15 Ways To Take Your Morning Coffee To The Next Level

A good morning always starts with a cup of coffee perfectly brewed to our own standards. It might be just enough to stop feeling groggy and maybe, if we’re lucky, conquer the rest of the day. Instead of going to the cafe for black coffee, why not try making your own delicious french press coffee. It saves money and lets you enjoy the real taste of coffee at home.

Coffee is not an easy drink to make, especially if you want to fill your mornings with the best coffee concoction there is. A good morning coffee requires a lot of careful attention from selecting high-quality coffee beans, measuring the coffee to water ratio, proper equipment handling, and many more. So take your morning coffee to the next level with this list of helpful tips, guides, and delicious coffee shop recipe suggestions.

Instant coffee is the most convenient way to get hot coffee, but nothing beats a cup of coffee made from freshly grounded coffee beans. It’s the rich and exquisite taste of coffee that we’re after. It’s also more personalized when you brew your own coffee since you can adjust its body and taste to suit your palate. 

Finding the best coffee beans shouldn’t have to be overwhelming. Always remember that a coffee product can either be of three primary types: Arabica coffee, Liberica coffee, and Robusta coffee. Excelsa, mistaken as the fourth type, is actually a variant of liberica. However, when shopping for coffee beans, you might come across the term “origins” and “blends” a lot. 

Origins tells you where those coffee beans come from. A single origin coffee bean comes from, you guessed it, a single origin. While blends are beans from multiple origins, which are then mixed together to create a more complex flavor profile. Taking note of such differences will let you know which to grab first on your quest for the right coffee beans.

Start with coffee beans that are from a single origin. This lets you enjoy a pure unaltered taste of coffee beans. We highly recommend the Java Planet Medium Roast Arabica Coffee Beans, an example of a Arabica medium roast from Guatemala. It has an aromatic and delicate chocolate and caramel flavor. You can then move on to a 100% Arabica medium roast blend to experience a more well-rounded taste of coffee and to see how it differs with the single origin one. 

If you want your early morning coffee to be flavorful and aromatic, always make them from freshly grounded coffee beans. Try not to stock up but only buy what you can finish within one to two weeks.

A coffee grinder is another equipment to add to the list. It’s always better to grind your own coffee beans so that they’re extra fresh. If you have always been purchasing ground coffee beans, a grinder that lets you grind your own beans will definitely improve the consistency of your coffee. You want a grinder that would evenly and finely chop your coffee beans that it won’t clump together when brewing. 

Coffee grinders are usually sold either as automatic or manual. We recommend that you get a portable manual coffee grinder for a more consistent and durable grind. For a much quicker process, however, you can opt to buy an automatic coffee grinder.

Only brew your coffee grounds once. Rebrewing used coffee grounds reduces its richness. It results in a bad-tasting brown-colored liquid that’s meant to be discarded. Instead of re-brewing coffee, use them in other ways such as fertilizers or compost to help the environment. 

Since making coffee involves having to use water 98 percent of the time, you want to make sure that you’re using clean or filtered water. Water contains minerals that can sometimes affect the taste of your coffee. Filtered water is highly recommended for coffee-making since it doesn’t have leftover impurities that are mostly present in regular tap water. You can use a simple water filtration equipment to ensure that your coffee stays delicious.

The foundation of a coffee’s taste depends on how you measure the ratio between coffee beans and water. Adding too much or too little water can greatly affect the flavor. We don’t want a bland cup of coffee in the morning.

In general, the coffee golden ratio uses about one to two tablespoons of coffee grounds for every six ounces of water added. The ratio for a regular tasting coffee is 1:18, and a strong coffee is around 1:15. These measurements will still depend on how you want your coffee so feel free to adjust accordingly if needed. 

Since making good coffee requires using the proper amount of coffee grounds to water, it’s good to have a digital measuring scale on hand so that you’ll know when you’re going overboard with your coffee grounds. Ideally, it should be one that gives a two-decimal point (0.00) measurement.

Keep coffee beans fresh! A stainless and airtight coffee canister, for instance, is a wonderful option for proper coffee bean storing. Place them inside an airtight container at room temperature and in a cool and dark area. Avoid placing them in the fridge or freezer. This will dampen the beans and expose them to moisture which can affect the taste and texture of the beans.

Wash your coffee maker regularly or at least twice a week, especially if your equipment requires coffee filters and baskets. Take out those used coffee filters and use a new one for every serving. For drip coffee makers, clean with water and vinegar to remove the smell and the leftover coffee residues. Then, rinse it thoroughly.

If cleaning more than once a week seems tedious to you, it’s best to find a coffee maker that doesn’t easily get messy and has a self cleaning function. We love the BLACK+DECKER programmable coffee maker’s auto clean system. Just put equal parts of white vinegar and cold water, and simply press the auto clean button. Its Sneak-a-Cup feature puts the flow of coffee to the pitcher on pause with just a push of a button. It’s a really handy function that you won’t find in many coffee makers. With a feature like this, it would be easier to keep your coffee maker in top condition!

Each brewing method has its corresponding equipment where you can make a variety of good morning coffee drinks. Here’s how to make coffee with the three popular techniques you’ve got to try!

