The simplest and most effective change you can make to your coffee routine, regardless of how you brew, is to grind your own coffee beans. Conical burr grinders allow for more control over the grain size of your ground coffee than more common metal blade grinders. Something like this electric burr coffee grinder lets you easily switch between coarsely ground coffee and finely ground coffee, unleashing the flavor inside of whole beans for whichever brew method you choose. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, you could even try roasting your own beans for a freshly roasted cuppa.

If you're traveling, this manual travel coffee grinder is small enough to bring to work or on vacation. Since it's completely hand-powered, there's no need to worry about having an outlet nearby. And this hand burr grinder goes well with other man-powered gadgets like your mortar and pestle, your hand-crank egg beater or your old-timey butter churn.

A French press might be familiar to you, and you may already own one (or three -- seems like it's an easy gift!). But, if you regularly brew with an auto-drip coffee machine, you might want to bust out or buy a French press and enjoy an extra-flavorful beverage on the mornings when you've got a few more minutes to yourself. Grind your coffee extra coarse and bring out the French press to add a little romance to your usual coffee routine. Fun fact: You can also brew loose-leaf tea in your French press. Coffee and tea drinkers rejoice!

This Japanese pour over dripper can be used with your mug for a single serving or placed above a large carafe for a big batch of several mugs of delicious coffee if you've got company (or it's just one of those mornings).

With an eight-cup capacity, this classic pour-over maker has a chemical lab feel and is still a fine choice both aesthetically and functionally.

For pour-over coffee methods, you'll want a good gooseneck kettle. Heat up cold water in something like this kettle, and the narrow spout will give you the control you need to distribute hot water over your coffee grounds (or tea), first to help "bloom" the coffee grounds, and then to evenly "pour over" the rest of the water.

Take it a step further with this digital kettle, which allows you to select the appropriate temperature you need for your favorite coffee brewing method or loose leaf tea. The water will get hot quickly and precisely, setting you up for a superbly flavored cup of coffee or tea.

If you've got the pour over and the kettle, and you're committed to seeing this brew process through to the end, then take the red pill and get yourself a kitchen scale, too. This digital kitchen scale will help you achieve the ideal ratio of beans to hot water, so that you don't end up with a coffee that is too bitter or too weak. Precision is essential to great coffee (And tea. And hot chocolate.).

There are still other methods for brewing coffee -- and one of these is done via the wonderful AeroPress. Using these circular coffee filters, the AeroPress is small and lightweight, making it perfect for packing in your carry-on. It's kind of like the next step after the French press, creating a smoother cup of coffee by way of pushing the coffee through a paper filter. And, cleanup is even easier -- you're left with a puck-shaped cake of coffee grounds that you simply push into the trash (or into your compost bin) and then a quick rinse of the AeroPress sets you up for the next cup.

Turn up the whimsy with this Bialetti stovetop espresso maker, preferably in a bright color. There is something very satisfying about watching coffee bubble up the spout and into the pour section of one of these portable espresso makers (also called a Moka Pot). As pretty as they are functional, these items are great to leave out as conversation pieces. Make coffee while camping by placing this coffee maker over your portable burner.

This cold brew coffee kit with a Mason jar and stainless steel fine-mesh filter can take you there. The slower process unlocks milder, smoother coffee flavors, leaving you to add milk or sugar to your drink only if you're looking for some extra indulgence. 

If you're really in the mood to treat yourself, this automatic pour-over coffee maker will do the trick. Take all the guesswork out of a perfectly crafted hot cup of delicious coffee -- this machine heats, times and pours the water for you so that you get the pour over flavor complexity without risking a case of barista elbow.