Looking for a way to change up your morning coffee routine? From frothing your milk and grinding your own beans to adding a scoop of ice cream to your post-breakfast coffee, we've got you covered with top tips and unique tricks.
There are so many health benefits of coffee - just one of the many reasons why around one billion people drink it every day. But whether you're a fan of a classic black coffee or you prefer a frappuccino, sticking to the same coffee every day can get a little boring.
Simply changing your morning coffee routine can add a little new excitement to your morning, boost motivation and make your morning java something to look forward to again.
How to upgrade your morning coffee
1. Froth your milk
Whether you have a coffee machine or not, you can froth your milk at home for a better coffee. Use full-fat milk instead of plant-based alternatives if you can and follow the instructions on your frother or coffee machine to get the best result.
Be sure to 'purge' the wand or clean out the frother before each use to get rid of any leftover water and start with cold milk rather than hot. Heating milk often breaks down the proteins in the milk - and this can break down the froth.
2. Have an espresso
If you're used to having long coffees like milk-heavy lattes and cappuccinos, why not try an espresso? This is just a single or double shot of coffee. Nothing else.
Start with a singular shot or add a splash of foamed milk (macchiato) if you don't normally drink espresso - otherwise, the flavours and caffeine can be a little intense.
3. Have a flat white
A latte and a flat white have a lot in common - but a flat white is a lot stronger. This coffee has foamed milk over a single or double shot of espresso in a velvety light layer. It also comes in a shorter serving than a latte.
Thanks to the heavier proportion of coffee to milk in a flat white, it's heavier on the espresso flavours so true coffee lovers may enjoy this drink more.
4. Add lemon
Hear us out - coffee and lemon is a winning combination. While some claim (incorrectly) that coffee and lemon help with weight loss when drunk together, it does have real benefits, for flavour if nothing else.
It adds a zesty, citrus taste to the coffee that can cancel out some of the harshness of bitter coffee. It's a great accompaniment to your coffee if your beans are a little past their best or not of the finest quality.
5. Take your coffee on a walk
An early morning walk can be a great way to start the day on a productive note and contribute to positive mental and physical health. Taking a flask of coffee with you on the stroll can help elevate the experience, boosting your energy levels and motivation.
You can make the coffee at home or stop on the way and ask them to put your coffee in the flask.
6. Grind your own beans
Grinding your own beans can help elevate your morning coffee. It preserves the fresh flavours and aromas, which otherwise tend to fade when coffee is pre-packaged.
If you grind your own beans, you can also adjust the size of the grounds to your coffee machine or pot specifications. Grinding coffee more finely will produce a stronger cup, richer in caffeine.
7. Go decaf
Decaf coffee doesn't just make for an easier night's sleep if you're drinking it at night. Having a coffee without any caffeine can help reduce caffeine-induced jitters and anxiety throughout the day.
Much like caffeinated coffee, it contains vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B3, which contribute to a healthy body and mind.
8. Add cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice that contains polyphenols - plant compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help the body better handle free radicals. Along with a healthy lifestyle, it can also help reduce the risk of developing adverse health conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Adding ground cinnamon can filter these benefits into your morning coffee - and help enhance the flavours of even the most bitter espresso.
9. Use honey instead of sugar
If you like sugar in your coffee, we have a suggestion for you - swap it for honey. This sweet alternative dissolves easily in hot coffee and adds a tinge of sweetness without the sharpness of granulated sugar.
Honey also has its own benefits. It's rich in anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, which can help promote skin and hair health. It can also help reduce cholesterol levels and help balance hormones to reduce mood swings.
10. Ice your coffee
Ice coffee doesn't have to be a seasonal treat. Whether you like an americano, espresso, macchiato, latte, or flat white, you can add ice cubes to your drink for a refreshingly different drink.
While the differences are mainly in flavour, ice coffee can be a little more hydrating than hot alternatives, given the addition of the ice cubes.
11. Try a cold brew
Cold brew is a type of coffee that's become more popular in recent years. It's made by covering ground coffee in room temperature water for up to 24 hours and then filtering the grounds out.
The result? A concentrated coffee diluted with water or milk and served over ice.
A cold brew tends to be less acidic than hot coffee, reducing irritation to the stomach and uncomfortable conditions like indigestion and IBS symptoms. It also tends to have a smoother flavour.
12. Make it seasonal
In colder months, add spices like nutmeg and cinnamon to your coffee. Top your cappuccinos and lattes with whipped cream and shavings of chocolate.
In the warmer months, make your coffee iced and add citrus flavours to bring out a summery feel to your morning wake-up beverage.
13. Try a macchiato
Macchiato means "marked" or "stained" in Italian and its name refers to the smudge of frothed milk that tops the espresso in this coffee. It's very easy to make and can help alleviate the stronger flavours and intensity of a regular espresso shot.
Milk is normally spooned on top of the espresso shot to create a layered look, without adding too much.
They tend to go cold quickly though because of the milk smudge, so drink up.
14. Use a moka pot
A Moka pot is a classic Italian way to make coffee on a stovetop. With a flame underneath, water boils in the bottom part of the pot and the pressure pushes the water up through the filter, through the ground coffee, and into the upper section.
When the coffee reaches the upper section, it's brewed - and you'll know that's happened because steam will come from the spout.
15. Make a Dalgona coffee
Dalgona coffee - aka whipped coffee - made a name for itself during the Covid-19 lockdown but it's still worth trying today. It only needs four ingredients (water, milk, instant coffee and sugar) and a couple of minutes. You can also make it using instant coffee rather than fresh, so it's suitable for all kinds of coffee lovers.
The coffee has a smooth, creamy finish and is often served in a glass rather than a mug.
