Yeah, this is my experience too - in general, it's best to never buy gear for an enthusiast in something unless you really know exactly, specifically what they

Yeah, this is my experience too - in general, it's best to never buy gear for an enthusiast in something unless you really know exactly, specifically what they want and don't have. Even if you're an expert, you might just have different preferences to them and then they'll feel guilty about keeping something around that they don't use, or about giving it away or selling it... But if you're an enthusiast/expert and they're interested but not to that level, and you have a decent idea of what gear they have and don't have, then it can work. In terms of coffee beans, yeah, they can be a nice gift if you have a bit of an idea (good small roaster, roast type, e.g. espresso or filter, freshness, etc.) but for me at least, I basically always have just enough coffee for what I need (I buy a new 250g bag of espresso roast about weekly, one or two days before I run out of the old stuff)... But I'm always happy to try something, just don't go overboard and buy a kilo or something! 250g is plenty!