There is no denying it, Starbucks has the best coffee, and it has us hooked for our daily caffeine needs.
That said, we also believe that having the same delicious cup of Joe at home wouldn’t be bad at all. In fact, it would be quite convenient, especially to avoid the morning rush.
We understand your predicament, and hence we made this guide to help you learn to make Starbucks coffee at home.
Espresso
Let’s begin with a basic espresso.
The espresso shot is a base for all Espresso drinks at Starbucks. Typically, espresso is brewed using a machine that mixes ground coffee with hot water at high pressure.
The pressure with which coffee and water are mixed produces a concentrated shot with intense flavors.
Starbucks espresso roast coffee grounds and capsules are easily available in the market.
You can get any good quality coffee that you prefer and brew espresso at home. It’s no rocket science and is a simple process with a regular electric coffee machine.
Get this right, and you can make all types of Starbucks coffee and enjoy them in the comfort of your home.
How to Brew Espresso at Home
Let’s explore how you can brew espresso at home using an electric coffee maker.
What You Need:
- Coffee Filter
- Coffee grounds (medium) – 10g
- Cold water – 180ml
How You Do It:
Step 1: Pour cold water into your coffee machine’s reservoir. Using filtered, fresh, and clean water is essential since 98% of brewed coffee is water.
Step 2: Open the coffee maker’s lid and insert a coffee filter inside. Coffee filters come in varying sizes, and you must ensure you have the right one for your usage.
Step 3: Add your coffee grounds over the filter. In case you have a cone filter instead of a flat-bottom filter, you can use a finer grind of coffee.
Step 4: Turn the machine on to start the brew. The coffee will begin dripping into the coffee pot. Once you notice there are no more drips, and all the coffee is now in the coffee pot, you can start making your exceptional Starbucks coffee.
Remember, wait until there are no drips before you stop the machine. Stopping before the process has finished will affect the taste of the coffee.
Now you can use this as an espresso shot for any drink you make
Making Starbucks Caffe Americano at Home
Caffe Americano is a staple at Starbucks that you will find around the world in every Starbucks shop. This is probably the simplest Starbucks drink out there, and you can easily pull it off at home.
What You Need:
- Espresso or brewed coffee – 2 shots
- Water – 80ml
How You Make It:
Step 1: The first thing you need to do is boil the water and pour it into a mug.
Step 2: Next, get your brewed espresso and slowly pour it into the water. Moving slowly will elevate the flavor and form the beautiful cream you see on top of your drink at Starbucks. The foam is essential for an aromatic and flavorful caffeine shot.
Latte
A latte is a deliciously creamy, sweet, and strong concoction that you can enjoy, warm or cold, according to your preference.
It isn’t a complicated drink but requires a few more elements than a Caffe Americano or Classic Cappuccino. Here is how you can make any type of latte:
Making a Starbucks Warm Caffe Latte at Home
People love Starbucks latte, you probably do too. So let’s see how you can make a tall glass of warm, creamy, and rich Starbucks Latte at home.
What You Need:
- Espresso or brewed coffee – 10z
- Whole milk – 1 cup
- Sweetener
- Milk frother to form foam
How You Make It:
Step 1: Take a glass and pour your espresso shot in it. As mentioned earlier, this is your base. You can make your own customized drink by adding flavors and making different combinations.
You can continue with the steps to make a warm latte.
Step 2: At this point, you can add your choice of sweetener.
Step 3: Begin steaming your milk in a separate container. You can use an aerator or a milk frother to froth the milk. Aim for a light layer of foam.
Step 4: Pour your steamed milk over the espresso in your glass. Do this gently, so the milk foam doesn’t drop into the glass too early.
Hold up the container from the glass at a distance when pouring the milk.
Step 5: Leave some space on the top and fill it up with the milk foam.
Making a Starbucks Cold Latte at Home
Some people avoid drinking warm coffee in the summer because it makes them feel hot. Enter an ice-cold latte to freshen you up amidst the summer heat.
It is an excellent cold alternative to a caffe latte, since it will have the same strong and creamy flavors and is just cold instead of warm.
What You Need:
- A lot of ice
- Espresso shot – 4oz
- Whole milk – 3/4th
- Sweetener
How You Make It:
Step 1: Fill up your glass with the ice. Some people like to use thick mason jars to enjoy the experience lavishly. You can add as much ice as you like.
