Gourmet Coffee Gift Baskets are Elegant Yet Affordable Gifts for The Holidays!

Choosing the best quality of blend coffee bean is a good place to start. The Arabica bean is generally considered to be superior to the Robusta. Arabica beans grow under shade, allowing the beans to ripen more slowly. This translates to a more complex flavor with less caffeine. You've got to deal with a reputable coffee merchant who knows his business. Coffee crops vary in taste and quality from year to year, due to environmental conditions. So while Jamaican Blue Mountain may have endured a poor last year, this year's crop couldn't be better. When you look for varieties with which to fill your gourmet coffee gift basket, make sure each gourmet coffee you select is at the top of its form this year. It's better to have fewer coffee choices than a dozen of poor quality.

You can learn quite a bit about coffee online. From growing methods to history and lore, you can become a bit of an expert yourself. One nice touch you might consider when constructing your gourmet coffee gift basket is to include a synopsis of these tidbits on a card tied around each bag. Such information is entertaining and adds interest to your recipient's enjoyment of the cup of coffee. A coffee gift basket is a great idea for corporate gifts giving as well.

You want to aim for at least a half dozen great coffees. A half pound bag makes several pots, so there's plenty of good drinking material here. With six varieties to choose from, this gift allows your recipient to try a new one every day, which keeps the taste buds fresh, for a new and exciting cup that never tastes flat through repetition. Even if they never cook, they will appreciate a collection of delicately flavored coffees, gift mugs and a package of brownie mix makes the perfect treat to go with a coffee break.

Other coffee ritual additions to your gourmet coffee gift basket might include a small bottle of Irish whiskey for a nice bedtime toddy. The Torani(TM) line of syrups adds an excellent splash of special flavor to that premium cup of Joe. If your recipient goes everywhere with a coffee cup, a nice travel mug is appreciated. If they're really into coffee, buy whole beans and nestle a small electric coffee grinder inside your basket.

One reason for the popularity of the gourmet coffee gift basket is that this beverage is almost universally popular. Any coffee drinker will be happy with such a gift. It may well be that your thoughtful gift creates one more connoisseur!