Since quarantine began, we’ve been drinking coffee at home more often. Even before quarantine, we’d been trying to cut back on our coffee shop latte consumption since those $3 coffees add up each month. What started as something I did to try to recreate some of my favorite lattes at home, turned into something I began to look forward to each morning. Now it’s something we enjoy sharing on our social media and on our blog when we can.
Speaking of coffee, a question we have gotten asked before on Instagram is what coffee maker we use to make our lattes. While I definitely love and cannot speak highly enough of our coffee maker, it was a bit of an investment because it’s more than we’ve ever spent on a coffee maker. As much as we love it, we also recognize that you do not need to spend as much as did on our coffee maker to make delicious lattes and caffeinated drinks at home.
In today’s post, we’re going to be sharing our recommendations for items, devices, and even syrups to help you make some of your favorite lattes in the comfort of your own home.
Cups and Mugs
While mugs are not as important as what’s inside of your cup, they do help make a difference when it comes to brewing coffee. I love collecting coffee mugs, but recently I purchased clear insulated coffee cups and I love how they keep my warm drinks warm and my cold drinks cold. I’d recommend getting one or two of these mugs for your enjoyment at home or on-the-go!
Coffee Grinders:
Not to be confused with the incredible coffee shop in Newport, RI, this coffee grinder is a must-have for your kitchen. This was a wedding gift, so we did not make this investment. However, it’s one that even if no one purchased it for us, we would’ve eventually gotten for ourselves because it is a game-changer. If you love trying out coffee from local shops, you have more freedom in what kinds of brews you buy from different places. Plus, oftentimes by using a coffee grinder, you get a fresher blend of coffee because rather than it being in a bag, you can seal it in a jar or grind your beans as you use them.
Coffee & Espresso Makers:
As far as coffee makers, there’s so many to choose from, but it’s important that you recognize what you’re hoping to make the most before you purchase. If you’re looking to make lattes, you should purchase an espresso maker or a machine that can make espresso.
Froth Machines:
While you can definitely froth your coffee without using a frothing machine, I’d recommend getting a machine or device that froths it for you. It’s a lot faster, easier, and you can find quite a few handheld froth devices for under $30.
Perhaps you do not want to spend a lot of money on a new coffee brewer. I 100% understand since the only reason why we purchased our new one was because we needed a new one. However, you can still froth your creamers using one of the many portable ones out there that exist! This device allows you to achieve the frothy deliciousness that you typically get with lattes.
Syrups:
While you can definitely achieve a similar taste to some of your favorite lattes without them, it’s a lot easier and faster when you have syrups. There are many syrups available for purchase online that some well-known cafes in our area use. What better way than to recreate some of our favorites than by using the syrups they themselves use to make them?
Reusable Straws:
It was actually my mom who got me hooked on these because straws aren’t something we use a lot at home. However, as we work towards trying to make coffee at home more than not, it’s been something I realized is worth investing in because I love my iced coffees. There are some great ones on Amazon that come in different materials, but we currently use metal ones since they’re super easy to wash and we actually were able to snag them for free from someone who had extra. I have been looking at these ones to get for work though.
Coffee Canisters:
Something my mom did to keep their coffee looking neat is to place their coffee grounds, sugar, and powdered creamer in a canister. It’s something that since I was so used to it, I find that I typically try to do it in our house as well. Since purchasing labels from Amazon, recently, I’ve gone ham labeling as many things as I can in our kitchen. It can also be helpful if you use powdered creamer since sometimes powdered creamer can resemble flour.
Toppings:
This is another purchase that isn’t necessary, but will easily enhance your coffee-at-home game. If you’re someone who liked to put vanilla powder, cocoa or cinnamon on the top of your lattes, you’ll love these toppings that come in an array of flavors. I’m personally looking at the cookies and cream one to purchase.
Have you been experimenting with coffee a lot lately around the house? If so, what have you been making, recently?