16. Add flavoured syrups
Coconut, hazelnut, cinnamon, vanilla, almond, chocolate and even lavender - there are so many different flavoured syrups you can add to your morning coffee to spice up the flavour and change up your morning routine.
These syrups pair best with milky coffees, such as lattes, rather than short and sharp pours like espressos and flat whites.
17. Use a pinch of salt
It might sound like a bizarre addition to your morning pick-me-up but adding a pinch of salt to coffee is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years in countries such as Hungary, Siberia and Turkey.
Today, it's still popular in Vietnam, where the coffee is served with salted whipped cream or milk.
If your coffee is slightly bitter, it can also cut some of this away and leave a smoother palette.
18. Upgrade your mugs
Who doesn't love buying a new mug? Change up your coffee routine in the morning by pouring your beverage into a different mug or glass. You could even get one in the specific size for your favourite kind of coffee.
A standard mug is about 200ml and this works for black coffee, coffee with milk mand lattes. For anything else, you might want to get a smaller mug. For example, an espresso is best served up in a 60ml shot, while a flat white tends to come in a 160ml serving.
19. Grind your own beans
If you have the budget to invest in a grinder and the patience to grind your own beans, it's a great way to get fresher-tasting coffee with better consistency at home.
Grinding your own coffee beans right before you add them to your coffee machine, Moka pot, or French press preserves the properties in coffee that give it that rich, smooth flavour, so you get more of it in your cup.
20. Add chocolate
A coffee with chocolate is called a mocha. Thought to have been created in Yemen, a mocha is an espresso-based drink with foamed milk. It's very similar to a cappuccino, but with a strong chocolate flavour that either comes from a syrup or real melted chocolate.
It has a super sweet taste and is often topped with whipped cream, much like a hot chocolate.
21. Have your coffee later in the day
If you're used to having your first coffee as you open your eyes in the morning, we suggest changing up your routine by delaying your first sip to later in the day - mid-morning at the earliest.
Levels of the cortisol (stress) hormone are highest first thing in the morning, giving you the energy to get out of bed. They tend to drop by 10 am or 11 am so having a cup of coffee at this time, rather than first thing, may be more beneficial.
22. Clear out your coffee
When coffee is unopened and packaged properly, with an air-resistant seal, beans can keep their flavour for up to one year. So buying your coffee in bulk is a good idea if you're looking to save money on your beans.
However, it also means that coffee can go 'off'. When it does, it tastes bitter and stale so be sure to clean out your supply if you've had your beans hanging around for a while. Always check the 'use by' date.
23. Use a French press
The French press is another classic way to make coffee. These pots are narrow, cylinder-shaped flasks with a plunger attached to a filter. It's usually made of plastic or glass, but you can get some stunning ceramic presses from the likes of Le Creuset.
To get the most from your French press coffee, use hot water rather than boiling and pour a layer over the grounds to let them 'bloom' before topping the pot up to the top.
24. Weigh your coffee
If you want the perfect pour, you might like to weigh your coffee out - especially if you're using a machine rather than a press or pot.
Knowing exactly how much is going in allows you to get the best coffee-to-water-to-milk ratio for specialist coffees like flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos and more.
25. Add peppermint
Peppermint might sound like a strong flavour for a cup of coffee but this leaf has proven health benefits that make it worth trying. It may help to ease an upset stomach, indigestion, constipation and common symptoms of IBS.
In colder and hay fever seasons, you might find that adding peppermint to your coffee can relieve some itching and skin irritation, as well as clear a blocked nose.
26. Add ice cream
While we don't advocate starting the day with such a sweet treat, adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to your coffee is certainly an exciting way to start the day.
This Italian treat is traditionally served up as a post-meal treat, so perhaps save this one until after you've had your breakfast at least.
27. Have a cortado
A cortado is a type of coffee that originated in Spain. It's very similar to a macchiato but instead of foamed milk, the espresso is topped with steamed milk.
The milk reduces the acidity of the coffee and creates a very light layer of micro-foam that stays on top of the espresso even as you drink it.
28. Switch to mushroom coffee
If you're not familiar with mushroom coffee, it may sound odd. However, this isn't just adding your regular button mushrooms to your cup of coffee in the morning. It's a specialist brew made by combining mushrooms like lion's mane, reishi, cordyceps and chaga with ground coffee.
All of these mushrooms have proven health benefits, including improving concentration, reducing feelings of anxiety and boosting energy.
29. Use filtered water
Try using hot filtered water rather than water straight from the kettle if you prefer black coffee. It can boost the aroma of the coffee, getting rid of unwanted scents and flavours in the brew that come from the tap water.
If you're investing in flavour-rich beans and grinding your own, this is a must-try to truly bring out the flavours of your chosen blend.
30. Infuse with protein
Protein coffee, along with mushroom coffee, has risen in popularity over recent years. By combining the two, fans of the blend suggest you can reap the benefits of caffeine while topping up your protein intake.
It's particularly popular among those looking to lose weight as coffee naturally suppresses the appetite and protein is one of the slow-digesting macronutrients, keeping you fuller for longer.
31. Add coconut oil
The idea of adding coconut oil to coffee won't be for everyone - but it does have some benefits for flavour and it can help you feel fuller at breakfast time as coconut oil is naturally rich in fats, which are slower to digest.
Coconut oil is thought to be anti-inflammatory and a good antioxidant as well, helping to protect the body and limit free radicals.
32. Try a red eye coffee
A red-eye coffee isn't one you'll find in Starbucks. This exclusively homemade blend combines an espresso shot with black coffee for a real caffeine kick.
It's called a red-eye coffee because it's popular among those who take a late night, red-eye flight and want to stay awake.
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