After what has been a nightmarish 18 months for most, things are finally starting to return to a degree of normality. But for many people, the new normal is going to involve a lot more home working, with many people switching to permanent home working from now on.
Working from home is great. Your commuting time is drastically reduced, and you’ve got time to do your washing, exercise and the other things you can’t get done at the office. But there’s one area where being at work has its advantages – drinks. And not after-work-trips-to-the-pub drinks, but the ones that get you through the day.
So what’s the solution for the missing java in your life? Make your own ‘proper’ coffee! There are so many great machines and tools out there now that anyone can learn to become a barista in their own home. Let’s take a look at how you can bring the wonders of real coffee back into your life, so you can make working from home even more enjoyable.
There’s nothing quite like a ‘proper’ coffee from your favourite coffee shop, and while you’re saving money by being at home, it can be one of those daily delights that’s missing from your day?
Invest in quality coffee kit
To enjoy the taste of barista-style coffee at home, it’s worth investing in the right coffee making kit. Some of the items worth buying to make incredible coffee at home include:
A coffee machine
One of the easiest ways to enjoy great tasting coffee is to invest in a coffee machine. A barista machine can help make bean to cup coffee, featuring all of the bells and whistles to make your favourite type of coffee at home. From the grinder to the milk frother – it’s all there in one machine.
A coffee machine can be expensive, but the best coffee machines are worth it. If you’re serious about making your own quality coffee, this is the way to go.
Another option, of course, is to buy a coffee pod machine. These can help make light work of drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos, with a lot of different drinks varieties out there to buy.
A coffee grinder
If you don’t want to go down the full coffee machine route, then investing in a coffee grinder is a must. Pre-ground coffee can lose its quality quickly – which will soon put you off making your own coffee. By grinding your beans freshly yourself, you can enjoy a much more superior taste.
Coffee grinders come in a range of styles and price points. You can shop around for the best coffee grinders to find one that meets your needs. You’ll be surprised at the difference a quality grinder can make to your coffee. You’ll also want to think about getting yourself either a drip machine, stovetop coffee maker, air press or cafetière to make your coffee.
Some scales
If there’s one thing that coffee aficionados recommend for the perfect home brew, it’s a set of scales. Some of the main reasons you need a coffee scale include:
- To stop you wasting coffee by relying on a scoop for every variety you use.
- To get the coffee to water ratio right.
- To help you make the perfect coffee, every time.
Making coffee is a skill, and having some scales in the kitchen will help you measure out the right amount of coffee so that you have the perfect cup every time. Relying on guess work could mean you’re using too much or too little coffee, leaving you with a poor taste that will soon have you running to the nearest coffee shop.
If you’re going to do something, do it right – so make sure you get yourself some scales for your coffee.
A milk frother
People like their coffee in different ways. One of the great things about being at the office is that you can have your favourite coffee varieties made for you – making your own latte or cappuccino can feel like a chore. However, with the help of a milk frother, it becomes much easier to get professional looking coffee drinks!
Milk frothers come in different varieties, and you can even get small handheld varieties that are great for taking travelling, etc.
Of course, if you want to do it the manual way, you can also learn how to froth milk without a frother:
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Learn how to make the perfect coffee
Feeling like you have all the gear but no idea? It’s easy to feel out of your depth with your new coffee equipment. Taking the time to get to know your machine and practising making your coffees can help you get to grips with it so you can start enjoying your coffee your way. Fortunately, there are a lot of great videos to help you learn how to make barista coffee online, including some fantastic ones from Paddy and Scott:
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Once you’ve mastered the basic espresso, you can then learn how to make other minds of coffee drinks. It can be a lot of fun trying out different drinks and deciding on your new favourite!
Try different types of coffee blends
One of the things you’ll get asked in coffee shops (Starbucks, anyone?), is whether you want to try a limited edition blend. Some of these blends offer a different flavour to the typical house blend, with richer, deeper flavours creating some wonderful beverages. Just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you can’t play around with different coffee blends.
Buy some coffee from some independent coffee roasters and experiment with different blends. It’s nice to see what’s out there, and because you aren’t tied to one brand like you are at a coffee shop, you can spend time trying out a lot of different roasters.
Jump on the iced coffee bandwagon
Missing your Frappuccino or iced latte? Well the good news is that you can make them at home too. There are some great iced coffee recipes that you can use to help you make the perfect cold drink at home. Cold coffee is particularly refreshing in the summer or in the afternoons when you need a little pick-me-up. Buy different flavoured syrups to add some sweetness and you’ve got the perfect go-to drink you can make at home.
Get the right coffee snacks in
If your office is notorious for having a steady supply of biscuits and sweet treats, you’re probably missing them at home. While your waistline will thank you for not snacking every day, it’s still nice to have a little treat to enjoy with your coffee.
Some great snacks to have with your coffee are biscuits, biscotti and cakes or muffins. It might be worth looking at some healthier snack options to enjoy while you work, especially if there’s nobody around to share your snacks with!
Treat yourself to some new drinkware
If you’re going to up your coffee game, you should probably invest in some new drinkware to make the experience even more special. You can recreate a café experience with some glass coffee mugs for your coffee of choice or keep an eye out for some fancy new coffee mugs. Of course, if you prefer a novelty or slogan mug – that’s ok too!
Make it a bit healthier
Coffee often gets a bad (and misguided) reputation for being unhealthy. While it’s not recommended to consume too much caffeine during the day, coffee does actually have a number of health benefits. But if you want to make your coffee a little healthier, there are some things you can do:
- Drink your coffee black
- If you enjoy a milky coffee – try a different type of milk such as almond or oat milk
- Avoid adding too much sugar to your coffee
- Try not to have too many cups of coffee – switch to another type of beverage instead.
- Remember that caffeine is a diuretic that can make you urinate a lot, so drink plenty of water to help you stay hydrated.
- Avoid drinking coffee after 2pm – it could affect your ability to sleep at night if you drink coffee too late in the day. You can always switch to decaf.
Nothing quite beats that first cup of coffee in the morning. When you drink a quality coffee, you’ll know the difference versus the instant you might be used to at home. As a treat to yourself when working from home, invest in some coffee making equipment and treat yourself to some high-quality coffee beans. Just because you’re working at home, it doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a fantastic-tasting coffee to get you through the work day.
