Whether you’re a student on a budget or missing Starbucks during lockdown, here is the ultimate guide to making coffee at home with instant coffee granules. Plus, it’s much quicker than TikTok’s Dalgona coffee trend!
@newt Dalgona Coffee 😳👌🏼☕️ #foryou #fyp
♬ original sound – newt120
First of all, decide is what kind of coffee you’d like. There are plenty of posters which break down ingredients.
Milk
Professional coffees contain steamed milk, so at home warm your milk in the microwave or a pan. You should do this before frothing your milk.
Frothing your milk at home can be done by:
- Shaking it in a sealed jar for up to a minute.
- Whisking it by hand for around two minutes.
- Using an electric whisk.
- Plunging it in a cafetiere constantly for around a minute.
- Using a frothing wand.
- Using a blender on a low to medium speed.
The milk froth will double the volume of your milk, so only fill half of your container.
Espresso
An espresso is the basis of most other types of coffee. It can be made with the press of a button from a coffee machine, but it’s easily done with instant coffee.
You will need:
- Boiling water
- A teaspoon of instant coffee
In a mug, mix the coffee with a small amount of boiling water and stir it quickly. An espresso is around 1 ounce, but it’s easily judged.
Double this method for a double shot, or triple it for a triple shot.
Usually a small mug is used, but as you’re at home you can use what you have to hand. Use a bigger one if you’re going to add to it, following the recipes below.
Macchiato
A macchiato is served in a small cup and is an espresso with milk foam on the top.
Make an espresso then follow the milk frothing guide. I would recommend using a jar as you will only need a small amount. Spoon it onto the espresso to your liking.
To make a latte macchiato, pour in warm milk, then espresso and milk froth. You could drizzle caramel or chocolate syrup on top for flavour.
Americano
An americano is the simplest to make. In a medium cup, make an espresso and top it up with hot water. You may want to add some cold water to cool it down.
Flat White
A Flat White is made in a large mug and contains espresso and thin milk foam.
Make a double espresso, warm your milk and froth it. This type of coffee contains thin milk foam, so to get rid of large bubbles tap the container gently, move it in circles or fold them away with a spoon. Pour it into your mug and let it mix with your espresso.
Cappuccino
A cappuccino is made in a large mug and tends to be a third espresso, a third steamed milk and a third frothed milk. Some prefer a dryer cappuccino made of two thirds frothed milk.
Make your espresso, heat and add your milk, then froth it. You want larger bubbles for a cappuccino and remember it is a third each ingredient. Dust the top with hot chocolate powder or cocoa.
Latte
Lattes usually come in a tall, transparent cup. They are two thirds steamed milk with a touch of froth on the top.
First, make your espresso. Heat and add your milk accordingly, then froth a little and spoon it onto the top. You can drizzle syrups over the top for different flavours.
You can add sugar and milk to your liking. Whilst many at home recipes do not compare with Starbucks or Costa, they’re a simple replacement in the meantime.
Feature image credit: Isla Glen
Editor-in-Chief of Brig Newspaper. Final year film, media and journalism student.
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