meal. Shorts and a t-shirt simply wouldn’t meet the dress code.

Nick has owned the “Original” pants in charcoal for about 6 years now, and he wears them whenever there’s a “fancy” event happening – and they never wrinkle. Click here to learn more about Bluffworks clothes.

Bluffworks pants in action at a wedding!

7. Headphones / Earbuds

Having a set of bluetooth speakers is great, but having your own set of headphones is a must when on the road – they’re incredibly useful. Listening to music and podcasts while bumping along on a bus, chatting to a friend on video calling, or for those flight days when you want to watch a movie, headphones are a must-have and make great travel gifts.

Look for earbuds or headphones that offer noise cancellation and a mic, and also make sure that the earbuds you’re purchasing are compatible with your travel friend’s smartphone or tablet. For example, with the iPhone X, the headphones actually connect via a lightning cord, so regular headphones wouldn’t work.

We have Meze earbuds which give off a unique and incredible sound, and actually, they offer different sized silicone buds, which is great for those with small ears (me), or big ears (Nick). There are numerous option available when it comes to earbuds. Click here to check out Meze and click here to compare other brands and prices.

*Update December, 2019: We now both have Bluetooth Apple AirPods and although we can’t use them when connecting to the TV screens on airplanes, we watch our shows on our smartphones or tablet using them. Plus, when walking and working out, it’s nice to not have cords in the way. Click here to compare the different styles of AirPods. 

8. Carry Case for Earbuds and Cords

There’s nothing worse than getting a new pair of earbuds or a new smartphone charge cord and have it start to fall apart. Sadly, this happens quite often to us and it’s most likely because we just toss our cords into our bags, or into a drawer and don’t really take care of them. Regardless of whether or not you’ve purchased earbuds as a travel gift, consider getting a carry case for charging cords.

I’ve just found out about this product called the “Nest” which is a silicone carry case. This practical item is extremely affordable and incredibly useful! Click here to learn more about the Nest. *Update December, 2019: While most people have AirPods these days, this “nest” is still a great idea for lightening cords which always get tangled in purses and backpacks.

9. prAna Clothes

Another clothing company that is an excellent travel gift. This time, however, it’s for both men and women. The travel, adventure and yoga clothes that prAna makes are practical, stylish and ethical. This brand cares about fair trade and sustainability.

I personally wear the Halle pant on about 95% of our flight days and I’ve always worn them when trekking – they’re stretchy and comfy. I also own a sporty tank top, a cotton t-shirt and a hooded sweater, while Nick has a polo shirt, a dress polo and some loose cotton yoga pants. The clothes have lasted us for 6 years so far and are still going strong!

I wholeheartedly recommend this brand as a gift for the traveller in your life. Click here to see prAna products on Amazon. Or, click here to head to their website. *Pro-tip, prices are cheaper on Amazon.

Stopping for a water break while trekking Torres del Paine in Chile – wearing Halle Pant

*Update December, 2019: I fell off my bike and got a hole in my Halle Pants that I’m wearing in the photo above. So, after around 6 years I finally had to purchase a new pair, this time I went with black but in the same style. And, they are still built just as well as when I purchased my first pair 6 years ago. Also, for those women who are tall like I am (5’10”), these pants come in a “tall” length!

10. Water Purification Products

When it comes to travel gifts, this might not sound like the coolest idea out there, but it can be a lifesaver and is something that travellers need to have in their bags.

When travelling to more offbeat destinations where the drinking water is questionable, it’s imperative that water from the tap is purified before being consumed. Similarly, when you’re camping, cycling or trekking in the wilderness and the water source isn’t safe, it’ll need to be purified. We used a SteriPen when trekking in remote locations in Kyrgyzstan and it worked very well.

Not only do products like SteriPen or Lifestraw remove harmful bacteria and microbes from water, but travellers don’t need to purchase bottled water, which helps to save cash and the environment. There are a few brands out there, but SteriPen and Lifestraw are at the top.

Camping and trekking in remote destinations? Water purification is a must

With SteriPen, you simply fill a (reusable) bottle with 1 liter of water and “stir” the pen around for 89 seconds. As you stir, it gives off UV rays that kill harmful bacteria. Once you see a smiley face on the device, the water is safe to drink. There are different models of SteriPen, some charge via USB, others with batteries.

The Lifestraw is only good for one person as it is a personal straw, which has a filter inside of it. It’s small and lightweight and is a good option for drinking straight from streams or puddles in emergency backcountry situations – it also filters out debris. I think of it as more of a survival tool, which could be a cool travel gift if someone is going on an expedition. Click here to learn more about the SteriPens available and click here to learn more about Lifestraw.

11. Games (fun travel gifts!)

If you’re looking for fun travel gifts, then obviously purchasing a game (or 2) is a good idea! If the person is travelling solo, then games for 1 or more are preferable but consider games that can be played with a group over a few beers.

We always have games in our backpacks and play when we’re waiting for flights, for our meals to show up, or when we’re in our accommodation. Keep in mind that travel games need to be somewhat small and lightweight.

For us, our go-to travel games are Cribbage, a simple deck of cards (to play shit head, rummy, bullshit, twos…and numerous drinking games!), pass the pigs, dice for playing Yahtzee.

Our latest purchase is Bananagrams which is kind of like Scrabble but without the board, and it’s more fun. Other hilarious adult games include Cards Against Humanity (a great way to get to know people – and their sick humour), and The Game Of Nasty Things (travellers would just bring the cards and not the actual box, obviously). We recently purchased Skip Bo and played it a lot together during our trip to Ecuador and Peru.

Bonus #12: Mini Projector Screen

We recently picked up a cool Aaxa mini-projector and we’ve been using it a lot. At 400 lumens, it’s bright enough to display with a little bit of ambient light and with a resolution of 720p it’s surprisingly crisp, even when displayed at 75″ on a wall.

The best part? It literally fits in the palm of your hand! This little thing would be an ideal holiday gift for that person who travels on a budget and loves watching Netflix. It’s affordable, sleek, useful and very portable.

Happy Gift Giving!

There you have it, 12 fun, unique and (more importantly) practical travel gifts. In reality, no matter what you give your travelling friend, I’m sure they will love it. But hopefully this article gave you some good ideas for products that can actually be taken on the road. Every time your friend uses your gift while they’re away, they’ll think of you. Happy gift giving!

Are there some cool travel gifts that I missed? Leave a comment below!

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