It is hard not to like coffee. Every part of the experience of drinking coffee, from inhaling the rich aroma of a blend to every sip and swallow of the hot caffeine down your throat, is something matched only by a few things in life. Given this mindset, then, it would not be a far cry to assume that the gift of coffee would easily be appreciated by almost anybody. Enter coffee gift baskets, which can probably be considered to be the most versatile, yet universally acceptable and touching gift idea out there.

Virtually every part of a coffee basket can be modified to your (and eventually, to the basket’s recipient) pleasure. You can ask yourself a number of questions about the person you intend to give the gift to, ones that may have a significant influence on your choice of contents in your coffee gift baskets.

For example, you can ask yourself if your intended recipient has a noticeable sweet tooth. If yes, you can opt for such sweets as biscotti, cookies and even chocolate (my personal favorite and something I am sure a lot of people will appreciate as well). I would even go so far as to suggest going for dark chocolate: it is the healthier one of the two (due to it having more antioxidants), it has that subtle bittersweet flavor that goes really well with almost any blend of coffee, and it does not spoil as easily as some brands of milk chocolate do (because milk chocolate contains, well, milk, and dairy products have a tendency to spoil rather easily). You can also ask yourself if the intended recipient has an instant coffeemaker, like a Braun. If yes, that person might appreciate coffeemaker cartridges in his or her basket.

In addition to being the perfect gift for more or less anybody, these baskets are also good ideas because they have that timeless, universal appeal that makes them perfect gifts for almost any occasion that crosses your mind. Speaking of crossing one’s mind, think about it: coffee does not spoil easily (unlike dairy products), does not need to be kept within certain temperatures all the time (unlike fresh fruits and some cheeses), and if these are not enough to convince you, there’s always the above point that coffee is a safe gift to give because essentially anybody can appreciate coffee. Trust me, coffee gift baskets can and will be very appreciated whenever you give them, whether it’s during Christmas, New Year’s, or even Valentine’s Day. Come to think of it, women especially appreciate gifts of chocolate on Valentine’s Day, so why not accompany your chocolate with some good coffee as well? Chances are, you will be doubly appreciated for the gesture.