If you’ve fallen prey to Starbucks as many people have, then quarantine was probably a nightmare for you. When Starbucks closed due to COVID, so many of us were deprived of our sweet caffeine fix and went through withdrawals. No? Just me? Anyway…

Even after quarantine has ended and outside has opened back up, it’s still a little risky to go out in public. So what now? You’re too nervous to go out and buy coffee and it’s not like you can just whip up a caramel macchiato from home. Or can you? Here are a few tips to be your own barista.

Setting up an At-Home Coffee Bar

The first thing you’ll need to do is set up an area in your home designated specifically for coffee-related things. You can buy a table or a bar cart to put in your room, or you could just use counter space in the kitchen. You can put anything you want at your stations, but some things are a must:

Coffee Maker (obviously)

A coffee station wouldn’t be complete without coffee. There are a lot of coffee makers you can choose from. You could get a french press, which would be perfect for a cold brew or a strong coffee flavor Or you could get a coffee dripper for pour-overs. You could even get a vintage coffee pot for a more aesthetically pleasing look. Another more popular option would be a Keurig. Any coffee maker would work, really. 

Blender

If you like a good frappuccino every now and then, a blender is definitely a must-have. You don’t have to have a full-size blender either. You can use a personal blender or a food processor if that’s all you have. Anything that will blend ice to your liking will work. And if you really want it to come out just like a Starbucks frapp, add ½ tsp of xanthan gum. 

Mugs and Tumblers (another no-brainer)

You’ll need something to put your masterpiece in once you’ve finished. It’s best to have mugs and tumblers so you can enjoy hot and cold drinks, and you can take them to-go. Also, feel free to get them in different sizes (tall/12 oz., grande/16 oz., and venti/20 oz.) so you can have the full experience.

Having the right ingredients

Most cafes have a lot of different drinks and with those drinks come a lot of different recipes. You may have to do a little shopping for each new drink that you want to try, but if you keep these handy, you can always make something work.

Milk and Creamer

Unless you like plain black coffee a hundred percent of the time, you’ll need milk or half and half to make most of your recipes. Just like you can substitute milk when ordering coffee, you can do it at home. If you don’t like whole milk, you can substitute it for almond milk. If you have a nut allergy, soy milk is your friend! There are even dairy-free alternatives for half and half.

Flavored Syrups and Sauces

If you like the fancier, more elaborate drinks, you’re going to want to invest in some syrups and sauces. The most popular sauces to have would be chocolate and caramel. You could also get white chocolate if you really wanted to. You could buy Torani syrups, or you could make them yourself. They’re super cheap and easy to make. You can find bottles to store them in on Amazon, Etsy, or even the dollar store.

Classic.

1 cup granulated sugar        

1 cup water               

Caramel

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

⅓ cup caramel sauce

Vanilla

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Peppermint

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 tsp peppermint extract

Cinnamon Dolce

¼ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar

1 cup water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Pumpkin

¾ cup light brown sugar

¾ cup water

¼ cup pumpkin puree

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Toasted Marshmallow

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

8 large marshmallows

1 tsp vanilla extract

Creativity!

You’re your own barista now. You don’t have to follow cookie-cutter recipes. You can make your own. No one knows what you like better than you do. Lean into that and make something crazy. Have fun with it. Once you start making delicious, one-of-a-kind drinks every day, you won’t ever have to go back to a cafe again. Well, maybe on special occasions…