How to Make Coffee, or a Tea Alternative, At Home

Many people love coffee, and others need it to be polite before 9 a.m. Whether it be utilizing the benefits of coffee now and then or “seven days a week, 10 cups of coffee total during the week, sometimes 10 to 15 cups,” like Johann Sheppard, a coffee connoisseur and teacher of family consumer science at Pennridge. Unfortunately for many, buying coffee from Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts at the start of the day may not be an option due to cost or time constraints, or perhaps you just have a love of freshly roasted coffee that a chain store just will not satisfy. Coffee connoisseurs and caffeine fiends alike can rejoice; these are a handful of coffee drinks you can try making at home. While many may enjoy their coffee black, such as Jeffery Dubin, a teacher at PHS who enjoys a morning coffee, there are a variety of options available for those who prefer lighter drinks that can still be made at home.

Basic Latte, Iced or Hot
For those who like to keep it simple, there’s the iced and hot latte. This will require some espresso. Start by brewing the desired amount of espresso and adding your flavoring of choice to the coffee. If you’d like this drink iced, fill a cup with ice and cold milk before adding the flavored coffee; if you’d prefer it hot, heat up a cup of milk, and add the caffeine concoction to it. Mix both well, and enjoy.

Caramel Macchiato
Some people may have a sweet tooth that can only be satisfied by the taste of caramel, and fortunately, there is a macchiato for these people. Firstly, get your desired cup, and line the sides with caramel sauce; afterward, fill it with ice and your chosen milk. Add a few tablespoons of vanilla syrup, depending on how sweet you would like it to be, and set that to the side to focus on the actual caffeine. Brew a few shots of espresso; the more brewed, the stronger the coffee will be. Once done brewing, pour the coffee onto the sweetened milk, and drizzle additional caramel sauce on top until you are satisfied with the amount. Once all the ingredients are in the cup, stir everything until completely mixed.

Iced Matcha
According to Dubin, “Coffee good, tea bad.” However, for those who prefer the taste of tea over coffee, there are a variety of options available, including the iced Matcha latte. To make this, you’ll need some drinkable water, green tea powder, ice, your desired milk, and your favorite flavored syrup. Firstly, boil around three tablespoons of water. Once the water has come to a boil, sift a scoop of green tea powder into the water, afterward, sift another. Then, mix until the powder completely dissolves into the water. Fill your desired cup with ice, your chosen milk, and a few pumps of your favorite syrup; make sure to leave room at the top for the matcha, and stir until the syrup blends with the milk. At this point, pour the tea into the cup, and mix everything together; enjoy your caffeinated tea.

Sweet Cream Foam
For the homestyle baristas that have gotten comfortable making their own coffee, there is the option of making your own steamed cream foam to top off your caffeinated beverages. Combine two-thirds cup of heavy cream and one-third cup of your milk of choice into a blender or a cup, and add a few teaspoons of syrup sweetener. Once you’re satisfied with the sweetness of the mix, using either the blender, a handheld mixer, a frother, or a whisk, mix the combination until it firms and takes on a whipped consistency. At this point, scoop out your desired amount of foam and top off your drink with a light, sweet treat.

Sources:
https://www.coffeebean.com/blog/our-coffee/cappuccino-vs-latte#:~:text=A%20traditional%20cappuccino%20has%20an,steamed%20milk%20are%20mixed%20together.