My freshman year in college, I got my daily caffeine dose from a Keurig in my dorm room. Don't get me wrong, that was better than nothing, but after moving into an apartment with a full kitchen I knew I had to step up my game. Therefore, here is my all-inclusive list of at-home-coffee recipes to help save your wallet and keep you sane.
1) Hot Latte
This drink is probably the one I make most, and I've got it down to every last detail. I make it by brewing a cup of coffee in a french press or my trusty Keurig, adding frothed milk, and finishing it with either Torani vanilla syrup or the Trader Joes' vanilla lactose-free coffee creamer. The key to this one is the foam on top, which I make in a milk frother, but it can also be done with a handheld milk-foamer. I personally like mine with vanilla, but it's just as good without any flavoring at all.
2) Iced Vanilla Latte
My go-to coffee order, iced vanilla lattes hold a special place in my heart. They're actually super easy to make once you know how to get the rich flavor of the coffee even in an iced drink. Personally, I love keeping the Trader Joe's cold-brew concentrate in my fridge - it's strong to start off, so diluting it with milk is super easy without losing any of the coffee flavor. Personally I like skim milk or oat milk, but it's just as amazing with whatever variety you prefer. Then I just add a dash of Torani vanilla syrup, a few ice cubes, and a metal straw to top it all off!
3) Iced Caramel Macchiato
I never knew before this year that a caramel macchiato is effectively an iced vanilla latte with more coffee, less milk, and a caramel drizzle. But that's exactly what it is, which makes it super easy to recreate at home. For mine, I start by squeezing caramel into the bottom of a cup and drizzling it over the sides. Then I just add ice cubes, cold brew concentrate, a dash of milk, and a tiny bit of vanilla syrup; I like mine to swirl like the one pictured above, so I add the milk in on top of the coffee.
4) Chai Tea Latte
Chai is probably my all-time favorite drink, but it was also the hardest to recreate at home. I couldn't decide whether I liked this one better hot or iced, so I'm going to explain both. The trick with a chai latte is finding a tea strong enough to allow you to mix in milk without losing the flavor; I tried brewing my own to start with, but eventually ended up loving the Tazo chai tea concentrate.
For an iced version, I just pour it over ice and add almond milk in a 1:1 ratio with the concentrate - sometimes I'll add a bit of vanilla syrup too.
On days where I want a hot chai, I just heat up milk in a saucepan, add it to a mug with my concentrate, and top it with foamed milk and a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon, depending on my mood.
5) Matcha Latte
And finally, this list wouldn't be complete without a matcha latte to round out all the coffees. Matcha is seriously a comfort drink, and learning to make my own was so rewarding. To make a hot matcha latte I bring milk to a near boil over the stove - there should be little bubbles around the edge of the pan, but not in the middle. Then, I take it off the heat and whisk in a tablespoon of matcha powder, continuing to whisk until frothy.
So, there you have it...
...my at-home-barista bootcamp. I hope these tips help you (and your bank account) the next time you have a caffeine craving!