Get rid of your Starbucks addiction and make Starbucks-quality
hot or iced beverages at home.
Many of us find the difference in the coffee we make at
home and the specialty drink we get from a barista to be profound. Why? The reason? Even if your top
coffee maker is available and you have great coffee beans, the
quality of your morning brew will be limited by the tools and knowledge of your
other tools (e.g. coffee grinders or espresso machine).
It is possible to create the perfect coffee shop cup. We've collected the top specialty coffee recipes
to help you become a barista. These include cold-brew and lattes. For his
insight into home brewing, we also spoke with Dan Pabst (coffee expert, new
product development manager at) These recipes
will help you achieve perfect coffee once you have mastered your ingredients
and preferred method.
1.
The Specialty Coffee Association has preparation
guidelines that cover everything, water temperature, quality, and specific
ratios, to make a perfect cup of coffee.
Pro tip: Melitta coffee specialist Dan Pabst said that he
prefers to make coffe using the pour-over method with paper filters
because it gives him more control over the brew.
2.
French Press
The French Press is an elegant and simple tool
to make a great cup of coffee. You simply
soak the ground coffee in hot water and then use a plunger to separate it.
A tip: It can make multiple servings of the same brew
depending on how big the carafe is.
3.
Iced Coffee
Iced coffee is a summertime favourite. It's versatile and
adaptable. You can either serve it over ice, or as a hot
beverage on its own. It can also be made with different kinds of milk and
sweeteners.
Tips: For the best flavour and aroma, Pabst suggests using the
flash-brew technique. This involves using a pour over maker to brew the coffee
directly over ice.
4.
Cold Brew
Cold brew coffee, as the name implies, is made without
heating. Cold brew coffee is not like iced coffee.
Instead of chilling hot coffee, cold coffee involves soaking the beans in water
for a long time. This reduces acidity and bitterness, and increases the amount
of caffeine.
Tip: You can either use a special cold-brew machine or
a French press to soak your beans and strain them.
5.
Cappuccino
The cappuccino, which is small but strong, is a classic
Italian hot cup of coffee. It usually weighs 6 ounces and is made from equal
parts espresso and steamed milk. It can be
enjoyed with a flaky pastry as well as alone for a traditional breakfast.
Pro Tip: Pabst has a tip: Make high-quality milk foam. Natural
separation of milk will result in a roughly equal amount.
6.
Latte
This Italian classic is 10-12 ounces in weight and is
made from one part espresso and two parts steamed Milk with a thin layer milk
foam.
Pro tip You can customize your latte with different flavour syrups such as mocha, vanilla, and, of
course, pumpkin spice.
7. Flat White
This is an espresso drink that is produced in Australia
or New Zealand. The macrofoam used to make the espresso is very creamy. The typical flat white is made up of a double
espresso shot with approximately 4 ounces (or New Zealand) of milk. There is
little to no foam and it is smaller than a regular latte.
A tip: Flatwhites are great for those who love lattes but not
as much milk.
8. Café au Lait
Cafe au lait, like the latte is a French classic that pairs hot coffee with
steamed water. This coffee
au lait is made without espresso and usually with minimal or zero foam topping,
unlike its Italian counterpart.
Our tip: We recommend using a Mocha Pot to make strong brews.
9. Cortado
Cortado, which means "to cut," is a Spanish
term that uses warm milk. This small drink "cuts" the bitterness or
acidity of espresso. Cortado
tastes like cafe au lait but is made with equal parts
milk and coffee, though it's smaller in size and stronger due to the small size
of the espresso.
Tip: Also known as Gibraltar, because of its glass, this specialty
drink is Pabst's favourite to order from coffee shops.
10.Macchiato
This small Italian drink was created to be sipped in the
afternoon and as an alternative to morning cappuccino. The name of this drink roughly means
"marked" (or "stained"), which refers to the small amount
of milk foam that is placed in the middle.
Pro Tip: This Italian coffee drink is the most
espresso-forward, and it's best served with milk.
11. Americano
The history of the café Americano is still debated. It's
named because American GIs ordered espresso in Italy from cafes during WWII. A
shot of espresso with water to imitate drip coffee.
Tips: While there are no strict rules regarding how to prepare this drink, the strongest version can be made with equal amounts of hot water and espresso. A simple way of preparing Americano is using K-Cup Brewing Machine
12.Irish Coffee
Irish coffee is a popular cocktail that can be used for
breakfast, brunch, or dessert. It contains Irish whiskey, whipped cream, and
hot coffee.
Pro tip: Use brown sugar in place of white granulated to
achieve a sweeter, more caramelized flavor.
13.Dalgona Coffee
This playful, whipped coffee, believed to have originated
in South Korea, has become a popular trend on social media platforms like
Instagram and TikTok. It is made
cloud-like by rapidly whipping equal parts instant coffee powder and sugar
until it forms soft creamy peak, then adding it to either hold or cold water.
Pro tip This name comes from dalgona which is a Korean
candy.
14.Affogato
Two simple ingredients make this classic Italian dessert:
hot espresso and cold vanilla cream. The name refers the ice cream being
"drowned in" the espresso.
Pro tip This recipe can be modified to suit your taste by
adding a dessert liquor like Frangelico, Kahlua or grated chocolate or other
sweet ingredients.
15.Mexican Coffee (Café de Olla)
Cafe de olla Mexican Coffee is traditionally made from
ground coffee, cinnamon, and raw sugar called piloncillo. Other optional components include cloves or star
anise as well as orange rind.
The Pro Tip: While this sweet and spicy beverage is best
for winter months, it can also be enjoyed throughout the year.
16.Espresso Martini
This is an iconic cocktail that combines espresso, vodka
and Kahlua. It's a refreshing, frothy pick me up.
Tip: In 1983, Dick Bradsell, a bartender at Soho
Brasserie in London, first created Vodka Espresso. The drink was allegedly made
to the request by a British top model.
17. Turkish Coffee
Although Turkish coffee can have many different names
throughout North Africa and Eastern Europe, as well as the Middle East, it is
commonly prepared unfiltered with extra finely ground coffee and ground
cardamom. This warm, spicy coffee can be used in place of
syrup-flavored drinks during the winter and autumn.
Tips: The traditional way to heat the water and grounds
is in an ibrik. However, the recipe can be modified to work with a pan.
18.
Vietnamese Iced
Coffee
This is a sweet, intense version of iced espresso. It
typically contains fresh French roast coffee mixed with Vietnamese coffee
makers and sweetened condensed milk.
Tip: You could also make your own version using a
different brew process (such as a French press, mocha pot or mocha pot), and different beans. As long as it
is still strong.
19.
Dirty Chai
This coffee shop's favorite combination of the spicy sweetness of a
Chai Latte and the extra boost of an Espresso Shot is a crowd pleaser. Masala Chai is prepared latte style with frothed Milk. Once the milk has
frothed, the espresso (or brewed) is added to the coffee.
Tips: A dirty Chai can also be made alcoholically with
coffee liqueur.
20.
Frappuccino
Frappuccino is more of a dessert than a coffee. It is a
Starbucks favorited a concoction made with milk, sugar, and
ice. It is topped off with whipped cream, and flavored syrups.
A tip: While there are many varieties, the vanilla, mocha
and caramel versions can all be made at home.
These are all nice and pretty to look at but for everyday coffee I would go with a Single serve brewing machine and a variety pack of K-Cup pods..
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