Tis the season once again. That's correct, we're talking about Christmas shopping! It is no simple duty as anybody will confess. How about something different this year? Perchance coffee gift baskets.

If you're like me, you aren't exactly overjoyed by the prospect of hunting for a perfect present for your family and close acquaintances. It's not so much the social necessity of exchanging presents during the holidays, it is the struggle to find something personal and practical for the recipient.

Always consider the person that you are giving the gift to.

Knowing your subject can go some distance to finding a perfect gift.

If there is one thing that just about all of my friends and relatives use every day it truly is COFFEE! Many of us draw on coffee merely for its utilitarian value of being a pick-me-up. They stumble to their kitchen each morning and glug down a couple cups before they open their eyes. Well, I enjoy to think of my crack of dawn cup as ritual that connects me with the earth and farmers from remote places. I only imbibe organic Fair Trade, gourmet quality coffee.

So, what may be a better gift for a coffee drinker than a gift basket full of gourmet coffee and coffee goodies? There is a excess of coffee gift baskets online, in stores, you name it. But, I wouldn't buy a stale, shrink wrap covered gift basket at a big box store. No, I would go directly to the source for the freshest coffee achievable, that's correct, the COFFEE ROASTER!

There are loads of online merchants that sell gift baskets, but I'd limit yourself to gourmet coffee roasters. If at all possible ones that roast organic Fair Trade coffee. Take Green Mountain for example. They roast a lot of sustainable coffees and offer gift baskets.

Think freshness. There is nothing more important when it comes to coffee than freshness. You need to make sure that you acquire your gift basket from a roaster that fresh roasts the coffee. Price is definitely an issue, but keep in mind often you do get what you pay for. So, if you cannot afford a luxurious two hundred dollar gift basket, find one which is smaller, yet still high quality, for a price you can afford. Quality is of the highest importance. Evaluate the images of the baskets, and make sure you know the quality of the coffees involved. Gourmet coffees ought to be 100% Arabica. If ever the roaster doesn't list the varieties of coffee you can always ask. Avoid Robusta. Then, there's the always important topic of getting the gift basket to the recipient. Be certain that the company you're dealing with has openly posted shipping times and prices. When you check around yow will discover a business that provides free priority shipping!