At Home Barista

Coffee Ice Cubes

Don’t pour the morning coffee down the drain! Take what you’d normally pour out and put some into a lidded to-go container and pop it in the fridge for an afternoon eye-opener.

Then take the remainder and pour it into an extra ice cube tray and set carefully in the freezer.

When your 3 PM crash is imminent, grab your chilled coffee and add your frozen coffee cubes to have a full cup of deliciousness without the disappointment of the watered-down finish.

Espresso in a French press?

Ok, it’s not strictly an espresso, but our favorite version provides a facsimile reasonable enough to provide a delightful shake-up to your morning routine.

And now a Latte in a French press?

So simple, yet so tasty! Just pour some heated milk into your French press and vigorously pump the plunger until you have a creamy froth that would make your favorite barista, at least mildly, jealous.

COFFEE PRO TIP! – Coffee Nap?

Feeling run down & droopy? Try having your coffee before taking a 20-minute cat-nap. Sure, it sounds self-defeating, but there is scientific logic behind the idea. In a nutshell, caffeine and one of the chemicals in your body that make you feel snoozy share a receptor.

Your coffee jolt happens as it jumps in and attaches itself in place of the chemical. Naps, on the other hand, lower the amount of the chemical in your body. Imagine what happens when your body has lowered the amount of tiredness-chemical AND you have caffeine starting to do what it does? ULTRA ENERGY! Or at least that’s the theory. Here’s a great article that provides more depth for the science behind the theory and some studies that tested the theory.

Blender Cold Brew!

Cold brew coffee is delicious but making it can sometimes be a fussy, messy proposal. Short cut the whole process with a blender and some planning. Sure, it takes a while to get there, but you know you’ll want another cup in a few hours, right?

DIY flavored pour over coffee

Raid your spice rack to jazz up your java! Add nutmeg or cinnamon to your grounds before brewing to add complexity and a delectable aroma to your next pot. We suggest starting with 2 teaspoons of ground spice per ½ cup of grounds and adjusting to your tastes from there.

COFFEE PRO TIP! Repel Pests!

Used grounds can be sprinkled around plants in the garden to repel ants and smoked to repel mosquitos. They’re also good at keeping neighbor cats from befouling your planters and kid’s sandboxes..

Sparkling Americano

Have a can of flavored La Croix to spare or some leftover bubbles you made from your Sodastream? Use one of those instead of regular ‘ol water for your Iced Americano! It’s the cold, fizzy caffeinated refreshment you didn’t know you needed.

COFFEE PRO TIP! Let us out! It’s cold in here!

Take those beans out of the freezer, STAT! The freezing process creates tiny cracks in the beans where air can enter and sit, causing the bean to go stale if stored for more than a month or two.

The best way to store coffee is in an airtight container, away from sunlight and at room temperature. An opaque container is best, but a clear container is adequate if it can be stored in a closed pantry, cabinet, or cupboard.

Dalgona: Myth or Legendary?

The 2020 viral sensation of this social media darling still has a strong fanbase in 2021. The office opinion continues to be split, so we’ll let you decide whether this creamy cup is your next pass or passion.

Here’s a simple how-to from My Korean Kitchen.

COFFEE PRO TIP! Don’t be bitter…

Is your morning cup giving you bitter brew face? Toss in a pinch of salt. You’ll understand why science can easily be confused for magic.

Has Coffee met its Matcha?

If you haven’t jumped onto the matcha trend train, maybe it’s time to give it a try. Matcha is a type of green tea, with deep roots in China and Japan, that has become a worldwide phenomenon.

Ground into a fine powder and mixed with warm milk or water, fans have said that it has a delicately sweet and creaminess that is absent from more traditional green tea preparations, despite both being made from the same leaves.

Another plus for matcha is its ease of preparation.

Here’s our low-effort favorite, for example. It’s the perfect way to start a chilly morning.

Fall Spiced Matcha Latte

1 ½ tsp matcha powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 cup milk/non-dairy milk, warmed, but not hot.
1/3 cup water, boiled
Sweeten to taste

In a small mixing bowl, add the boiling water, whisking in the matcha powder, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon until combined.

Add warmed milk or substitute and whisk again to combine.

Pour into your favorite mug, add your preferred sweetener, and voila!

Need more to tip the scales? Matcha is high in antioxidants and has been found to convey other health benefits.

The next time you are online trying to determine whether you have the symptoms of scurvy or rickets, stop by WebMD for this informative slide show.