Coffee

If you’re anything like me, the emergence from bed in the morning is propelled by the thought of that first cup of coffee, steaming hot, that warms your hands and gets the day perked up. Here’s a little habit I’ve fallen into lately to make that first cup of coffee stay hotter longer. We keep our kitchen pretty chilly in the wintertime, and I was noticing that my coffee mug felt positively frosty when I pulled it out of the drawer.

It's time to learn more about that drink you love so much.

And, it's super-easy to make.

Its the easiest and most delicious way to shake up your morning routine.

Want to really master coffee at home? Start here.

How my 11-year old discovered that our coffee frother was the secret to soft, fluffy eggs.

Here's everything you need to know about espresso powder — what it actually is, how to use it, and what to use if you don't have any on hand!

The more you know, the better your morning cup of Joe!

The recipe includes the usual suspects (flour, sugar, eggs, butter, cocoa powder), but there's one extra ingredient in both the cake and the frosting.

Plus three other ways to use it to amp up your drinks.

Surprisingly, it wasn't cold brew!

You need this in your pantry.

Since people love coffee, it’s no surprise that they would start pairing it with their other favorite drinks. Coffee beer is bringing brewers and roasters together, but it’s not the only pairing on the booze front — coffee cocktails are also exploding. Just as coffee and cream was the standard caffeine drink for decades, everyone probably knows about Irish coffee, a combination of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar.

For most of us, a jolt of energy in the morning is a necessity. While coffee tends to be the most popular choice, there are plenty of other drinks out there that give you that buzz — some via a caffeine kick, and others that give you energy in non-caffeinated ways. Here are five sips to try instead of that cup of joe. Matcha is powdered Japanese green tea.

If you’re like me, the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is make a giant pot of coffee. Personally, I have what constitutes my first cup (of many) down to a science. Here’s my order: I put a spoon of sugar in my mug first, after brewing my grounds with a dash of salt, of course (thanks Alton). Then I pour some of that blessed, steaming brew into my cup almost all the way to the top, leaving space for the last part: the cream.

Before starting my first round of Whole30 a couple of years ago, I was nervous about one thing, and one thing only. It wasn’t cutting out sugar or ditching my beloved ice cream, nor was it the lack of carbs, cheese, or grains. The single thing I knew I’d miss most of all was the generous glug of heavy cream I tipped into my coffee every morning. It added body and richness to coffee — with just the tiniest hint of indulgence — and I found it irresistible.

Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar: Every morning when I wake up, I brew a giant pot of French roast, and pour myself a cup. After adding sugar and cream, I take that first sip, and every morning it’s like the first time I’ve ever had such a drink in my life. It’s absolute perfection. It’s like vanilla, sugar, cream, and coffee beans were made to be tasted by me this morning and me alone. But then, each subsequent sip is a little less satisfying.

I’m not one to be hyperbolic about food stuff, but mastering cold brew at home is a game-changer. For starters, nothing will make you feel like you’ve got yourself together in the morning like having iced coffee ready to go in your fridge. Making cold brew at home is going to save you so much time (and money) this summer that you might actually find a minute to meditate in the morning — or catch up on email, if that’s more your speed.

This is about to save you so much time!

We really need to eat more vegetables. The vast majority of us are not eating as many vegetables as we should be, and most of us know it too. The obvious answer to the problem would be to cook one of the many delicious vegetable-heavy recipes out there more often. But that’s not working, and because of that we now live in a world in which broccoli coffee exists.

I have multiple friends who swear that giving up dairy has given them more energy, helps regulate their digestion, and makes them feel leaner. Those all seem like great things to me, so I’ve tried it — I really have (most recently, for a whole week — read about it here).

If there’s one thing Starbucks has in spades, it’s choices. Let’s see, do you want a caramel Frappuccino or a mocha Frappuccino? Whip or no whip? One pump or three? Oh, you just want black coffee? No problem. Want it brewed on a Clover or a siphon or maybe in a Chemex? And which café are you going to — the one on the northwest corner or the southeast corner? Or maybe the one up the street? And that’s just the coffee shops.

