Shop-bought coffee hampers cost a lot, and half of what is in them is filler. You can build a better one at home in an afternoon, and it will say more about the person you are buying for.
The formula
A good hamper has four things and a way of holding them together.
- The hero: good coffee. A bag of beans or ground coffee from a roaster they would not usually buy from.
- The tool: something that improves how they make it. A small milk frother, a reusable filter, a scoop.
- The treat: something to eat with it. Biscuits, shortbread or a bar of dark chocolate.
- The upgrade: flavoured sugar. It is the part they probably have not got, and it changes every cup.
The upgrade: what to pick
- Dirty Vanilla (£4.99): Demerara and real vanilla bean. A teaspoon turns a plain flat white into a vanilla latte with no syrup pump.
- Midnight Mocha (£4.99): muscovado, cocoa and coffee. Good in a cappuccino, hot chocolate or sprinkled over a whipped cream topping.
- Spiced Chai (£4.99): muscovado with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and clove. Stir it into hot milk or tea for a chai latte, or into coffee for a dirty chai.
- The Full Set (£17.99): all four flavours. If the hamper is the main gift, this makes it feel generous.
Three budgets
Small: one pouch of flavoured sugar, a bar of chocolate and a handwritten note. Put it in a paper bag with tissue.
Medium: a bag of beans, The Full Set, a pack of biscuits and a coffee scoop. A small box or basket works.
Large: all of the above, plus a mug, a milk frother and a second treat. Use a proper basket or crate and add some shredded paper.
Making it look good
- Choose one colour family. The kraft pouches already look good with brown paper, string and a sprig of rosemary.
- Put the tallest item at the back and fill the gaps with paper or tissue.
- Add a card with three tips for the sugar: in coffee, over porridge, in hot chocolate.
Something to check
If you are posting the hamper, keep the sugar pouches sealed and away from anything that could leak. Pack the box so it does not shake.
Want smaller ideas? Our best gifts for coffee lovers guide covers every budget, and the stocking fillers collection has more.
