The Anatomy of a Coffee Station

 

 

 

An obvious essential for any coffee bar. Once we started making coffee in a french press, we never went back…there is nothing quite like a french pressed coffee. The beauty of a french press is that it is prepared in a short amount of time but you designed its perfection. Making coffee in a french press has a bit of science behind it, but once you find the sweet spot – it’s heaven. Though don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate the effortlessness of a Keurig now and then at my in-laws 🙂

 

We tend to circle through many french presses since we use them a lot, so I have many favourites! Currently I am very much loving the Starbucks Stainless Steel Coffee Press. I love the walnut accents and it only has 3 pieces…which when you are using it every morning and having to rinse/clean it, less is more. It also comes with a timer, which is KEY when letting the grinds do their thing. Here are a few other favourites of our (since you can’t currently buy the Starbucks one online anymore…)

 

 

A must-have if you buy whole coffee/espresso beans. French press coffee is best with fresh ground coffee beans, so that is what we use it for. Since coffees and espressos are being made on the daily at our house, I am going to be honest, it’s too much effort to continually swap out the beans multiple times a day, so we grind our coffee beans fresh and buy already ground espresso beans. Currently, our favourite coffee and espresso beans are from Lavazza. We use a Krups Coffee Grinder & it has served us very well!

 

 

A kettle isn’t necessarily a must-have, BUT when making french press coffee the water needs to be boiled to 200 degrees which is much easier to maintain in a kettle, electric preferably. You also want to be welcoming to all the tea drinkers in your life!

 

We have had our Cuisinart Programmable Electric Kettle since we have gotten married and it still works like a charm! When it’s time for a new kettle, we won’t be looking around for a different brand.

 

 

This is pretty much self-explanatory. If you love espressos + lattes and drink them frequently – this investment is one that’s worth it! An espresso machine can be the most personal item on this list – it needs to be tailored to you and what is important to you when you use it. Whether it’s appearance, user-friendliness, convenience…it all depends on you. Since they can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, spending the time to read lots of reviews is super important!

 

We have recently come to realize a weighted espresso tamper is a big must have if you are making espressos in a machine. Basically, when putting the grinds in the portafilter, you need to press them down firmly so the hot water can run through it consistently. When you have one that is heavy and weighted, you don’t have to rely on pressing it down really hard, because this tamper will do all the work! This particular one we got has been a DREAM!

 

For organization and convenience, these have become a must for us. Having beans, sugar etc. at your fingertips instead of having to dig through your cupboards surprisingly saves a lot of time in the morning. It’s also a nice way to add some style & prettiness to your coffee station since the appliances can get a bit overwhelming. As much as I love glass containers, I have found with coffee beans the glass gets really brown and icky, so having something solid cleans it up a bit. We currently have our coffee beans stored in my Starbucks Ceramic Canister (I know we are big Starbucks people, but I just LOVE their coffee accessories!) Black ceramic with a copper top, it’s just so pretty and clean. I have seen them still at most Starbucks shops, though I am really crushing on this one.

 

We also have a canister for our sugar & tea from we got as gifts. Though I may be switching them up soon for one of these

 

Need I say more? I don’t think so. Here are some pretties to mull over

 

 

If there are espresso drinkers in your family, this is a no-brainer. I also suggest buying doubleshot cups, because then you have options.

 

 

Another big one for convenience. Having your to-go tumblers on hand is perfect in the morning. Notice a theme?…not having to move from your coffee station haha! We don’t particularly have super slow mornings, so convenience is a big one for us.

 

I recently bought my husband the all black Starbucks tumbler & he loves it. You really can’t go wrong with all black! I got my pretty one as a gift & cannot find it anywhere online 🙁 …but check out this super pretty one that I love!

 

So that pretty much sums up the basics – but there is always more you can do! You don’t want to lack the love for your tea drinker friends and family, so make sure to have a cute teapot handy for them! Like this adorable Kate Spade Kettle!