Before the chaos of 2020, grabbing a morning coffee on the way to work or school was a fundamental element of many people’s routines (and definitely a requirement to start my day). Coffee shops across the globe have surged in popularity in recent years, giving people access to the best hot drinks money can buy. Of course, though, it’s probably been quite a while since you were actually able to sit (carefree) in your local coffee shop. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably opted for the drive thru lately, and have lost a little bit of the homey coffee shop experience. So what’s a cafe loving gal supposed to do during the time of social distancing? Easy! The solution is to find ways to enjoy the same sort of comforts from home. To help out with this, this post will be exploring a range of different beverages, giving you the chance to make them for yourself at home.
Simple Coffee
There are a lot of varieties of coffee drinks available on the market, with options like flat whites, lattes, and americanos being some of the most popular. Coffee like this isn’t too tricky to make, with espresso being the main building block that goes into it. You can find coffee machines on the market that give you access to powerful steam wands for your milk, along with proper heads that will be able to produce beautiful espresso. Of course, though, you need to make sure that the system doesn’t have to be plumbed in.
Wanting something a little more simple? Good old fashioned drip coffee is still a force to be reckoned with. I’m a sucker for my daily latte, but on Saturday mornings, I love to wrap up in a cozy blanket and sit in my recliner with a nice cup of Folgers. Simple coffee brewers and Keurig’s make it easy to have a sublime cup of coffee in a short amount of time.
Complicated Coffee
While simple coffees are very popular, there are a lot of more complex options on the market that companies like Starbucks like to sell. These often involve special syrups that make the drink taste very different from normal coffee, and you can choose the flavors you want based on things like the season. For example, pumpkin spice coffee drinks are very popular during the autumn months.
These drinks are no longer difficult to make at home, as you can find syrups and Starbucks branded coffees in your local supermarket. The key to using syrups for a true coffee shop experience, is to pump your syrup into your cup, mix it with the espresso by swishing, and then add your steamed milk as a final step. For example, to make a simple vanilla latte, add 3-4 pumps of vanilla syrup, and swirl in 2 shots of espresso. Add in steamed milk until your mug is close to full. Enjoy!
Bubble Tea
Bubble tea is a relatively new idea that adds a unique take onto old school tea. Homemade bubble tea is easier to make than you might expect, with loads of kits available around the web that can get you started with this. Bubble tea consists of a regular tea drink with small edible balls inside it. These balls soak up the flavor of the tea, adding texture and taste to the drink that they are in while also making the whole thing more interesting.
Fresh Juices
Fresh fruit juices are a popular product in coffee shops during summer. Orange juice, apple juice, and even lemon juice mixed with sugar to make lemonade are all great examples of this, and you can easily make any of these drinks from home using a simple hand squeezer to get the juice out of fruits from your local store. This sort of juice will be much better for you than the stuff you get in a carton, as it won’t contain any additives.
With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of enjoying a true coffee shop experience from home. You can achieve a goal like this without spending much at all, and you will benefit from the learning experience that comes with trying to make your own drinks.
