The joy of going to our favorite coffee shops is not yet available to us, but great coffee can be made at home. For those who are tired of drinking classic Americano and the usual cappuccino every day, we have collected 10 simple but original recipes that will diversify your morning (and not only) and help you feel like a real barista.
Coffee for all the recipes we have chosen can be brewed in a simple cezve or geyser coffee maker. For a cezve it is better to use the finest grind, and for a geyser coffee maker - medium: this will allow the taste of the coffee to develop properly.
All recipes are for one mug. The volume of coffee is what you are used to, on average 150-200 ml of black coffee.
Coffee with fresh mint
· 4–5 fresh mint leaves · sugar to taste · ground coffee and water
Brew coffee as usual. Wash the mint leaves thoroughly and tear them into small pieces. Place on the bottom of the cup and mash a little with a spoon. Add hot coffee, sugar and let brew for a few minutes.
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Affogato
· vanilla ice cream · spices to taste - cinnamon, cardamom, thyme, thyme or anise, but no more than two at a time · ground coffee and water
Mix coffee with spices, add water and cook as usual. While the coffee is brewing, warm up a small cup (you can put it under hot running water or in the microwave) and put one or two scoops of ice cream in it. When the coffee is ready, slowly pour it into the cup. The coffee should not completely cover the ice cream - it should be slightly less than in a standard mug, approximately 100 ml. Drink immediately before the ice cream melts.
From Italian “affogato” translates as “drowned”. Affogato differs from classic glace in that the latter contains less coffee. In addition, for glace you need chilled coffee, and for affogato you need hot coffee.
Cappuccino
Cappuccino came to us from sunny Italy. It is based on espresso, to which steamed hot milk is added.
Cappuccino has become a very popular and favorite drink. Do you know his story? It is believed that its name comes from the name of the famous European monastic order - the Capuchins. So far, no exact historical evidence has been found that Capuchins are related to this drink, but there is a beautiful legend. She claims that it was they who invented this delicious invigorating drink. But most likely, the connection here is not with the monks themselves, but with the shade of their cassock. The monks of the Capuchin Order wore robes that were very similar in color to the drink made from a mixture of cream and egg yolks, popular in the 18th century. It began to be prepared in those days in Austria. But in relation to the coffee drink, the name cappuccino began to be used only from the beginning of the 20th century.
The composition of the cappuccino includes:
- coffee;
- some milk;
- milk foam.
This drink has a mild taste and unique aroma. Many women like him. It won't be difficult for you to prepare it yourself. The main thing is to strictly follow all stages of the technological process.
Steps for making cappuccino:
- First, you need to prepare a traditional espresso in the coffee machine.
- You need to take a cup with a volume of 150 ml. Pour the prepared espresso into it.
- Now you need to add equal parts of milk and milk foam into the cup. Eventually they have to fill the cup. The foam is created using steam in a coffee machine. At the same time, it should resemble the surface of glass. The temperature of the milk should be about 65 degrees. The fact is that it is at this temperature that lactose begins to break down. It produces sucrose and glucose. They add a special sweetness to the drink.
- If you want a drink with a more interesting taste, add a little regular cocoa to it. It will highlight the taste and give it a zest.
- Please note that to serve cappuccino you need to take a preheated cup with thick walls. The volume of the cup is no more than 210 ml. In it, the drink will not cool down quickly, and you will be able to enjoy a strong and hot cappuccino. But in Italy, a special cup called tazza is used to serve cappuccino. Its shape strongly resembles a bowl with a small handle. To make tazza, only thick-walled ceramics are always used. To ensure that cappuccino cups are always warm, in cafes they are placed on the warm boilers of professional coffee machines.
It’s also worth stopping at the milk foam. It won’t be difficult for you to make it using a coffee machine. In a coffee shop, you probably paid attention to the beautiful drawings that baristas masterfully make on milk foam. This art is not difficult to learn. The main thing is experience. With just a little practice, you too can decorate your drinks with exquisite designs. By the way, this art is called latte art. It appeared in Italy and soon baristas all over the world began to master this simple skill. And for such a drawing you need very little - fresh milk, coffee and the desire to create. The coffee itself acts as the color, and the background is airy milk foam. It's simply amazing how beautiful such drawings can be. You can find examples of them on the Internet. Don’t try to immediately master the most beautiful and complex ones. Start with a simple design, such as a heart or a twig. The drink that you decorate in this way will immediately acquire its own personality and become even more appetizing.
By the way, in Italy it is customary to serve cappuccino with a fragrant fresh bun. This is the Italians' favorite breakfast dessert.
Coffee with banana and cinnamon
· ½ banana · cinnamon · milk or cream · ground coffee and water
Brew coffee as usual and cool slightly. Blend chopped banana, cinnamon and slightly cooled coffee in a blender. Pour the drink into a cup, adding milk or cream to taste.
You can also make this option cold - then you need to put the coffee in the refrigerator, and then beat it with banana and milk in a blender (the volume of milk is the same as the volume of coffee) - you get a coffee-banana milkshake.
