5 Surprisingly Good Coffee Gadgets You Didn't Realize Existed

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Some folks wake up every morning and give thanks for the golden sunlight peaking through their window. But some simply cannot abide even those good tidings before they ingest a hot cup of Joe or three. It's safe to say that folks in the latter category prefer instead to give thanks for the invention of coffee.

There are varying degrees of coffee devotee in the world, ranging from those who prefer to grab and go on the fly from the nearest chain to those who opt for a simple drip or espresso from a cheap, if well-liked, machine in the comfort of their own kitchen. Of course, there's also a third category consisting of enthusiasts whose discerning palates demand that they take their coffee game to the next level. That tends to involve taking more direct control over not just the brewing process, but also being selective about things like the origin of your beans, the coarseness of your grind, the purity of the water you're using, and even the vessel from which you consume the coffee itself.

If you count yourself in that particular category, you've no doubt turned to a gadget or two in your home coffee brewing endeavors. And if that's the case, you're no doubt always on the lookout for gizmos that can help you elevate the divine experience of consuming a warm cup of java. Here's a look at a few gadgets that may help you do just that.

These days, companies are seemingly slotting the word "smart" into the name of virtually any product with even the slightest bit of technology built in. And yes, the "smart" gear revolution has indeed begun slipping into the coffee arena, with several companies now even manufacturing "smart" coffee mugs.

What is a "smart" coffee mug, you ask? It's a high-tech piece of drinkware that can keep your beverage warm long after you've poured it, thus eschewing the need for a flavor profile-killing warmup in the nearest microwave. If you like that idea, the Ember Smart Mug 2 may be worth a look, as the programmable mug is designed to keep your beverage perfectly warm for up to 80 minutes after you pour, a period that can be extended to a full day if you use the included warming-charging coaster.

The mug — available in 10oz and 14oz models — turns on automatically when warm liquids are introduced, defaulting to a temperature of 135 degrees unless otherwise programmed, and has an LED indicator to let you know when the ideal temp is reached. The mug also has a smart-app tie-in, meaning you can program temperatures and get updates from your phone. At $120 via Amazon, Ember's Smart Mug 2 may feel like a bit of an indulgence. But as someone who was gifted not long ago, I can tell you it will likely fast become a piece of tech you'll enjoy on a daily basis at home or out in the office, and the pros at Food & Wine would seem to agree on that point. 

Some coffee enthusiasts, of course, prefer to drink their java cold. If you're the sort who enjoys coffee that way year round, you'd no doubt prefer to just brew your coffee cold from the jump, with OXO's Good Grip device allowing you to do so for 59.99.

Now, before we get started here we should make clear that the OXO's kit is not the most expeditious way to make cold brew coffee, as its steeping times can vary between 12 and 24 hours depending on the size of the brew. While cold-brews are not really my jam, based on a lone experience shared at a steamy late-summer brunch, I can confirm that this cold brewer makes a solid cup of joe — even if the OXO brewer actually produces a coffee concentrate that you will no doubt need to dilute with water, ice or milk before you drink. Despite the fact, each brew should produce multiple cups of coffee, with the excess brew capable of storage in a fridge for days at a time via the included glass carafe.

While my own experience didn't sway me to the cold brew dark side, I was impressed enough to do some digging on OXO's Good Grips coffee maker, and found that both real world customers and the pros at Epicurious have largely been impressed with it too. Apart from the actual coffee the device produces, many praise the cold brewer for its ease-to-use and easy-to-clean features, as well as its clever nesting design, which makes for easy countertop storage when not in use.

While brewing methods and beans are considered by many in the know to rank among the most important elements that go into making a great cup of coffee, a case could easily be made that a good grind is equally important. After all, fresh ground beans deliver the best flavor profile, and different brewing methods tend to require different styles of grounds to achieve the best results during the brewing process, with a coarser grind ideal for French Press and espresso needing a finer grind.

Most coffee enthusiasts agree that one of the best ways to level up your morning cup is with a device that will consistently deliver the goods on the grind. While not every customer has been satisfied with the device, as someone who has been using a Bodum Burr Grinder for the better part of the past decade-plus, I can tell you this machine has produced the perfect grind for my French Press without fail over that span, and I expect it to continue to do so for years to come. The fact that it didn't break the proverbial bank is just icing on the old coffee cake.

At present, you can snag a Premium Bodum Burr Grinder for $79.95 via Amazon. For that sum, you get a reliable, easy-to-use and easy-to-clean coffee grinder with 12 different grind settings, a timed-grind feature, and a Borosilicate glass container designed to limit the static cling of coffee grounds. Is it the best grinder on the market? Probably not. But at this price point, it's pretty darn hard to beat.

For some hardcore coffee connoisseurs, crafting a great cup of coffee when you're on the road or cozying up by a campfire has always been a difficult task. And if you're one of the many pour-over diehards in the world, well, doing the job yourself outside of your own kitchen has essentially been a non-starter, if only because the method is both labor-intensive and device-dependent. Nonetheless, for those who prize flavor profile and caffeination, the pour-over is always a good way to go. 

Thankfully, it would appear that VSSL has solved the pour-over on-the-go problem with its Nest Portable Pour Over kit. While I haven't used this kit myself, I can absolutely see the appeal, as the cleverly designed Nest seems to provide everything you need for a good pour-over in an easy-to-carry package. And yes, this kit even includes a small grinder so you can use fresh-ground beans in your brew. The kit has also earned a rave review from Barista Magazine, as well as a 4.9-star rating from real-world customers. 

The bulk of the positive reviews praise the integrated tri-level setup of the Nest pour-over maker itself, which combines the reservoir, dripper, filter, and dual-walled mugs into one easy-to-clean package. The Nest Pour Over Kit is an easy-to-pack package as well, making this $245 set an ideal, if slightly pricey, option for those who just cannot live without their pour over, even for the sake of a long weekend in the wilds.

While any self-proclaimed coffee guru can argue the benefits of using the right beans, grinders, brewers and vessels, only the hardest of the hardcore residents of Java Nation have considered going all-in on their brew by roasting their own beans. And as someone who has undertaken that endeavor myself to varying degrees of relative failure, I can confirm that roasting coffee beans is not for the faint of heart.

I can also tell you that I never really had the dough to invest in an actual coffee roaster, and relied instead on a more budget-friendly starter kit of the Whirly-Pop variety for the job. If, however, I were looking to invest in a more legit home coffee roaster, I'd likely be looking at Behmor's 2000 AB PLUS, which will set you back a cool $479 from most online retailers. Yes, that is a significant investment, but if you're truly looking for maximum control over your coffee brewing, it really does begin with the roasting of your beans.

The Behmor 2000 has also been well-reviewed by customers, by the way, with some 95% of owners rating it at 4 or 5 stars on Roastmasters.com. As for the machine itself, it can handle up to 1 pound of beans per roast, has five separate roast settings, a multi-speed motor for roast control, manual roasting capabilities, and all manner of other bells and whistles designed to help you get the perfect roast every time. It also comes with a built-in smoke suppression feature, which I can say from experience is absolutely invaluable, as beans are easy to burn.

The purpose of this article is purely to highlight some of the more interesting gadgets currently available to coffee enthusiasts the world over. In assembling this list, we drew from a mix of pro reviews, consumer commentary, and our own personal experiences with some of the listed gizmos and coffee brewing methods. Along with those factors, we also considered things like price point and availability in retail environments and online outlets.