Whenever I’m in need of a burst of inspiration, a few minutes to myself or an excuse to relax, I head out to one of my favourite coffee shops. I sit down with a book or a friend, sip on a hot drink (caffeinated, always!) and let myself enjoy a moment of pure delight. Yes – I’m in love with the ritual of sitting down for a coffee. 
Do you feel the same? If so, you might be missing your daily cup of joe as much as me right now! Heading out for a flat white is my activity of choice to pick me up during an afternoon slump at work or a lazy Sunday morning. But don’t fret – I’ve spent the last few weeks recreating a near-identical coffee ritual and coffee shop atmosphere from the comfort of my home. Let me show you how!
I’m a fan of espresso-based drinks with some description of steamed milk (generally, oat!). You don’t need anything too fancy or expensive – I use a milk frother that I’ve had for years, but handheld frothers are a great option, too and very cheap!). If all else fails, I have a handy trick to make frothed milk using a jam jar below.
You’ll need:
- Milk of choice, specially formulated for steaming if non-dairy, is ideal (‘barista’ varieties)
- Whole bean coffee, (from your local coffeeshop is best!), roasted for espresso
- A frothing device (jug or hand-held)
- Your favorite mug
- A little cocoa powder if that floats your boat
- You want to start by grinding your coffee and brewing it using your preferred method, aiming for a short, concentrated coffee. I would recommend grinding the amount you need fresh every day for an authentic coffee shop experience at home – I promise
it makes a difference! You can pick up a grinder, which can double up as a spice grinder (but don’t tell anyone I told you!) - I particularly like using a Bialetti Moka coffee maker, which you can put right on the stove. This is the traditional method of making coffee in many European homes (especially Italy). If all you have is a cafetière, you can get a similar results by grinding your beans very fine, and using less water (about 2 tablespoon of ground coffee for every cup of water) than you would normally.
- Your coffee’s ready – it’s time get frothing! For an average size mug, you want to use about half a mugful of milk (the bubbles will expand the milk to fill your cup!). I love my cheap frothing jug, but if you don’t have one, a jam jar works too. Simply heat your milk in a pan (or microwave) until warm and pour into a jam jar, lid screwed on tight. Then shake until froth starts to appear, a couple of minutes! It’s a great workout, too. Ha!
- I can’t stress enough how important it is to pick an appropriate mug, and by that I mean a mug that will recreate the experience of being in a coffeeshop. Because you should treat yourself well, even when you’re home! So pick a nice mug, start by pouring in your coffee and top with your steamed milk. And if you so please, a sprinkle of cocoa powder.
How do you make your coffee? Do you miss heading out to coffeeshops, too? I hope you try this little step-by-step, I can guarantee it’ll fill that gap in your day; and let’s be honest, it’s infinitely better than instant granules!
