Are "Coffee Makers" common appliances in South Korea?
My husband (who is Korean too) are traveling to Korea soon, and we would like to take Starbucks Coffee as gifts. However, my husband was young when he left Korea, and we are not sure there would be coffee makers and filters to make the coffee. Could someone please tell me if this is a good gift idea? Or should we take "instant coffee" instead? Thank you.
Tagged with: Coffee Makers • gift idea • instant coffee • korea • starbucks
Filed under: Coffee Brewing
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Yes , you can buy a coffee maker at any dept. store in Korea .
By the way there is a star bucks at every corner in Seoul so I am not sure if star bucks coffee would be a very special gift.
As others said, Starbucks coffee is too strong, few people use coffee makers and Starbucks is really common in the bigger cities in Korea. Taster’s Choice is the prefered brand to bring as a gift.
My stepmother is Korean and although she likes coffee, she doesn’t like our normal American coffee. I remember being in Korea and there being coffee machines and the coffee just tasted awful.
My stepmother loves Tasters Choice and Nescafe (both instant).
Most Koreans use instant coffee from how I’ve experienced in my past few years here. However, I’m low class, and have worked only low level jobs to know what kind of coffee people drink.
I have lived here in South Korea since my retirement back in ’94.
Coffee Makers have not yet caught on in popularity yet in South Korea. Occasionally, one would find the paper Coffee Filters for Coffee Makers, but this is an exception rather than a rule. I say this because the paper Coffee Filters I have seen in the markets look like they came from the military PX’s here in Korea (black market). No Korean company makes them.
Coffee Makers are available, though the majority of the Korean population drink instant coffee.
American style Coffee is considered too strong for the average Korean person. On the other hand, Korean style Coffee is considered "weak, like water" to the average American person.
I would not consider bringing Starbucks Coffee Beans for a present; the average Korean person would not have a Coffee Bean Grinder for grinding the Beans.
On the "other side of the Coin," Starbucks Coffee Shops are springing-up throughout South Korea.
As for instant Coffee; it can be found in almost every grocery store throughout South Korea. Some of the brand names are Taster’s Choice, Maxim, etc.
I would like to offer the suggestion that you bring an item truly "unique" to the United States that normally wouldn’t be imported, or franchised, in South Korea.
I hope I provided some insight for your gift planning.