Are you curious about this nitro coffee that keeps popping up? Me too. So I got an expert here in Louisville, Kentucky (which excels at beverages beyond bourbon!) to break it down for me. Here Brian Beyke, with local roaster Quills Coffee, shares everything you could want to know about nitro coffee.

Do you know your cold brew from your pour over?

There is nothing I love more than free stuff. If my neighbors leave last summer’s best sellers in the lobby of my apartment building, I’ll pick them up. If the Y stacks up the snacks left over from its after-school camps, I’ll take them. And if I ever see vinyl records beside the curb on trash day, they’re all coming home with me, even if they’re all in French. (Yes, this has happened.

Because your morning cup should be delicious.

Make your next batch your best batch.

If adults could still earn merit badges — and I think we should be able to — I would have every award for drinking absurd quantities of coffee. I am an expert at acquiring coffee and getting it into my body. In my town, I know the gas station with a two-for-one deal and when the hipster coffee shop gives free refills, and I never miss a Double Star day.

Starbucks has been treating us to a ton of special holiday drinks this year. It seems like just yesterday they gave us the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha and Chestnut Praline Chai Latte. It isn’t even the end of November yet, and they just surprised us with another new holiday drink for 2017: It’s called the Juniper Latte, and it sounds like a grown-up twist on the seasonal holiday favorites we all know and love.

If you’re a coffee shop regular, you undoubtedly give your go-to order as one word, shouting “Tripleventisoynofoamlatte!” like an above-average Gryffindor casting a spell. (Most baristas would probably understand “Accio latte!” too). But there’s a coffee drink you probably haven’t heard of and you may want to consider switching up your light or dark roast for this increasingly popular — and potentially more beneficial — beverage.

Spice up your morning with this Yemeni spice blend.

I love having my daily cup of coffee — for the caffeine, but also for the ritual involved. That’s why, when I set off on a two-week bike trip at the end of summer, I brought along a pretty serious coffee setup. Taking a normal ritual and doing it somewhere entirely different is special, which is why I’m such an advocate of making coffee outside. So what do you need to make good coffee outside?

Word to the wise: Think twice before airing your dirty food confessions on social media. Specifically, keep your off-beat food pairings off Twitter if you don’t want to provoke the wrath of food traditionalists. Case in point? Just ask Philadelphia-based sports writer Jim Salisbury, who confessed on the micro-blogging platform that he added mayo to his coffee. His supposed crime was that he admitted it was “not half bad.

Coffee consumption is on the rise around the world. In fact, the demand for coffee is being attributed to two factors: millennials are chugging more java and more countries are adopting a caffeine fix. “Coffee demand is robust and growing at about 1.5 percent per annum,” Carlos Mera Arzeno, a commodities analyst with Rabobank International in London, tells The Washington Post. But not all countries consume coffee equally.

When I was little, I was obsessed with knowing my future. What would I become? How tall would I be? Where would I live? Who would I marry? My parents indulged my curiosity by allowing me to go to fortune tellers, buy crystal balls, and borrow books from the library on how to read palms. My father told me that when I was old enough to drink coffee, I could have a Kafedzou read my future. He explained to me that a Kafedzou is a Greek woman who knows how to read your fortune in a coffee cup.

Coffee drinkers know the struggle of keeping their teeth white, as the caffeinated beverage can permanently discolor teeth. Now, thanks to two Slovakian brothers, there is a solution: clear colored coffee. The clear coffee, produced by British coffee company CLR CFF, offers the same caffeine found in a traditional cup of joe, but without the dark-colored hue. According to David Nagy and his brother Adam, the transparent coffee is a “combination of technology and quality ingredients.

