Still looking for a Father's Day or Christmas gift? Coffee with your own photo is the thing!
Father's Day in Finland falls on Sunday 8 November 2026, and Christmas is already knocking on the door. In this post I'll tell you why coffee with your own photo is a personal gift that won't end up gathering dust at the back of a cupboard, which occasions this personalised coffee gift suits, and what kind of photo you should choose. So if you're wondering what to get your dad, or what would make a good Christmas present for your parents, you've come to the right place.
Written by: Väinö Siitari, son of Olli the roaster and a dad myself – so this season I'm traditionally on both the giving and the receiving end.
You probably know the situation. You ask your dad what he'd like as a present, and every year the answer is the same: "I don't know, I don't need anything, don't bring me anything." Now that I really think about it, I'm guilty of the same. Then again, do I need anything? My storeroom is already full of tools from my construction days, but for some reason there's never any coffee, even though I'm partly to blame for this whole Kirjalan Paahtimo thing.
Well, blimey – this year we're doing things differently!
Why coffee with your own photo?
Because coffee is a gift that actually gets used. Finns drink coffee every day, so the gift doesn't sit around waiting for the right moment. That's also why it's the best gift for friends, relatives, non-relatives, parents and grandparents who already have everything. A consumable gift doesn't take up cupboard space. And when the bag has a photo that puts a smile on their face, the recipient will remember you every morning when they brew a pot of coffee. (Or at least as long as the coffee lasts. After that you can order a new bag, and the cycle is complete.)
So coffee with your own photo is a bit like a photo gift and a coffee gift in one package. A personal gift that tastes good.
The bag is filled with Yellow Bourbon or Topazio coffee roasted by Olli. That's because every time I told my dad I needed photo coffee, i.e. Yellow Bourbon, he brought one or the other, or a blend. But both are sure to suit Finnish tastes! The kind that almost every coffee drinker enjoys, from filter coffee fans to the slightly pickier ones. You choose the roast level, grind and bag colour yourself. We use these varieties for espresso-based drinks in our café, so they also work brilliantly for espresso and in a moka pot. Off the shelf, they cover a wide range of uses!
Not an ad, just a highlight!
Coffee with your own photo costs €14.90 (200 g). A small gift under 15 euros, and orders over €59 ship for free – so four bags and almost the whole family is sorted.
But pay attention now (which is definitely not my own strong suit), because here comes a little maths lesson. If the recipient drinks more than a cup a day, it's worth looking at a bigger bag. A 500 g bag costs €23.30, so the price per kilo is €46.60 instead of the small bag's €74.50. You get two and a half times as much coffee and save about 14 euros compared with buying the same amount in small bags. A 1 kg bag costs €39.60, and then you save almost 35 euros. For a tired dad who brews a full pot in the morning and another in the afternoon, the 1 kg bag is really the only sensible option. Larger quantities come in a brown paper bag. To be continued…
Which occasions does it suit?
In short: all of them. But here are a few it's pretty much guaranteed to suit:
- Father's Day (Sun 8 Nov 2026). A Father's Day gift for your dad, grandad or father-in-law, with a photo of the children or grandchildren. Also works as a Father's Day gift from a child or as a first Father's Day gift for a new dad.
- Christmas. A Christmas present for parents, grandparents, friends, your godchild's parents, the neighbour and the postman, if for some reason you're still on speaking terms. Also works as a small Christmas gift for a colleague. Order a bagful to wait in the hallway for the Christmas visiting rounds, and your hostess gifts are sorted in one go.
- Mother's Day. (Next one in Finland 9 May 2027). A Mother's Day gift for mum or grandma with the same idea. Mums deserve our good coffee too!
- Birthdays and milestones. A birthday gift for someone turning 50, 60 or 70. A photo from the birthday star's younger days gives the gift an extra kick.
- Wedding or other anniversary. An anniversary gift for your spouse. One of our customers gave the coffee to her husband on their first wedding anniversary, and judging by the review it was a hit.
- Valentine's Day. A gift for a friend or partner: a photo of the two of you, and all those old arguments are buried and on pause for a while!
- Thank-you and remembrance gifts. A leaving gift for a retiring colleague, a graduation gift, a housewarming gift or a thank-you gift for a teacher at the end of the school year. And of course a gift for a coffee lover just because.
Tip
Buying gifts for the whole family at once? There's a discount code for bigger orders, but I can't just give it away, even though I'd like to. You see, Anna has been trying to keep me in line, because apparently I'm too generous. The code is hidden in my New Entrepreneur of the Year story, so read the story and spot the code. Two birds with one stone: you get a discount and you finally find out how this whole circus got started.
What photo should you put on the bag?
This is the most important part, so listen carefully.
People don't usually want to look at their own face next to the coffee maker every morning (I probably wouldn't). Dad may not want a photo of himself (unless he's been especially handsome and in peak condition), but of the people he loves most. So the best photos are ones that show something other than the recipient:
- Children or grandchildren. A safe bet for dad, mum, grandma and grandad. The muddier the face, the better.
- A pet. Dog, cat, rabbit or even a cow. A pet photo always works, and nobody complains that the furball looks silly.