• Pour Over Coffee or Drip Coffee Method requires a coffee filter paper, coffee grounds, hot water, and your coffee mug. In a Chemex pour over, simply place your filter paper on top of the mug. Coffee filters are essential in trapping the remnants of coffee grounds as well as other oily residue to let only the coffee liquid pass through. Once you add the ground coffee, proceed to pour the hot water over the beans and wait for it to drip and fill the coffee mug. As a result, you get a smooth coffee consistency that will blend well with your creamers and sweeteners.
• French Press involves fully immersing the coffee grounds with hot water. Then, a stainless metal filter strains the coffee particles. French press produces coffee that is heavier and denser than a dripped coffee.
• Siphon Method is a more intricate brewing technique that uses a vacuum-like pressure and heat but not to a point of boil to create your brew. In a siphon brewer, the water added to the bottom of the glass bulb gravitates upwards through the tube, and onto the glass ‘hopper’ (the siphon’s top component). The coffee grounds are added and submerged. Then, it will eventually flow downwards and rest at the bottom. Watching the brewing process alone is a work of art. But it also creates a deliciously brewed fully-infused filtered coffee cup with an enhanced aroma no other brewing method can give.

Knowing about the different types of common coffee drinks to make can help you identify what brew is most suitable to your likings. Whether you love your morning coffee with more caffeine or with a lighter body, there’s always an ideal coffee for everyone. 

• Cappuccino is known for its foam and steamed milk process. It has the perfect blend of bittersweetness from both the coffee and milk. 
• Espresso shots are produced from pressed ground coffee, and used as a coffee base. You can also drink this solo, but be prepared for its bitter wake-me-up-immediately taste. It has a smoother and thicker texture than your regular drip coffee.
• Macchiato is espresso with steamed milk. It also has a foam on top, though not as much as in a cup of cappuccino. The flavor of this drink really comes from the espresso beans that you use. It’s also a coffee that’s stronger than latte in terms of caffeine level and flavor.
• Latte has a higher steamed milk content. Hence, you can really taste the milk despite the two shots of espresso present in the drink. It doesn’t have an incredibly bold taste, but it’s great nonetheless. 

With these delicious coffee brews, you might want to invest in a coffee maker that makes all these four types. We’d recommend the all-in-one Ninja Speciality Coffee Maker that can make your morning coffee brewing (and tasting) experience an exciting and easy task. It can make the classic and rich hot coffee brews, iced cold coffee, and the four aforementioned specialty drinks. You can also brew in a variety of sizes from a single cup to a full carafe. It’s the best coffee maker for sharing that good morning cup of coffee. 

Your energy-lifting and mood-boosting morning coffee is almost ready! The last few tips we have are additional coffee flavorings that you can use to spice up your early morning coffee even further:

• Switch cream with natural-flavored milk to begin experimenting and adjusting the taste of your coffee in the morning. Consider trying almond milk for a nuttier taste for your coffee. For a creamier coffee, add some oat milk instead.
• Add drops of vanilla extract to your coffee brew. It’s a good option for when you want a stronger sweetener for your coffee. Two or three drops is enough to improve your morning coffee.

Sweeteners aren’t just the only thing to add in your coffee to make it extra flavorful.

• Add cinnamon or nutmeg if you want a balanced taste of sweet and spicy with a bit of earthy flavor, add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Experiment with a cinnamon stick or just a dash of ground cinnamon in your brew for a sweet and woody taste. With nutmeg, the mildly sweet flavoring is another coffee flavoring option that gives your drink a unique earthy taste and aroma.

• Add salt to reduce bitterness if you love an early morning coffee not to be so bitter. Salt also has its own inherent taste which enhances the overall flavor of coffee.

You don’t have to be a coffee shop barista to enjoy a cup of good morning coffee. It’s all about experimenting! Here we recommended some interesting and fun simple coffee shop drink recipes that are easy to prepare at home and get you going through the entire week. 

• Monday: Brazillian Coffee

It’s the first day of the week and we’re starting it strong with a blend of cocoa, cinnamon, and strong coffee. Get energized with our creamy and bittersweet brazillian coffee drink. This simple, but delicious coffee that will definitely wake you up and make you extra productive on a monday morning. 

• Tuesday:  Cold Brewed Sea Salt Iced Coffee

One survey found out that exactly Tuesday around midday is the most stressful, most tiring day of the week. Hot coffee late in the morning might not be the most excellent choice especially if you need the burst of energy. A cold brew may be just the perfect drink for boosted energy levels.

• Wednesday: Orange and Honey Coffee 

It’s the middle of the week and you’re wanting a light morning coffee. This orange and honey coffee recipe is another delightful coffee combination. It’s a relatively sweet coffee with a bit of zest. A morning cuppa like this will surely uplift your Wednesday mornings. 

• Thursday: Decaffeinated Caramel Coffee

Start your Thursdays with a delicious coffee with caramel topping. This low sodium and fat free coffee is another coffee recipe that’s light and creamy. It’s perfect for those slower days and the anticipation for the nearing weekends.

• Friday: Classic Irish Coffee 

You’ve finally come to the end of the work week. Why not enjoy a morning coffee with a slight alcoholic twist to start the day. It lets you experience both the weekday and a fun Friday night! The slight Irish whiskey taste is a unique addition to your coffee to give you that extra boost. 

• Weekend: Low Fat Pumpkin Spice Latte and Sweet and Easy Dalgona Coffee 

Treat yourself on the weekends with some sweet dalgona coffee or a spiced latte overflowing with a creamy whip on top. De-stress with our quick and easy coffee drinks that you can pair with some delicious breakfast like some sweet blueberry pancakes or a hearty Western omelette. 

Mornings are for coffee and contemplation. That’s why it’s important to make a cup of coffee that’s worth every sip. Learning about your options in terms of good quality coffee beans as well as handling and storage, is just as important as trying out different brewing methods, and experimenting with different coffee types available. Once you learn how to make a good brew, adding flavors will make it much more exciting as you’re able to switch it up everyday for the rest of the week. We’re sure that implementing just one or two of these coffee-tastic tips will take your morning coffee to the next level!