Spending less money on coffee is easy: Get less-involved drinks, join a loyalty program, etc. This post is not about how to do that (you already know how!). This post is about how to avoid that expensive money trap that is the coffee shop in the first place. Yes, I know there are some who would argue that going out for coffee is totally worth it, but if you’re trying to stop spending money on coffee, the best way to do so is just to stop going out. Here’s how.

Whether you breeze in and out of a coffee shop once every seven days to get your weekly latte fix, or you camp out at one almost every day (or you visit with any degree of frequency in between), there are a few things you can do to make it a more enjoyable trip — for yourself and everyone around you. If your head is buried in your emails, you’re not going to notice when it’s your turn to move up in the line.

Maybe you had to run out the door before finishing your freshly brewed pot or you simply made too much, but whatever the case, you have leftover coffee in your kitchen. It might not be tasty enough to sip on its own, but don’t be too quick to pour it down the drain. Here are seven simple ways to make use of the remaining pot. Replace some of the water you use to cook your oatmeal in with leftover coffee.

My in-laws came to stay with us over the holidays, and while they couldn’t be better house guests, my mother-in-law has one strange habit. Whenever she makes a pot of coffee, she insists on putting a pinch of baking soda on the grounds before brewing. This concept was totally new to me, but my mother-in-law swears the soda makes the coffee easier to digest for her sensitive stomach.

There are plenty of sugars and sweeteners, and creamy dairy and non-dairy products to enhance our coffee. But those are far from the only way to boost the flavor of our morning brew. Whether black coffee is your beverage of choice or you prefer yours lighter or sweeter, there’s a way to up the flavor of coffee that’s just right for you. That coconut oil in your pantry is good for more than just cooking.

I’m going to level with you and let you in on an important crafting secret. While you might see easy DIYs making the rounds on Pinterest, a lot of them don’t always work. One in particular? That idea to use a Sharpie or a paint pen to personalize a mug. While it might be tempting to draw something onto a mug for your favorite coworker or your kid’s teacher, it’s incredibly difficult to have it last for the long haul.

What’s the best way to get through the holiday season? By being merrily caffeinated, of course! Starbucks holiday lattes are the obvious place to start. And then you’ll need the booze! Keep reading to learn what to pair together. Then, get to your local coffee chain — because you don’t want to have to wait a whole year before these jolly drinks come back around. Top choice: Amaretto.

If you’ve been using the centuries-old approach of employing a mortal and pestle for grinding whole spices, try reaching for a more modern appliance to make this task easier and faster. Your electric coffee grinder isn’t the uni-tasking appliance you thought it was. In fact, it’s nearly identical to an electric spice grinder, and can be used in place of one.

Would you pour coffee into a sippy cup? Probably not. Culturally, childhood consumption of coffee is usually avoided — at least during the very early years. But as children grow older into adolescence, the world of lattes and macchiatos can be hard to resist. So, how young is too young? We asked a few experts to weigh in. As coffee shops become places where adolescents hang out and congregate, thinking about their caffeine consumption is increasingly important.

So many of us start our days with coffee of some sort. From a full French press of black coffee to an espresso drink with a mountain of foam, there’s something for almost everyone. There’s also still a lot to learn to help you make a better cup of joe at home. Here are our favorite coffee lessons from 2015. Introducing fika: This was the year of fika, the Swedish coffee break. Learn what it is and why it will make your days so much better.

Europe has always had a special relationship to coffee. Centuries ago, European traders got their hands on it during travels to the Near East, helping to launch an entire global industry. We have France to thank for cafes, and Italy to thank for our beloved espresso drinks. European coffee culture has always been rich, and it continues to grow and expand today. Even the British, known around the world as tea drinkers, had a role to play in American coffee habits.

It seems like every week there’s a new report telling us how much coffee we should or shouldn’t drink, which leaves most coffee drinkers wondering: What is the optimal amount we should be consuming? Recent recommendations from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee cited the various health benefits of drinking a few cups of coffee per day, which left a lot of people citing three to five cups per day as an acceptable amount.

