Before we get into the daily grind, many of us start our days with the familiar routine of getting our morning cup of coffee. As one of the most popular beverages in the world, coffee has a big influence on culture and even our habits. Elevate your caffeine routine with the perfect at-home coffee bar, thanks to this comprehensive guide.
Start With the Basics
While the possibilities are endless when it comes to setting up the perfect at-home coffee bar, the true necessities are simple. All you need are coffee beans and water. Instead of reaching for bottled water, consider installing a reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration system, an environmentally-friendly solution to delicious drinking water at your fingertips. Enercare’s RO systems remove up to 99.99 per cent of salts, chemicals and other contaminants and are often used at commercial coffee chains to improve the quality of their brews. Beyond elevating your morning coffee into a barista-level experience, reverse osmosis systems also provide cleaner and better tasting water that will inspire you to cook at home more often. Enercare’s tankless RO system can easily be installed directly under any sink and produces one third less water waste than conventional tank systems. So, start your day the right way with perfectly purified water, that’s easy on Mother Nature, too.
Location, Location, Location
If you want to create an at-home coffee setup that calls to you more than your local coffee shop, you’ll need to find the perfect location. This could look like utilizing an unused corner of your living room, clearing space on a spare counter in your kitchen or adding a bar cart to your dining room. When trying to determine the best location for your at-home coffee bar, consider what your current routine looks like. How do you make your coffee? What type of machine do you use? Do you tend to sit and slowly sip your coffee or do you drink it quickly while making breakfast? The type of equipment you use — whether that be a French press, pour-over carafe, or espresso machine — will determine how much space you’ll need to allocate to your perfect coffee bar. Take into consideration the proximity to drinking water, outlets you’ll need and where you store your cream or alternative milks.
Smart Storage
Wherever you decide to set up your at-home coffee bar, storage is a must. Make everything you’ll need as accessible as possible. Before that caffeine kick, we want to avoid the extra steps required to get your mug from one side of the kitchen and your spoons from the other. Set up a space that has everything you’ll need for a barista-level creation at your fingertips — mugs, coffee beans, sweeteners, spices, spoons, milks and whatever else you’ll need to enjoy your java. If you’ve chosen a location for your coffee bar that’s further away from your kitchen, consider a portable mini-fridge (available on Amazon for under $70) to store your favourite milks. Utilize closed cabinets, open wall shelving and matching canisters to keep everything organized so your tired morning self can navigate the flow easily.
Related: 10 Coffee-Making Stations That’ll Make Your Morning Cup Feel Like a Cafe Experience
Cup of Solace
Create a moment of calm amidst your busy day with a coffee bar that’s both practical and aesthetically-pleasing. Making use of vertical space with open shelving provides an opportunity to store items you use regularly while prepping your java, while being mindful of valuable counter space. Store less frequently used items, such as your treasured mugs and tea cups, coffee table books and plants, on the higher shelves while dedicating the lower shelves to items used daily. Use air-tight glass canisters to neatly store and display java-related ingredients like coffee beans, pods and sugar. If you tend to like your coffee on the sweeter side, try displaying syrups in labelled glass dispensers. Ensure you’re always ready to host guests by having coffee-companion snacks readily available, too.
Related: How to Install Open Shelving in the Kitchen and Make It Look Good
Positively Not a Morning Person
Wake up your at-home coffee bar with personality, colour and light. Utilize mood lighting to help ease yourself into early mornings and energize you on cloudy afternoons. Battery-powered under cabinet lighting or wall sconces are the perfect option to add a touch of warmth without too much lift. A portable speaker is another practical addition to any coffee bar that will allow you to cue up coffee house music or a favourite podcast while brewing your first cup of the day.
PRO TIP: Store supplements and vitamins at your coffee bar so you never forget to take them.
At-Home Coffee Bar Checklist
Organize your coffee corner chronologically, starting with the items used first in your coffee-making routine and working your way to the final touches used at the end (think: spices). Depending on how you espresso, you’ll need to modify this at-home coffee bar essentials checklist:
- Filtered Drinking Water (Check out Enercare’s reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration system)
- Equipment (espresso machine, French press, etc.)
- Coffee Beans
- Coffee Grinder
- Scale
- Knock Box
- Electric Kettle
- Milk Frother
- Milks or Creamers
- Portable Mini Fridge
- Coffee Mugs
- Glassware
- Air-Tight Canisters
- Sugar Bowl
- Syrup Dispensers
- Spices or Flavours
- Measuring Scoops
- Bar Mat or Tray
- Coffee Spoons or Stirrers
- Spoon Rest
- Reusable Straws
- Napkins or Dish Towels
- Self-Serve Snacks
- Speaker
- Coffee Table Books
- Plants and Personalized Decor
