7 Coffee Essentials That Help You Forget You're Not in a European Cafe
While chatting with one of my fellow travel friends on the ‘gram, I realized how much I love coffee, and that a ritual with very special coffee accessories is necessary to create that European café feeling. From the smell of the coffee fresh out of the bag, to the sounds of steam screeching out of the espresso machine, every part of the European café experience is nothing short of magic, and some of my greatest travel memories center around a warm cup of a frothy, milky cappuccino.
Is there a better way to start a vacation day than with coffee?
I remember studying abroad in Rome, sitting in a café with someone who became one of my very best friends, sipping a cappuccino con crema and talking about our history class from the night before. I later took my husband to that same café 10 years ago, and had him try that wonderful liquid, getting him just as hooked to the beverage as I was.
I also remember sitting on a cobblestone dock in Hvar, Croatia watching the sun dry up the rain from the night before, all while knocking back a simple cappuccino. As I waited for a water taxi to whisk me away to Sveti Klement for the day, I luxuriated in the sun, thanking the stars that I had been put in that café on that perfect day.
Enjoying my coffee in an overwater bungalow
Whenever I can’t travel, I find myself slipping into my old Starbucks habits, grabbing the seasonal drink from the counter of the coffee shop closest to my office, and drinking it anticlimactically. I decided in this past year that I needed to create a morning routine that brings me even the smallest joy, so I began to buy items that would suffice my kitchen as a small brew shop. After a year of testing, breaking, repurchasing, and becoming obsessed with my new venture, I settled on the items that reminded me most of sitting in a café in Europe, and watching the sun rise while locals go about their daily activities. Below are my favorite pieces in my daily coffee routine, and where you can get them to start your own collection. Let’s become coffee twins!
Zulay Frother
This frother has been a game changer for me, and has really upped my coffee game since I started working from home. I used to think a milk frother was an accessory I didn’t need, and that flat, hot milk was fine for my daily Dalgona Coffee (yep, I’m still making it). I saw this little tool on a Christmas list, and thought, “Well if somebody else wants to buy it for me…”, and added the cute little appliance to my Amazon wish list.
I opened this handheld cutie on Christmas morning and set it aside, moving onto my next gift. Once I had unwrapped all of my gifts, wrapping paper was collected and squashed into an overly stuffed trash bag, I decided to make my daily Dalgona to pep me up to make Christmas lunch for my family. I pulled the Zulay Frother out of its box, heated my milk, and frothed away. As I sipped my coffee that morning, I vowed to never NOT use this frother ever again. It made my milk so light and fluffy, and gave me the light little bit of foam that reminds me of sitting on the cobblestone street in Hvar, Croatia, sipping a cappuccino while waiting for my water taxi to whisk me to a remote island for the day. Any frother that can do that is worth my $20.
Vev Vigano Milk Frothing Pitcher
I used to not believe a stainless-steel steamer cup mattered in the coffee making process. I never really believed this kitchen accessory was worth what you pay…I mean wouldn’t frothing milk in a Pyrex glass measuring cup work just as well? Granted the master brewers and coffee masters I watched make world famous macchiatos in Naples don’t use Pyrex cups, but I never thought I would ever be that sophisticated.
What’s great about this steamer cup is that it has a narrower opening and taller sides, so it gives the froth from the warm milk a better vessel to climb the walls and hold its froth height, without collapsing in on itself. Whenever I make myself a little latte, I love to froth my milk, and after sifting the milk out of the steamer cup with the back of a spoon, I like to spoon froth onto the top of my drink, and control how much froth I’m working with that day. This steamer cup is not only sleek looking, but it makes a pretty professional looking milk froth as well.
Mr. Coffee Mug Warmer
When I was first starting out working in an office, armed with a Bachelor’s degree and zero idea of what I wanted to do with my life, I sat at a desk next to a woman who had a Mr. Coffee mug warmer. At the time, I had no idea how people drank coffee every morning, let alone multiple cups, and needed to keep it heated. Now, after being in the workforce for 10 years, I understand…oh my god do I understand.
I received this as a gift from my sister-in-law, and while I had added it to a gift list one year for Christmas, I was still unsure if the Mr. Coffee mug warmer would hold up and be worth it to take up my already limited desk space. The first day I used it, I had prepped my coffee for the day and popped my mug on the warmer before hopping in the shower. Fully expecting to come back to a cold cup of coffee, I grabbed my mug from the warmer, and swirled it while balancing my hair wrapped towel on my head. I took a swig, and was shocked at how hot my cuppa still was. This mug warmer has saved me multiple trips to the microwave to reheat my coffee after letting it sit a little too long, and is a non-negotiable for any desk I occupy from here on out.