Coffee on the go often means popping into a cafe and ordering a drink to take with you. But with this drink being a regular — most often daily — activity, society’s coffee-to-go habit comes at a cost: Americans consume (and therefore dispose of) about 14 billion paper coffee cups per year. That’s enough to circle Earth 55 times! All because of our coffee addiction.

Coffee is a part of regular routines for many creatives — writers in particular. Coffee shops are also preferred work spaces, as the ambient noise found in coffee shops has been shown to be conducive to creative cognition. A cup of coffee can feel like the kickstart to a creative process, and help get us into a creative flow. But how are coffee and creativity really linked? Some research shows that, contrary to popular belief, coffee may inhibit creativity.

Coffee and Instagram seem to be meant for each other. Even those who aren’t obsessed with coffee have probably posted a caffeinated photo or two at some point in their Instagram career. If you’re looking for visual coffee inspiration, here are 10 great coffee Instagram accounts to follow.

Coffee often gets branded as an acidic drink, but in fact, coffee comes in at around a five on the pH scale, which is actually less acidic than drinks like beer, orange juice, and even soda. So, when we talk about acid and coffee, most often, we are not actually talking about the pH level of the drink. Here’s what we are talking about. Acidity is one of the key components of how a coffee tastes.

Up until the last few years — when pour-over coffee started garnering cult status in the specialty coffee world, making filter coffee cool again — espresso had often been deemed by many as the “best” way to drink coffee. When it was introduced in the United States, a country where we had become used to drinking drip coffee, it was an entirely new way to experience coffee.

Is your daily dose of coffee just not enough for you? Are you looking for something a little extra? Perhaps some coffee education? Or the latest gossip in the coffee industry? Then a coffee blog just might be for you. If you’re a coffee lover, coffee geek, coffee nerd, or just someone looking for more information about coffee, here are my favorite online coffee resources. Brew a fresh batch and start reading.

Have you seen people drinking coffee pulled from a tap this summer? That’s nitro coffee, and it’s currently all the rage. We’ve already seen how the bubbles-and-coffee combination makes people go crazy with the popularity of espresso tonics, so it’s no surprise that this slightly effervescent cold drink would be a big hit.

You got distracted earlier this morning and left your precious mug of coffee to sit out for a few hours — now it’s cold, but you’d like to reheat it. Is microwaving the way to go? Ask around, and the answer is usually a resounding “no.” But why? When we are talking about reheating a cup of coffee in the microwave, the first concern is the level of freshness, which is going to affect taste.

How do you know which coffee beans to buy? If you’re standing at a coffee shop looking at all of the options, it might seem hard to choose, but the best way to know what to buy is to simply ask. That’s the beauty of going directly to the place that roasted your beans, or to a place that specializes in stocking beans from a few different roasters; they know their product and they know it well. Here are four questions to ask to help you get what you want to drink each and every time.

There’s only one thing better than iced coffee: iced coffee with bubbles. When it’s hot out, who doesn’t want a caffeinated, fizzy drink? What kind of bubbles are we talking about? Tonic water, of course. While tonic and coffee might seem odd together, it’s a combination that has risen to popularity in the specialty coffee world, providing a refreshing, caffeinated kick to drinkers in search for something different than just a regular cup of coffee or espresso.

You know what’s great about this time of year? It’s cold brew coffee season. Easy to drink and addictively refreshing, it’s no surprise that cold brew has become a summer drink of choice for many. Cold brew is different from traditional iced coffee — which is just hot brewed coffee poured over ice — in that it’s made by mixing coffee grounds and cold water and letting it sit for a much longer extraction time.

I remember my first time using an Aeropress. It was about eight or so years ago, and my roommate Laura, a ceramicist, had one. She used it every morning on top one of her beautiful handmade mugs, frothed some warm milk on the side, and ended up with a simple homemade latte every single morning. I thought it was magic. Fast forward to this year, when I went to my first ever Aeropress championships.