For coffee lovers everywhere, that first sip on a cold morning is the most exquisite way to start the day, and even if you do not have the time, nor the resources, to prepare your own freshly brewed cup every morning, if you love coffee, you should delve deeper into this wonderfully simple bean.
With that being said, continue reading to learn how to become a home barista extraordinaire.
Perfect the Art of Steaming Milk
No great coffee is complete without steamed milk, so this is the perfect place to start when you are looking to hone and improve your skills at coffee-making at home.
Essentially, the art of steaming milk involves heating the milk to the correct temperature (ensuring it does not burn), at the same time as adding air to create a foam. Only once the milk has been properly steamed should be poured into the coffee.
Get Creative with Customizations
Part of enjoying the experience of experimenting with different types of coffee beans and different tastes is also the overall aesthetic, which should complement the taste.
Renowned and prestigious companies, such as www.confectioncouturestencils.com, offer an impressive selection of customized stencils for any occasion and will make for the perfect personalized and stylish topper on your coffee.
Keep Everything Clean
Hopefully, your kitchen cleanliness levels are already high enough, but one big mistake wannabe baristas tend to make is that they neglect to clean their coffee machines and associated tools as regularly as they should.
Aside from the fact that a steaming hot cup of coffee, however lovingly created, made with a machine or tool which has old and dried residue will taste different, you could also be putting yourself at risk of unknowingly adding harmful bacteria into your mouth.
Always Use Filtered Water
Quite simply, anytime you make a coffee, be that with freshly ground beans, or else from an instant sachet or jar, you should only use filtered water. Not only will unfiltered water affect the taste, often negatively, but it is also nowhere near as good for your health as the filtered variety.
Other key advantages of choosing to drink filtered water instead of water directly from the faucet include, amongst a host of others, the following:
- Knowing that your water does contain the slightest trace of chlorine
- Removal of potentially harmful bacteria
- No chance of a metallic or strong mineral taste
- The provision of all the necessary natural vitamins and minerals
- No lingering smell from the water
- An overall improved level of taste and enjoyment
- The eradication of harmful toxins
Be Patient!
Finally, perhaps the most important piece of advice possible to give to an amateur barista who wants to improve their coffee-making abilities is that patience is not just advised; it is absolutely necessary.
Like any other art form, or indeed any activity, the longer you work on the correct technique and the more times you repeat the same steps each time, the better you will become and the more impressive the results will be.