Nescafe Instant Greek Coffee
When somebody says they are going to Greece, what do you picture? I don’t know about you, but I picture Gyros, the Parthenon, and deep blue waters surrounding crisp white towns on hills. But coffee? Never.
However, the famous coffee-based drink, the frappe, was invented in Greece, and became a staple for my daily breakfasts, and I quickly found it hard to function without the chilly liquid gold in the morning. When I came back to the States, it was hard to find a good instant coffee that matches the smoothness and sweetness of the drinks I had in Greece, until I stumbled on the Nescafe Instant Greek Coffee. The first time I made Dalgona coffee with this brand of instant coffee, my coffee whip whipped up taller than it ever had before, and it created so much more drinkable of a drink. I have also made iced coffee with this instant coffee, and found it perfect poured over ice with a dash of milk.
OXO Brew Tea Infuser Basket
When I travelled to Greece, my husband and I made a long stop on the island of Crete. While here, we climbed the Kallikratis Gorge, and at the top were greeted by a lovely lemonade and natural herbs stand run by a local couple. While deciding between what we wanted to take home, their homemade jams or traditional herbs used in Greek cooking, my husband spotted a bag of wild tea flowers, and studied it carefully. Ultimately landing on purchasing the tea flowers, we stowed them in our luggage and flew home. Within days of landing home, he unwrapped the tea flowers and was greeted by a deliciously floral tea, with flowers and stems seeping their herbal goodness into his cup.
I myself am not a tea drinker, but my husband has two, sometimes three cups in the morning, and this little gadget has come in real handy. Not a fan of tea bags, but rather preferring loose-leaf tea, this tea infuser has stood up to dish washers, being crushed in a ceramic sink under pots and pans, and almost 5 years of use. On mornings when I wake up before him, I often will heat his water, and toss one of his favorite tea blends in this infuser, and toss it in his cup. I have never once had to fish out tea leaves from the bottom of his cup, and I know there will be no leaf particles floating on the top to be accidentally swallowed while checking his work emails. I am fairly confident this infuser has made my husband think I am a part time barista, at least that’s what he tells me when I hand him a hot cup of tea to start his day!
HadinEEon Electric Kettle
One of my fondest memories of my time in Honduras is sitting out on the veranda of my hotel, and watching the hummingbirds buzz through the flowering trees, and listening to the waves crash on the beach I had every intention of visiting that day. I would sit back, my hands wrapped around a white ceramic mug of coffee with just a little bit of creamer, and enjoy my morning, the way you can only enjoy mornings when you’re on vacation. Waking up with the sun was a little more tolerable then, and the coffee was always warm, preparing me for a day in the sun.
Now when I am home, I still expect a hot cup of joe first thing in the morning, and getting it nice and hot is key (I always order extra hot at cafes, that’s how hot I like it), and I found the device that is so quick and easy use, making a cup of hot tea or coffee can happen in two minutes flat. The HadinEEon Electric Kettle is a staple in our house because of its simplicity, utility, and its effectiveness. I love that with the touch of two buttons (the temperature choice and the “Start” button), I can have hot water ready for whichever morning brew I choose, with water boiling in two minutes…just enough time to feed Rocko and make it back to the kitchen in time! I was incredibly skeptical when my husband unboxed this from an Amazon box, but quickly fell in love as it made my morning routine easier, and took up hardly any space in my already mini-sized apartment kitchen.
KeepCup Reusable Cup
I am all about sustainability, and doing everything I can in my daily routine to make sure I am leaving this planet as perfect as I found it. One way I am doing that is carrying my KeepCup with me when I am stopping for a cup of coffee on my way to work. This little cup is awesome in that it has a sleek design, but the functionality of it is just as amazing (what a concept, right?!). With a cork rim around the entire outside of the cup, I am able to hold even the hottest of drinks I ask for, and I never feel the heat through the cork. Another great thing about the cork is that it doesn’t swell or get disfigured when washed. It holds its shape and is not compromised by even the soapiest of water.
I also love that the cup is see through glass, meaning I can watch the foam swirl in my cup as I drink it down, and also that it has weight to it and doesn’t tip over easily on my desk. Easy to clean and small enough to pack, this little cup is great for a commuter, and comes in multiple sizes depending on your own personal preference for your morning beverage. But the best part about this cup? You can stop in your local shop (or even Starbucks) and ask for them to make your drink in this cup instead of taking away a paper cup and plastic lid. Now THAT’S sustainability!
Whether you are sitting comfortably in a Parisian café, sipping a café au lait and eating a croissant while watching the stylish people of France stroll by, or are lounging on your couch in your comfy pants and fluffy slippers, your morning routine is uniquely yours, and deserves some love. Treat yourself to some of my favorite coffee essentials from this list, and transform your living room into a small metal table and chairs overlooking the Caribbean Sea on a tiny Honduran island. You’ll find you won’t be hitting snooze as much as you did before.