- The whole family. That one photo where everyone is looking the same way and nobody is blinking. You're bound to have one somewhere, even if I don't.
- A shared memory. The jetty at the summer cottage, a fishing trip, a holiday together or that time the car broke down in the middle of the forest.
- An old photo. A photo from the recipient's younger days or the parents' wedding photo. This will move even an older gentleman.
- A funny photo. If your family has that one photo everyone laughs at every Christmas, now's the time to surprise them.
The exception proves the rule: if the recipient really is the type who loves their own face, go for it. You know who that person is.
How to get the photo right
- Portrait orientation. Only vertical images are suitable for printing.
- Size 10 x 14 cm. If you make the image or label yourself, for example in Canva, use these dimensions (width 10 cm, height 14 cm).
- Sharp and bright. A phone camera is perfectly fine, as long as the photo isn't blurry or dark.
- Faces in the middle. Leave a little space at the edges so nobody's ears get cut off.
- Add some text. For example "Happy Father's Day, Grandpa!" or "Happy Father's Day, you hottie – this is why we have kids".
How to order
- Go to the Coffee with your own photo product page.
- Choose the roast level, bag colour, grind and quantity.
- Upload a photo from your gallery and add text if you like.
- Add to cart and check out. That's it, all done!
The photo isn't printed directly on the bag. Instead, we stick a separate label on it, which is also stamped with the roast date. On the back label the recipient can also read a short story about our roastery.
Please note
Because the coffee is personalised, unfortunately it cannot be returned or exchanged. So check the quality and orientation of your photo before ordering. If the gift is urgent, a Matkahuolto parcel to a nearby pickup point is usually the fastest delivery method. With a Posti small parcel, delivery to your door can take anything from a couple of days to just over a week, so order your Father's Day gifts in good time.
What have recipients thought?
Coffee with your own photo has collected 72 reviews in our online store, and the vast majority are five stars. Customers especially praise the fast delivery, the end result and the aroma that greets you as soon as you open the parcel. Many say they will order again!
Sponsored ad
Running a business and want coffee with your own company logo? My sister Anna is happy to help design and deliver corporate gifts and logo coffee. You can also order directly! Send a message to anna@kirjalan.fi. End of ad!
Huge thanks for reading, and have a wonderful festive season! If you'd like to see more gift ideas, you'll find them among our gift products. And if the recipient lives in Mikkeli, come and have coffee together at our café on Nuijamiestenkatu.
Coffee greetings,
Väinö from Kirjalan Paahtimo
Rumour has it that Noora hasn't even opened the feedback folder yet. Well, you can still send all feedback to Noora. We'll read it at the Christmas party at the latest, if she still remembers her email password...
Coffee with your own photo in brief
Coffee with your own photo is Kirjalan Paahtimo's personalised coffee gift, with the customer's own photo and text printed on the label. It comes in 200 g, 500 g and 1 kg bags of coffee roasted in Mikkeli, and the gift suits Father's Day, Christmas, Mother's Day, birthdays, wedding anniversaries and other celebrations.
| Price and price per kilo | 200 g €14.90 (€74.50/kg), 500 g €23.30 (€46.60/kg), 1 kg €39.60 |
| Coffees | Yellow Bourbon (same as Kalervo) or Topazio (same as Pellervo), in different roast levels |
| Origin | Cerrado Mineiro, Brazil |
| Producer | Ivan Junqueira Ribeiro, Fazenda Cruzeiro |
| Process | Natural |
| Altitude | Yellow Bourbon 900–1100 m, Topazio 920–1160 m |
| Flavour profile | Kalervo: nougat, milk chocolate, berry juice. Pellervo: chocolate, nutty, berry |
| Options | roast level, bag colour, grind, package size |
| Photo | portrait, 10 x 14 cm / aspect ratio 5:7 |
| 200 g package dimensions | 4 x 13.5 x 23.5 cm |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of photo suits a coffee bag?
A vertical, sharp and bright photo. If you make the image yourself, for example in Canva, make it 10 x 14 cm.
What kind of photo makes the best gift?
Recipients are usually happiest with a photo of the people or things they love: children, grandchildren, a pet, the whole family or a shared memory.
Which occasions does coffee with your own photo suit?
For example Father's Day, Christmas, Mother's Day, birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Valentine's Day, and as a thank-you or remembrance gift.
Can coffee with your own photo be returned?
No. Because the product is personalised, it cannot be returned or exchanged.
How quickly is coffee with your own photo delivered?
We aim to ship orders on the day they are placed. A Matkahuolto parcel to a nearby pickup point is usually the fastest delivery method.
What do you give a dad who already has everything?
A consumable, personal gift is often the best choice. Coffee with your own photo gets used every day and doesn't take up cupboard space, and a photo of the children, grandchildren or a pet makes it a personal Father's Day gift.
Is coffee with your own photo a good Christmas gift for parents and grandparents?
Yes. It's an affordable and personal Christmas gift that also suits parents and grandparents who already have everything. A 200 g bag costs €14.90, a 500 g bag €23.30 and a 1 kg bag €39.60.
