Fast and Fancy Coffee for Beginners

Costs so little, and ready in less than five minutes! A four-minute read.

One of my more picturesque cups of coffee. Greek coffee in a random café on a slow and sleepy afternoon in Santorini, Greece.

After travel, I do love coming home. I appreciate my space even more, and enjoy nesting and lounging. But I do miss the relaxed café lifestyle I indulge in abroad. Slow travel comes with the luxury of savoring a cappuccino, café au lait or café con leche in the morning or a potent espresso or Greek coffee after lunch while people-watching or reading a book.

I’ve stopped regularly buying Starbucks years ago, when it became clear that it was serving caffeinated desserts that cost more than an actual dessert. I like Philz and Dutch Bros, but not enough to regularly spend eight dollars or more a cup.

My morning cappuccino in a rooftop café while gazing at one of the many amazing stupas of Nepal, which stares back at me!

I enjoy coffee but I don’t like spending disproportionate time, effort or money for it. Having my own espresso machine, and the whole long ritual associated with that never appealed to me. The closest thing I ever did was use a Moka pot and I got too impatient for even that.

So I created my own version of fast and fancy homemade coffee that makes me feel like I’m in a café every morning. It’s ready in less than five minutes, and costs pennies per cup.

Homemade cold brew and a milk frother are the secret weapons

Cold brew is the biggest time-saving (and cost-saving) hack for morning coffee— I make about 3/4 quart of cold brew that lasts me for four to five days.

Take a cup of ground (not instant) coffee and put it in a glass jar or container. It doesn’t have to be an expensive brand. I use Safeway store brand dark roast. 

Cold brewing is so easy! No need to buy ready-made, making it is a no-brainer.

For every cup of coffee, add three to four cups of room temperature water. I use this quart Mason jar and just fill it to the brim. Screw on the lid, shake and leave it alone for eight to12 hours. You’re now cold brewing.

After eight to 12 hours, strain the coffee/water mixture. I find that this French press is the easiest and fastest way to strain the brew. Pour the strained cold brew into a clean jar. This jar of cold brew, stored covered in the fridge, should last you a few days. If you drink a lot of coffee, then make a bigger batch!

Cold brew is less bitter and smoother than hot brewed coffee. And the convenience of making it ahead is unbeatable!

Fill your coffee cup with the cold brew about a third of the way. Heat the cold brew—one minute in the microwave is enough—and flavor it. I like adding flavored syrups and Stevia. If I were still a drinker, I’d probably rim the mug with sugar, then add whiskey and Kalua to make something Irish coffee-esque. Not for the morning, though.

Your homemade cold brew is the base for any and all coffee recipes! Making Starbucks dupes is easy.

Here’s how it gets fancy. I use an Instant Pot nine-in-one milk frother.* I used to love the Instant Pot four-in-one milk frother but I no longer recommend that model—the machine that spins the whisk gets clogged up with milk solids after some time, and mine just stopped working in less than a year. I also don’t recommend those flimsy milk frother wands—not if you like consistent and reliable milk froth every day!

I upgraded to the nine-in-one because it solves the deficiency of the earlier model. The whisking mechanism isn’t exposed to milk, therefore it won’t be prone to clogging, so I know this model is superior.

For my morning coffee, I start with cold milk, then froth using the hottest setting for about five minutes. This machine also produces warm and cold foam. I use cold foam on iced coffee or on a cold matcha latté, which I also make with this machine.

I pour the hot milk and foam into the coffee and sprinkle with cinnamon. I try to keep to the original cappuccino proportion—one third of the cup is coffee, two thirds “steamed” milk and foam.

Here’s my homemade morning café con leche, compare with the real thing, below. Of course, mine won’t be as good as the original but it still makes my morning feel special!

My typical morning coffee in Spain.

And that’s how I start my day. In five minutes or less, I journey back to my favorite cafés, as I sip on my fast, fancy and cheap café con leche/cappuccino dupe, for pennies per cup. Hey coffee snobs, no judging!

I offer a free consultation for beginners to the Camino de Santiago. Whether you’re still thinking of possibly walking your first Camino, or are already committed to doing it but need to know how to get started, e-mail me at contact@beginnersmind.life for your free consultation. Or maybe you’re thinking of being a solo traveler? E-mail me your questions!

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