Dose of Prose
Full disclosure: I’m a coffee snob. Notice, I did not say coffee addict. I don’t drink coffee for the caffeine. In fact, I’m very sensitive to caffeine and don’t like the way it makes me feel. This may sound shocking, but I drink coffee for the taste and the vibes. Coffee, in my opinion, should be sipped and enjoyed. For those of you who love caffeine and want to cut back, or want to overall be more intentional with your caffeine intake, check out my blog post on how to consciously drink coffee with the benefits and without the jitters.
Now back to me being a coffee snob…every time I walk around with my coffee in hand I feel like the main character of my own movie. Is coffee a personality trait? Maybe. All I know is, I love the art of making and tasting coffee. I enjoy learning about coffee brewing methods and trying new coffee beans from around the world. If you like big franchises like Starbutts and Dunkin Duckface then that’s great, but I prefer local and/or family owned coffee shops. Here’s another shameless self-promo, but I also wrote a blog post on my favorite coffee shops in LA if you want to try something new. Check it out if you haven’t already!
Although I love going to coffee shops, ever since the pandemic hit, I’ve been playing around with making coffee at home. Today’s post is a guide that I put together, from one coffee lover to another, on simple, easy-to-use machines and gadgets that you can (+should) add to your home coffee station without breaking the bank.
Brewing Methods/Tips & Tricks
My Top 3 Coffee Orders
My go-to coffee order is an americano, which is espresso and water. If I’m feeling more of a sweeter coffee, I’ll either add hazelnut flavor to my americano or I’ll go for a cortado, which is equal parts espresso and equal parts milk. If I’m not feeling espresso, I’ll get a single-origin pourover, which is just a method of making coffee, where you’re pouring hot water directly over ground coffee and brewing it into a cup. The pourover coffee that I typically drink (and what’s usually offered) is a light to medium roast, which includes coffees from Latin America and/or Africa (i.e. Honduras, Costa Rica, Kenya, Brazil, etc.) These coffees tend to have a more citrus/fruity flavor. Otherwise, I’ll go for a dark roast coffee (i.e. typically coffees from France, Italy, Colombia, etc.) which has more of a chocolate/caramel/nutty flavor. If it’s a hot day then I’ll have a nitro cold brew or any of the drinks I already mentioned iced, but I’m mostly a hot coffee drinker. I included straws and glasses for iced coffee drinks in this guide as well, because I know some of you like iced coffee any time of the year.
How I Replicate My Coffee at Home
When making my coffee at home, if I want to replicate an espresso drink, I’ll use the moka pot. I don’t personally have an actual espresso machine, but I put one in this guide for you that’s popular and less than $100. I heat up my milk of choice and foam it with my milk frother (see below). For dark roast coffees, I use a French press, also included in this guide, which is easy and reliable, meaning you can’t mess it up or break it…you are guaranteed to have a good cup of coffee every time. Pourover, however is a little more advanced. I first started using Dripkit, which I made a video demo and review on if you want to check that out below. It’s basically a way to make pourover coffee on-the-go.
Recently, however, I upgraded to an actual pourover kit from Blue Bottle (it’s in this guide), which I absolutely love. It comes with a book that tells you not only about how to make pourover coffee, but also it talks about brewing method do’s and don’ts and coffee tasting overall. Here’s a little preview of what it looks like:
How I Make Pourover
The Ultimate Beginner Barista Guide
Okay, I think I’ve rambled long enough. I now present to you, my home coffee bar essentials! I hope this guide is helpful. Everything is under $100, easy to use, compact, great quality and adds a nice stylish touch to your kitchen. Every image is clickable, so all you have to do is click the image you’re interested in and it’ll take you to the page so you can directly shop it.
If you are new to making coffee, please don’t be intimidated by this post! Just think about what your favorite coffee drink is, how you can replicate it at home and go from there. You don’t have to have every single machine in this guide, it really just depends on whether you are hosting people, living alone, or have a certain preference in the type of coffee drink you like. For reference, I started off with a French Press, then went to a Moka Pot and now I use a Pourover brewer. I’ll probably get an espresso machine next…but the point I’m tryin to make is, this coffee features items that are collected over time. They make great gifts too, for those who don’t like coffee but know someone else who does. Either way, if you have any other requests in terms of more specifics as to how I brew a certain type of coffee or if you want reviews on the different coffee blends I’ve been trying (I post them on Instagram usually but I can go more in depth on the blog), leave a comment and let me know! Happy sipping.
