7 Affordable Coffee Gadgets This Mother-Daughter Duo Swears By

Rachel and Jiyoon Han, the team behind Bean & Bean, share the secrets to a great-tasting cup of joe.
Rachel and Jiyoon Han are the mother-daughter team behind Bean & Bean in Queens, NY.
Courtesy of Rachel and Jiyoon Han
Rachel and Jiyoon Han are the mother-daughter team behind Bean & Bean in Queens, NY.

It doesn’t get much more female-powered than this: A mother-daughter duo has pioneered the first-ever coffee roastery in Queens, NY, and they make a point to source more than half of their coffee from women-led or -owned coffee farms.

Rachel and Jiyoon Han, the Korean American mother-daughter team behind Bean & Bean, are both certified Q Arabica graders ― which means they’re basically coffee sommeliers who can taste nuances in coffee that you and I could only dream of. While they’ve always only sourced organic and fair-trade-certified coffee to ensure environmental sustainability and fair worker wages, they didn’t feel that went far enough to compensate for the fact that despite making up more than 70% of the coffee labor force, women earn significantly less than male counterparts in the coffee sector. As such, the Hans been working to bridge the gender gap in coffee to help women get their fair share, from origin to your cup.

“We have close relationships with coffee farms and coffee mills that are owned and/or operated by women coffee producers in Costa Rica and Guatemala, all of which pay their workers a living wage,” Jiyoon told HuffPost. “Mom and I prioritize relationships with coffee farms that involve women in leadership roles and farms where women have an active voice in making important decisions.”

When Rachel and Jiyoon aren’t busy lifting up women around the world, they master the art of making the perfect cup of coffee at home.

“My coffee ritual in the morning is a little moment of prayer and meditation for me,” Jiyoon shared. “I am a big believer in mini moments of self care and celebration. Picking out which coffee to drink, which brewer to use, smelling the coffee being ground, waiting for the water to boil, brewing myself some coffee, seeing the coffee bloom inside the dripper ― this step-by-step process is my time, entirely mine. I indulge in my daily ritual, and set my intentions for the day.”

And though the Hans have fancy-pants coffee experience, they believe that some of the best tools are the most affordable ones. “A few simple brew tools can really enhance your home brew experience,” Jiyoon said. “Reliability and consistency are what I look for in home brewing tools!” Below are some affordable brewing tools that Rachel and Jiyoon recommend.

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1
Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
"This is a super reliable automatic grinder with 40 different grind settings, allowing for experimentation with coffee brewing across different brewers. Great for entry-level brewers as well as the experienced coffee brewer." — Jiyoon

Get the Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder for $139.99.
2
Clever Coffee Dripper
This is Rachel's pick for at-home brewing. She says it's an "easy brew for lazy mornings. The Clever Dripper results in a clean and consistent brew each time. I enjoy making both hot and cold brew on it. I also carry it with me when going on trips and hikes." — Rachel

"The Clever Dripper combines the best of both worlds from traditional pour-overs and immersion brewing, but doesn’t have any of the clean-up or mess that a French press would!" — Jiyoon

Get the Clever Coffee Dripper for $34.95.
3
Kalita Wave 185 Dripper
This is the method Jiyoon prefers. "I’m open to taking a little more time than my mom to brew coffee in the morning. The Kalita Wave is my usual go-to dripper. Its flat bottom (with three small holes) and wave filters allow me to control the flow rate and even extraction. Seeing my coffee bloom in the brewer first thing in the morning is very satisfying and kicks off my day." — Jiyoon

Get the Kalita Wave 185 Dripper for $40.
4
Sloth MiiR Eco Camp Cup
"The best insulated cup for both hot and iced coffee. This works for coffee at home -- on my desk, keeping my coffee insulated. And also great for traveling and when I’m out and about, especially when camping! And it reminds us to take it slow, every day." — Jiyoon

Get the Sloth MiiR Eco Camp Cup for $29.
5
The Big Dipper Umeshiso Rainbow Cupping Spoon
"A shiny rainbow-colored spoon that makes coffee drinking fun every morning! A cupping spoon is used by coffee cuppers to slurp, taste and evaluate coffee. But Umeko’s spoon actually is also perfect for ice cream, cereal, soup and anything else you can eat with a spoon!" — Jiyoon

Get the The Big Dipper Umeshiso Rainbow Cupping Spoon for $12.50.
6
Bean & Bean Downtown Blend
"Downtown Blend medium roast coffee is a blend of whole coffee beans from three continents: enjoy the soft sweetness and fruity acidity of Latin America, the elegant and gentle floral aromas of Africa, and earthy undertones of Asia in every cup. With tasting notes of roasted nuts, cedar and sweet herbs, our coffee whole bean’s medium roast is a signature House Blend. Smooth and creamy, the medium roast whole coffee beans bring hints of cocoa, cedar and lemongrass, and are ideal espresso beans. " — Jiyoon

Get the Bean & Bean Downtown Blend for $21 (12 ounces).

(You can buy Bean & Bean’s coffees by the type of grind you like: whole bean, cold brew, French press, Chemex, automatic drip, Aeropress, Kalita Wave/V60, espresso/moka pot or Turkish.)
7
Bean & Bean Decaf Coffee
"I love coffee but sometimes I want coffee without the caffeine. The decaf mom and I source is as good as our regular coffee. Serious coffee drinkers will often look down on decaf coffee for tasting bad, but why should we compromise on flavor and taste when we can source delicious decaf coffee? We’re mindful that there are many people that are sensitive to caffeine intake and suffer from anxiety. There are also women who are pregnant who want to drink coffee but want to avoid caffeine. We’re here for them!" — Jiyoon

Get the Bean & Bean Decaf Coffee for $21 (12 ounces).

(You can buy Bean & Bean’s coffees by the type of grind you like: whole bean, cold brew, French press, Chemex, automatic drip, Aeropress, Kalita Wave/V60, espresso/moka pot or Turkish.)

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