Espresso, the Base of All Starbucks Drinks
Espresso is the base for all of Starbucks coffee drinks, and so understanding espresso is absolutely essential for making Starbucks at home. For the best taste, use freshly ground coffee beans and an espresso machine. This will ensure an optimal concentration of flavor from the coffee beans.
The espresso should be brewed for about 20-30 seconds and should have a golden brown crema and a full body. An experienced barista will be able to control all the different variables – the grind size, the amount of coffee used, the temperature of the water and the extraction time to create the perfect glass of espresso. For those new to making espresso, it’s best to start with a light roast, medium/light grind and 33-35g of coffee per shot.
The skill of being able to produce good espresso requires practice and patience, but it’s a skill that’s worth mastering. With the right technique, the espresso will have a nice balance and sweetness that will be the basis of all great coffee drinks.
Coffee expert, Alex Kornilovich, recommends using a semi-automatic espresso machine, as it will allow for more flexibility. “An espresso machine does require more attention and time, but with practice and patience, you’ll be able to create great drinks,” he claims.
Making Starbucks Drinks at Home
Starbucks drinks don’t require the same machines that you would need in a coffee shop. There are variety of drinks that can be made with traditional everyday kitchen equipment. A few of the least complicated but most popular drinks that can be made at home are aromatized cappuccino, mocha and latte.
An aromatized cappuccino is made by mixing 2/3 espresso and 1/3 foam, with a few drops of sweet syrup while the mocha is composed of 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed and foam milk and 1/3 chocolate syrup. The latte is the most popular Starbucks drink and is composed of 2/3 espresso and 1/3 steamed milk.
It is also important to remember that while the taste of espresso is important, the way it looks is equally important. When making a Starbucks drink, the barista should be aiming for a nice fluffy layer of foam on the top of the espresso. By lightly pouring the foam on the top of the espresso, it will create a nice swirled pattern.
Even though making Starbucks coffee drinks at home can be time consuming and require some practice to perfect, for those who have the ambition and commitment, it can be a very rewarding experience. Home baristas can be creative, experimenting with different flavors to create unique drinks for both themselves and those around them.
The Sweet Syrups
To create variations of the popular Starbucks drinks, many people use flavorings or “sweet syrups”. The sweetness and flavors of these syrups are what makes Starbucks drinks so popular. Sweet syrups are usually made of a combination of sugar, waterand flavored extract such as vanilla, peppermint or hazelnut. By themselves, sweet syrups have been known to have a syrupy consistency, but when added to a cup of espresso and steamed milk, they will become creamy, sweet and flavorfully.
Sweet syrups can be bought from stores or can be made at home. They are simple and easy to make, they only require a few ingredients and can be whipped up in less than ten minutes. Home baristas can experiment with different flavors in order to find the combination that suits them best.
Spells of Milk and Foam
There are two ways of creating foam when making your own Starbucks drinks. The first way is to use a hand-held milk frother, which is designed to blend and heat milk while creating steam and foam. The second way to create foam is to use a stove-top cappuccino maker. This is a more complex of the two processes, but if done correctly, it can produce an even more silky foam than the hand-held one.
In terms of the types of milk that can be used for making foam, the upmost important thing for a quality Starbucks drink is for the steamed milk to be frothed properly. Depending on personal preference, baristas can steam different types of milk such as: Semi-Skimmed, Whole, Soy, Coconut, Almond, etc. For the best foam, it’s recommended to use fresh steamed whole milk.
Finally,Another thing to keep in mind is to be careful when pouring the foam and steamed milk. The foam should be lightly poured on top of the espresso, in an effort to preserve its fluffy texture. The steamed milk should be without air bubbles, in order to make sure that the mix of all the ingredients is balanced and creamy.
The Art of Latte Art
Latte art is the signature of any serious barista. Many coffee shops, including Starbucks, have implemented latte art in their drinks, as it gives the consumer an enjoyable cup of coffee but also a unique visual experience.
