Falconer Coffee / The gear guide
Three budgets. One very good cup. From “I own a mug” to “please don't touch my portafilter,” here's where we'd spend the money.
Basic
Start small. Fresh beans and a little care will do more for your cup than a kitchen full of shiny things.
A simple black blade grinder with enough capacity for up to 12 cups. An affordable way to start grinding whole beans instead of buying pre-ground coffee.
Blade grinders produce uneven particles. Pulse in short bursts; this is a budget starting point, not a precision espresso grinder.
Listed as sold out when checked.
A black single-cup brew cone that sits over your mug. Add a compatible paper filter, coffee, and hot water for a straightforward pour-over.
Filters are a separate supply. Already own a drip brewer? Keep it, grind fresh, and spend the difference on good beans.
A compact press for 1–2 cups that combines immersion and pressure-assisted brewing. Quick brewing, easy cleanup, and a concentrated cup without buying a countertop machine.
Makes espresso-style coffee, not true pump-machine espresso. Think concentrated coffee for a milk drink, not a nine-bar shot.
Life is too short to drink coffee from a cheap mug.
Mid-tier
More consistency, more control, and just enough equipment to make visitors ask questions. This is where thoughtful upgrades earn their keep.
An affordable, versatile burr grinder with 40 settings and 40 mm burrs. A strong upgrade for pour-over, everyday drip coffee, and French press, with a simple twist-the-hopper adjustment.
It can grind fine, but the original Encore has limited adjustment for dialing in espresso shots. If espresso is your priority, look at the Encore ESP instead.
Six-cup Classic shown; other sizes priced separately.
The hourglass-shaped borosilicate glass brewer with a wood collar. Our six-cup pick makes sharing a beautifully clean pour-over easy; the Classic Series also comes in other sizes. Get CHEMEX unbleached bonded filters with it — the thick, unbleached paper filters out bitter and stale fats in the coffee, which leads to a smooth, clean taste.
A one-liter electric stainless-steel kettle with a controlled gooseneck spout, silicone-coated handle, and automatic shutoff. Pour where you mean to, at the pace you mean to.
Listed as sold out when checked. Custom orders welcome.
Handmade stoneware from Morgan Looney, a potter based right here in the Shenandoah Valley. The Crozet Mug is perfectly sized for a morning coffee, and because every mug is made by hand from start to finish, no two are exactly alike. Morgan takes custom orders — email the studio if you want something made just for you.
The shop sells out fast. Custom work carries order minimums depending on the nature of the pieces.
A home espresso machine with an integrated conical burr grinder, intelligent dosing, and assisted tamping. A practical entry into real espresso and steamed-milk drinks, with fewer loose tools to collect.
The built-in grinder means you do not need to buy a separate espresso grinder to get started.
Listed as sold out when checked. Custom orders welcome.
Handmade stoneware from Morgan Looney, a potter based right here in the Shenandoah Valley. The Crozet Mug is perfectly sized for a morning coffee, and because every mug is made by hand from start to finish, no two are exactly alike. Morgan takes custom orders — email the studio if you want something made just for you.
The shop sells out fast. Custom work carries order minimums depending on the nature of the pieces.
Premium
For the enthusiast who enjoys the ritual as much as the cup. Spend on precision—not on the assumption that expensive equipment can fix old beans.
A programmable grinder with 54 mm ceramic burrs and three timed dose presets. Fine adjustment supports dialing in espresso, while its range also reaches coarser French-press grinds.
Six Cup Classic at $350; Eight Cup $352; without a coffeemaker $306.50 when checked.
CHEMEX's automatic brewer for the Classic and Glass Handle coffeemakers. It runs a staged cycle with pre-infusion, heats water to the specialty-industry target range of 197.6-204.8F, and uses a Greedy Cup sprayhead for even extraction, then holds the pot warm on a hot plate that shuts itself off after 90 minutes. Hot or iced coffee at the press of a button.
Uses CHEMEX Bonded filters, and CHEMEX recommends descaling every 40 brew cycles or three months, whichever comes first. It runs on 120V, so it will not travel to a different voltage.
From $2,050; listed finishes up to $2,100. Sale pricing when checked.
A heat-exchanger espresso machine with four selectable boiler-pressure settings for brew-temperature adjustment, updated styling, and an optional standby mode. A serious countertop companion for espresso and milk drinks.
Pair it with an espresso-capable grinder; this machine does not include one.
Ask Morgan at Looney Ceramics, our mid-tier mug recommendation, about custom mugs made just for you.
Request custom mugs from Looney CeramicsEven the fanciest grinder can't turn tired coffee into a fresh roast.
