Alex Foss Sims and I both met working as baristas. We had a shared love for great coffee, but realised how hard it can be to make it. After years of learning how to brew the perfect coffee, we decided to take our expertise and apply it to producing the finished product – cold brew coffee. Our mission is to make great coffee more accessible, and with that in mind, I want to share with Grazia readers how to make a café-style brew at home, in case they're missing their daily fix and can't quite get it right.
Most coffees at your local café are made using espresso and steamed milk. Unfortunately both require expensive machinery to make, however you can make a pretty decent imitation at home with minimal equipment.
If you follow these three tips, you should be able to get something close to what you were used to pre-lockdown.
The espresso...
This is the base for your flat whites, lattes and cappuccinos. Don’t waste time (or coffee) making really strong coffee in a cafetière. The best way to recreate an espresso at home is using a Moka pot (stove-top coffee maker).
Fill the Moka pot basket with espresso ground coffee (in other words very fine), then level out with the side of your finger. Boil the kettle and pour the hot water in the bottom section; this means the dry coffee won’t burn waiting for the cold water to heat. Place the basket on top and then screw on the top section, using a tea towel to hold the bottom, to avoid burning your fingers.
The steamed milk...
You won’t quite be able to make the silky milk your local barista can, but you can get pretty close. Heat your milk to 65 degrees (if you have a thermometer), or essentially when it’s too hot to touch. Then pour the milk in a clean cafetière and pump the filter up and down until you have froth. That simple!
The cold brew coffee...
Hot weather and not being able to leave the house is a bad combo. Hopefully a cold brew coffee can take the edge off. Obviously I would recommend checking out our company, Solo, first, but here’s how to make a version at home.
Put 30 grams of coarsely ground coffee in a cafetière, then pour 300ml of room temperature water and stir. Then leave to steep for 16 hours. Filter the coffee, and place in the fridge or pour straight over ice. Working from home in hot weather really is the best time to discover cold brew if you haven’t already.
Best UK coffee deliveries...
The key to a good cup of coffee, is... good coffee. Here are some delivery companies that can help.
Grind – a coffee capsule delivery
Perky Blenders – offer subscription coffee delivery
Monmouth Coffee – per gram coffee delivery
Solo Coffee – cold brew coffee delivery and subscription
Mr Black – coffee liqueur delivery (for the best at home Espresso Martinis)
SHOP: What You Need To Make Good Coffee
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