Even as some states are opening up and visiting your coffee shop may be
possible, many of us would still prefer to keep outings to a minimum. So
if you are not able or prefer not to go to the coffee shop, why not
bring the coffee shop to you? Making quality, cafe-level coffee right at
home is possible and doesn’t necessarily require pricey equipment. We
have compiled a list of a few tips that will help you take your homemade
coffee to the next level.
1. Make Infused Syrup
Flavored coffees like a lavender latte or French vanilla may seem like a
coffee shop treat, but they are quite simple to make at home and can
feel very refreshing and indulgent. It is usually a syrup that are used
to add flavor. You can go for fruit-based syrups (which goes perfectly
with iced beverages) like strawberry or go for a more autumnal taste
like vanilla or hazelnut.
To make a simple syrup base, add equal part granulated sugar and water
in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar has
dissolved. After you remove it from the heat let it cool completely
before use. You can choose a flavoring item to your liking, and simply
add it to this base - it can be sliced strawberries, oranges, vanilla
beans, or a cinnamon stick. The options are nearly endless. Allow the
mixture to infuse, thus transferring flavor to the syrup.
2. Coffee Ice Cubes
This simple trick can make your summertime iced coffee a lot more
potent. It is recommended to let the brewed coffee cool down to room
temperature before pouring it into the ice cube tray. For those who like
their coffee strong, you may brew double-strength coffee to freeze.
To make the iced coffee, all you need is fill a glass with the frozen
coffee cubes, pour some milk over them, stir and enjoy! If you’d like to
tweak your summer coffee to make it more special, you may mix three to
four coffee ice cubes in the blender with about five ounces of milk and a
teaspoon of honey.
3. Quick Cold Brew
To get a good batch of cold brew, let it steep overnight or at least 12
hours. While this process makes for delicious summertime coffee it’s
quite time-consuming and requires planning. If you feel like a
spontaneous glass of homemade cold brew, Japanese-style iced coffee is
the quicker option and the result is just as delicious.
The way to do it is to brew a double-strength pot of coffee and then
immediately pour it over ice. The key is to waste no time and pour the
brew straight away to prevent acidity from developing. When the ice
melts down, the coffee doesn’t lose any of its flavors and doesn’t get
diluted.
4. Get Fancy With Milk
If you’re a latte fan, you can imitate the coffee shop experience by
getting the milk just right. Latte is a shortened version of the Italian
term Cafe Latte, which literally translates into coffee with milk.
Essentially a latte is a blend of espresso and steamed milk, topped up
with a dollop of milk foam (if you don’t own an espresso machine or a
pod coffee maker, a strong French press, or double-strength brewed
coffee will do the trick). The important difference between steamed and
frothed is that frothed milk has a soft bubbly texture that cannot
survive without heat. Think of it this way: you can have steamed milk by
itself but the same does not apply for frothed milk.
Here are a couple of ways to steam or froth milk without the help of any
expensive equipment.
How to Steam:
1. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and place it on the stove-top.
2. Place a thermometer in the milk to monitor the temperature. If this
isn’t possible, just have the thermometer handy to periodically check
the temperature.
3. Heat the milk on medium to medium-low. Depending on the type of milk
you use, you want to hit a certain temperature to steam it:
Milk: 150ºF (65ºC)
Soy milk: 140ºF (60ºC)
Almond milk: 130ºF (54ºC)
5. Occasionally stir the milk to keep it from boiling.
Once it hits the
appropriate temperature, remove the milk from heat and pour it directly
into your coffee, or froth it.
The easiest way to froth the milk is to pour it into a large jar with a
lid. Make sure you fill no more than a third of the jar. Screw the lid
on tightly, and shake the jar vigorously until the milk is frothy and
has roughly doubled in volume. This should take 30 to 60 seconds.
6. Pay Attention to the Beans
The rule of thumb is: if you don’t use good coffee beans you won’t get a
good cup of coffee. Coffee beans have different flavor profiles
depending on where they are grown, how they are processed, how they are
roasted, and how they are brewed.
The sheer variety can be daunting. At large, there are two types of
coffee beans - Robusta and Arabica. The Arabica type of coffee grows in
high-altitude areas. It is commonly known for its slightly acidic,
smooth taste. The first step is to know what type of flavor you want and
how caffeine you want in your coffee. Contrary to popular belief, dark
roasted coffee beans contain lower levels of caffeine than those whose
roasting is light or medium. Light-roast beans have the highest level of
caffeine of all three.
Another important tip is to always check the roast date - you want your
beans freshly roasted. If you don’t have a coffee grinder in your house,
go for the whole bean bag and ask the supermarket or café to grind them
for you.
As far as flavors go, that is really up to personal taste. Let’s say you
love the signature brew of your local coffee shop - does it have nutty
cocoa notes or maybe more of a citrusy note? It may be a bit of trial
and error until you figure out your exact tastes, but it will surely
broaden your coffee experience.
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Ingredients
No one can resist the smell of these cookies, and you yourself will be
tempted to steal one from the oven. The creator of the recipe suggests
switching out the dried tomatoes for paprika if you don’t like tomatoes.
The added Parmesan gives this delightful dessert a savory taste that
makes this a unique cookie.