Creating latte art is no easy feat and for most aspiring baristas the journey towards producing good latte art is a long and arduous one. Latte art requires a lot of practice and attention to detail when pouring the foam and steamed milk over the espresso. It can take weeks if not months for development, but with hard work and commitment, professionals have achieved some amazing works of latte art.
If you’re a beginner, some simple designs are recommended such as hearts, tulips and rosetta patterns. As the barista’s skills improve, they can attempt more complex works, such as leaves of different shapes and sizes, or a 3D portrait of a famous person. Cafe owner, Claudia Nunes stresses the importance of practicing in order to improve, “It all comes down to the generous use of practice, dedication and focus. Good Latte Art is nothing but practice.”
What’s in a Name?
No Starbucks drink is complete without its own catchy name. A large portion of the uniqueness of Starbucks comes from its witty and creative names for their drinks. Various cute names such as Freezy Chai, Nitro Hamilton and Mini Strawberry Frappuccino have attracted thousands of customers over the years.
In order to create their own unique drinks and names, home baristas should think outside the box. Words can be combined and twisted to form a unique and quirky name. Humor, puns, pop culture references are all welcomed. If a name doesn’t sound particularly inviting, there’s no need to worry because a simple Google search through various creative beverage and latte-art websites can provide inspiration for anyone in need of a great name.
Setting Up a Home Coffee Station
Having an organized coffee station at home is the number one key element in ensuring a successful barista experience. Making Starbucks-style drinks requires different elements such as an espresso machine, coffee grinder, milk frother and other tools such as shot glasses and measuring cups. All of these tools should be organized in an efficient manner, so that everything is easily accessible.
A simple and organized home coffee station will help make the process of making coffee in the morning much faster and more enjoyable. As for the station, what kind of items are needed are all based on the barista’s own personal preference. Whether it’s coffee filters, portafilters, coffee scales, mugs or coffee tins, it’s important to choose high quality, durable and reliable products.
In addition to all these tools, it’s important to remember to keep extra ingredients on hand, such as coffee beans, sweet syrups, milk, and chocolate. Keeping these items well-stocked is vital to keep the home barista experience running smoothly.
Expression of Creativity
Baristas have come up with some creative and unique coffee-based recipes, from coffee milkshakes to mocha liqueurs – the possibilities are endless. The idea of making coffee drinks at home, is a great opportunity for the home barista to let the inner artist out and get creative in the kitchen. With the combination of espresso and different flavors and ingredients, the combination for unique drinks can be endless.
The home brewer doesn’t need to limit themselves to the traditional recipes, but instead be adventurous and experiment with different beverages. This can be done with different combinations of espresso, flavors, milks and even spices in order to find the perfect balance between bitterness and sweetness.
It is also important to keep in mind the visual aspect of these drinks – it’s not only the taste that makes a great cup of coffee. Drinks can be decorated with whips cream, chocolate chips, sprinkles and even pieces of Latte art. This is another way to express creativity and pretend the home barista is in a real-life coffee shop.
Brewing and Serving Tips
Brewing perfect espresso takes practice, a good machine and most importantly, fresh coffee. To ensure the espresso is as flavorful as possible it is important to use freshly ground coffee beans. Longer storage time could mean a loss of quality, so it’s best to make sure the beans always fresh.
It is also important to remember that the espresso should be warm enough, but not too hot so that it will not scald milk. Generally an espresso should be served at 55-60 Celsius. For milk-based drinks, the milk should be foam not scald.
When serving the drink, the most important consideration is temperature. All Starbucks-style drinks should be served as hot as possible, to maintain its full flavor. Any espresso should be drunk soon after it is served as this will ensure that every sip contains the full flavor of the freshly brewed espresso.
Conclusion
Making Starbucks-style drinks at home is a rewarding experience, as the barista will be able to produce good espresso and crafting amazing drinks with their own hands. For the home barista, all they need is the passion and willingness to learn, as well as some good equipment and fresh ingredients. With the growing interest in coffee-making, home baristas are constantly developing their techniques and pushing boundaries, in order to make the perfect Starbucks-style drinks.