However, for a truly refreshing experience, you should fill up at least half of the glass with ice.
Step 2: Pour in your espresso shot or brewed coffee.
Step 3: Now comes the fun part. In an airtight container, pour the whole milk and a sweetener of your choice. If you like your coffee bitter, or unsweetened, you can choose to skip it.
Step 4: Shake the sealed container. Starbucks recommends this step to make the milk light and airy. They say it gives a rich texture to a regular drink and elevates the taste.
Step 5: Lastly, pour the milk into the glass and fill it with the remaining foam from the container.
The ice-cold drink has many different variants. You can experiment with your drink and invent combinations of your own.
Making a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte at Home
A seasonal favorite at Starbucks is the Pumpkin Spice Latte. People have tried their best to urge Starbucks into making this drink regularly available. However, it seems Starbucks isn’t budging.
Many people order a custom drink with a pump of cinnamon dolce syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, but it isn’t the same as the original pumpkin spice latte.
However, before we begin with the recipe, the first thing you need to learn to make is pumpkin spice syrup.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
You may think the ingredients are fancy, but to have the spicy, flavorful, and aromatic beverage all year round, you will have to make some effort.
Moreover, it will leave your kitchen smelling absolutely divine.
What You Need:
- Sugar – 1 ½ cups
- Water – 1 ½ cups
- Cinnamon – 6 sticks
- Ground Cloves – 1 tsp.
- Ground Ginger – 1 tsp.
- Ground Nutmeg – 2 tsp.
- Pumpkin Puree – 4 tbsp.
How to Make It:
Step 1: In a clean saucepan, mix water and sugar and cook till sugar dissolves and water begins to simmer.
Step 2: Now add the rest of the ingredients once you ensure all the sugar has dissolved. Stir and let it cook and simmer over low heat for around 20 minutes.
Step 3: Shut off the stove and run it through a cheesecloth.
You can keep this syrup in the fridge for up to 7 days and enjoy 8 glasses of pumpkin spice lattes.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Now that you have the syrup ready, here is how you make your latte:
What You Need:
- Espresso shot or brewed coffee – 1oz
- Whole milk – 1 cup
- Pumpkin spice syrup – 3 tbsp.
- Whipped cream – ½ cup whipped cream
- Pumpkin pie spice – a pinch
How to Make It:
Step 1: Warm your milk and begin frothing it. As mentioned earlier, there are several tools you can use to achieve frothy milk. You can also learn to do it by hand through YouTube tutorials.
Step 2: Take a glass and put in 3 tablespoons of the pumpkin spice syrup you just prepared. Follow it up with an espresso or brewed coffee. Stir it to combine the flavor.
Step 3: Next, simply pour the frothy milk into the glass but do not fill to the brim. Leave about 3/4th of space and top it with whipped cream. You can pipe it on to give an extravagant look.
Step 4: Finish off by sprinkling pumpkin spice on the cream.
Cappuccino
Not everyone drinks regular black coffee such as Americano, and Cappuccino is considered a classic for a reason. A cappuccino makes for an excellent drink since it is rich, flavorful, and dense.
You could say Cappuccino is a version of Americano with milk. The process of making a nice warm mug of cappuccino is simple and requires no fancy stuff.
Making a Velvety Mug of Starbucks Classic Cappuccino at Home
Let’s see how you can make a Starbucks Cappuccino at home.
What You Need:
- Espresso or brewed coffee – 2oz
- Whole milk – 4oz
How You Make It:
Here’s a straightforward way to make a cup of Cappuccino
Step 1: Pour your warm espresso or brewed coffee into a mug. Some people like it in a glass. However, we recommend having it in a mug so it stays warm longer.
Step 2: Begin frothing your milk using an aerator. You can also use a milk frother. The milk gives the coffee a denser and richer flavor. Frothing the milk enhances the flavor of the coffee and gives you an exceptional gourmet coffee experience.
Step 3: Pour the milk slowly into your mug. Try to keep a good balance of milk and foam in your mug. A 50% ratio is a good rule of thumb. Top off your mug to the brim with the froth.
The Bottom Line
The pandemic has taught us many things, such as the fact that you must be well-prepared for times when you are stuck at home and do not have access to your caffeine dose.
You may think you cannot have the same experience at home as at the store. However, before you give your verdict, try out these drinks.
You might just change your life (and also save some money).
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