Lately, I’ve been hooked on coffee. If you asked me to name three things I need every day, I’d say coffee, food, and sleep—without hesitation. Coffee has become the most important part of my day, from waking me up in the morning to keeping me awake until midnight. This magic potion always does its job. That’s why today, I’m sharing my two absolute favorite café-style coffees: cappuccino and latte.

Let’s be honest, sometimes we just crave the comfort and richness of a good coffee without leaving home. Sure, nothing compares to the barista who remembers your usual order at your favorite café, but trust me, you can still whip up a satisfying cup that hits the spot. So, let’s get into the world of café-style coffee you can make right in your own kitchen.

How to Make Cafe Style Coffee at Home

Making coffee at home has never been easier than this, you can just whip up a espresso or alternatively a strong french press or moka pot espresso and get yourself a decent cappuccino, latte or even flat white. Even if you don’t have any coffee machine at home you can get the job done with some basic ingredients and tools we all have in our home. Even if this feels a little overwhelming at first just go and grab some instant coffee and give yourself a refreshing coffee treat right at home. Here’s a little breakdown of what you’ll need to give yourself a cafe-like break.

1. Ground Coffee

This term might sound a little scary at first, but don’t worry—we’re just talking about coffee granules. If you want that real café-style coffee at home, you can use whole coffee beans. But if you want something quick and easy, instant coffee will work too.

If you really want your kitchen to smell like a coffee shop, you’ll need to put in a bit more effort. You can buy good roasted coffee beans from your local store and grind them at home for a fresh and tasty coffee. But if you’re okay with something faster, instant coffee can save you time.

In the end, it’s your choice. And if you’d like, you can always learn more about how to pick good coffee beans and how to store them properly—it’s totally up to you!

2. Filtered water

 This is one of the most overlooked parts of making coffee, but if you really care about your coffee at home, this small step can make a big difference. You never know what might improve your brew, so don’t ignore these little details.

Always try to use filtered water for better-tasting coffee. Tap water often has minerals like chlorine and magnesium that can change the flavor and make your coffee taste off. So, make sure you’re using fresh, filtered water every time you brew!

3.  Milk

Milk is one of the key ingredients when it comes to making café-style coffee. If you’re a fan of dairy, go ahead and use your regular milk. But if you’re not, no worries—you can easily swap it for oat milk, almond milk, or any plant-based option you prefer. You can also use any coffee creamer that you like.

The best part is, you’re in charge here, so feel free to use whatever suits your taste. After all, you’re the one making and enjoying the coffee

4. Sugar

 If you have a sweet tooth, you can stick with regular white sugar. But if you’re more health-conscious, you can swap it for brown sugar or any other healthier alternative that suits your taste. It’s all about what works best for you!

Mostly all of us do have these things in our house so whipping up a delicious coffee will be a lot easier than you think.  

How to Make Cafe style Cappuccino at Home

This is most probably one of the most popular coffee drinks around the world. This delicious coffee is made out of espresso, steamed milk and milk foam on top, the ratio for this recipe is 1:1:1. This is the standard formula for a cappuccino however since most of us don’t have access to an espresso machine, you can use strong coffee from french press, moka pot or even with instant coffee. And for the steam milk use a hand frother instead. Since you’re the barista here, you can use creamer instead of steam milk or have any non-dairy options and you can add flavorings such as cinnamon or cocoa powder on top.

Cappuccino is easily one of the most popular coffee drinks around the world. It’s a delicious mix of espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam, all in equal parts—following the classic 1:1:1 ratio.

While this is the standard way to make a cappuccino, most of us don’t have an espresso machine at home. No worries! You can still make a great cappuccino using strong coffee from a French press, moka pot, or even instant coffee.

For the steamed milk, just heat your milk and use a hand frother to get that nice foam. Since you’re the barista here, feel free to swap the milk for creamer or go for a non-dairy option like oat or almond milk. And don’t forget—you can always add a sprinkle of cinnamon or cocoa powder on top to give it that café-style finish!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground coffee (or 1 to 1.5 teaspoons instant coffee)
• 1 cup milk (regular, oat, almond, or your choice)
• ½ cup water (if using instant coffee)
• Sugar (optional)
• Use cinnamon or cocoa powder for dusting

Direction

1. Even if you don’t have any espresso machine at home you can still make espresso strength coffee at home using a moka pot or french press or even on your stovetop.

2. In your moka pot or in french press add 1 tablespoon of ground coffee and then add ½ cup of hot water over your coffee grounds and make a strong coffee.

3. Now, heat your milk on the stovetop or in your microwave and then use a hand frother, whisk or you can even shake it vigorously in a tight sealed jar for 30-60s until it gets foamy.

4. Now, pour your coffee into a large cup. Slowly add the steamed milk, holding back the foam with a spoon. Finally, gently spoon the foam on top of the milk to complete your cappuccino.
5. You can add sugar or any syrup in your cappuccino if you like and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon or cocoa powder on top as you like.

A  Quick Version of Cappuccino Using Instant Coffee

1. To make the base for your homemade cappuccino start by boiling ½ cup of water in a saucepan or microwave safe cup and then add 1.5 or 2 tablespoon of instant coffee and give it a good shake using a sealed jar or you can add the coffee and water in a plastic bottle and shake it vigorously until its thick and creamy.

2. Now, in a saucepan add 1 cup of milk of your choice and then stir until it gets nice and hot, don’t let it boil. Now, froth the milk the same way you’ve used for making the coffee. 

3. In a cup add the coffee, and then slowly add the frothy milk onto the coffee holding the top and then slowly place the foam on top of the milk for the classic cappuccino layer.

4. Add a little bit of sugar or sweetener of your preference and enjoy.