The espresso machine was step one. Now they are pulling pale, watery shots with the plastic tamp that came in the box, and the manual is genuinely unhelpful. The gifts that help are not more accessories — they are the calibration layer: a tamper that actually fits the portafilter, a scale that shows what a 2:1 ratio looks like, and the cleaning routine that makes the machine last. The machine was expensive. Help them use it.
“The one reliable rule of gift-giving: anything that makes them look more serious at what they love will be received with disproportionate gratitude.”
Friends claim items. No duplicates. No awkward conversations.