Which coffee machine is better?
There are different types of coffee machines according to the preparation method:
- Automatic – they can independently prepare several types of drinks. They have a milk tank;
- Carob - coffee is placed in a cone. Most often they have a cappuccino maker - a spout that froths milk with hot steam;
- Capsule – the kit includes capsules containing ground coffee;
- Drip – makes a coffee filter.
Based on the ratio of price, quality and speed, capsule coffee makers will come out on top:
- There is no need to put or pour anything anywhere.
- No need to wash the car after use.
- Capsules containing different types of coffee and other drinks with which you can make cappuccino, latte, cocoa and even tea.
DolceGusto capsule coffee machines from krups are popular in Russia. Of course, the consumption of coffee in a coffee machine with capsules is high, but for the sake of quickly preparing the drink, you can turn a blind eye to this.
Many people don’t like drip coffee machines - they make a very weak coffee drink.
What is the best coffee grind for a coffee machine? It is better to use small or medium.
Coffee with halva
· 200 ml milk · 50 g halva · 1 teaspoon honey · ground coffee and water
In a blender, beat the milk and halva until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Pour into a saucepan, add honey and bring almost to a boil, constantly whisking the mixture. Remove from heat. Brew coffee as usual. First pour the coffee into a large cup, then the milk mixture.
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The most interesting recipes
You can brew coffee drinks in a variety of ways. At the same time, we should highlight the best and most original recipes for making coffee at home.
Classic
Even a traditional drink can be made unusual. For example, using a recipe for making coffee with ice cream . You will need the following ingredients:
- a pinch of salt;
- a teaspoon of sugar;
- a teaspoon of ground grains;
- 150 ml water;
- ice Cube;
- 20 ml cream;
- a teaspoon of vanilla sugar;
- 50 g vanilla ice cream;
- 20 g dark chocolate.
Warm bumble
· 150–200 ml of freshly squeezed orange juice, if not, packaged juice will do, but always with pulp · honey or caramel syrup · ground coffee and water · orange zest or cinnamon stick for decoration
Another interesting option for citrus lovers. It is better to serve this drink in a tall transparent glass. Brew coffee as usual, heat the juice, but do not bring to a boil. Add honey or caramel, then pour in juice, about 2/3 of the total volume of the glass, then pour in coffee. You can decorate with orange zest or a cinnamon stick. Before use, mix thoroughly.
You can also make a cold version. Everything is the same, but the coffee must first be cooled. On a particularly hot day, you can also add ice.
This coffee got its name from the English “bumble bee” - “bumblebee”, because before the layers are mixed, it really resembles a striped bumblebee.
The Right Ingredients
To brew delicious coffee at home, it is extremely important to choose your products responsibly. The coffee beans themselves, as well as the water, deserve attention. In addition, spices are often added during brewing. When using them, the taste of the drink changes significantly.
Quality coffee
The most popular varieties are Robusta and Arabica. These varieties differ in taste and caffeine concentration. As a rule, mixtures go on sale. The higher the concentration of Arabica, the softer the drink will be.
In addition, the following factors affect the taste:
- cultivation area;
- degree of roasting;
- storage conditions.
A high-quality product is sold in opaque packaging equipped with a degassing valve that removes carbon dioxide and prevents the penetration of oxygen. If it is missing, it means the beans were packed some time after roasting. The taste will be worse.
Attention should be paid to the roasting date of the beans. The less time has passed since this moment, the better.
It is recommended to purchase a product that has been heat-treated a maximum of a couple of weeks ago.
The choice should be made on beans, not coffee powder . This is due to the following reasons:
- If the grains are ground independently, you can be sure that there are no impurities. Unscrupulous manufacturers often add chicory, rye, and barley to the powder;
- Only when using beans ground immediately before brewing will you be able to obtain a rich, maximally aromatic drink. With prolonged contact with oxygen, essential oils volatilize;
- it will be possible to select the optimal degree of grinding, taking into account the brewing method;
- the ability to examine the beans, make sure there are no defects, and create blends with Robusta and Arabica coffee in the appropriate ratio.
To obtain perfect coffee, use only pure water without any impurities. Regular one from the tap will not work. Preference should be given to filtered, spring or bottled.
Spices
To make the drink unusual, various spices are added to it:
Ginger root adds spice. Exotic lovers may like star anise as a supplement. Sea salt, walnuts and hazelnuts are also popular additions. Sugar can be replaced with honey if desired.
Mocha with white chocolate
· 200 ml milk · 200 ml coffee · 30 g white chocolate · 1 cinnamon stick
Brew the coffee as usual and in advance, but so that it does not cool down too much during preparation. Pour milk into a small saucepan, add chocolate, broken into pieces, cinnamon and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the chocolate is completely melted. Taste - if the drink is not sweet enough, add a little more chocolate. Pour in hot coffee and stir. Remove the cinnamon stick completely or leave it for a beautiful presentation.
