For the vast majority of people on planet Earth, the day doesn’t officially start until after their first sip of coffee. 

If this sounds like you, and coffee is a daily morning routine, then you want to ensure that you are making it the loveliest experience possible. Plus, you want the taste to rival the best coffee in Dubai. 

If you would like ideas for improving your daily caffeine experience, read on for the top tips for upgrading your morning coffee routine.

1. Brew speciality coffee

The best way to upgrade your morning coffee routine is to switch out the instant coffee for a high-quality, speciality coffee. By brewing this variety of coffee (the highest grade available), you will find that the beverage flavour and overall quality significantly increases. 

In order to create a product that is deemed a ‘speciality’ coffee, the entire production process has to satisfy incredibly high standards – from when the beans are first acquired to how you enjoy it when you prepare your cup. Therefore, if you want to have the best morning coffee routine possible, you want to make sure you are starting with a high-quality bean.  

The more speciality coffees you sip, the more you will be able to appreciate the breadth of flavours that are available and the more likely you are to find the perfect speciality coffee for you, such as Brazilian coffee. 

Keep in mind that drinking coffee black is the best way to savour its texture and flavour. However, many coffee drinkers (especially in the beginning) prefer to drink a beverage, such as a latte/iced latte, cappuccino, cafe Americano, or mocha. 

2. Develop your coffee palate 

Once you have started trying different speciality coffees, you will begin to develop your palate. Like wine, coffee is a dynamic beverage, and each type has a depth, complexity, and uniqueness for you to enjoy. The more you develop your palate, the more you will identify and appreciate the different qualities, flavours, and aromas. 

Your first step to developing your palate is to focus on the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savoury. 

Each time you sip coffee, ask yourself which of these primary flavours you taste. Then, when you feel comfortable identifying these, you can consider what kind of specific flavour (sweetness, bitterness, etc.) you are tasting. For example, one coffee may have a dark chocolate type of bitterness whilst another one possesses a lemon-y sourness. 

The more you actively taste everything you consume, the more you will train your brain to think about the flavours of your food and drink more deeply. 

By starting a coffee journal, you will have a place to write down your thoughts about the coffees you taste. It also serves as a history of your tasting journey, enabling you to keep track of the coffees you have tried and how your palette has developed. 

Keep in mind that you are most likely going to use non-coffee foods to describe the flavours you are tasting in your coffee, which is why you want to formulate a mental flavour library. And, the bigger your flavour library is, the more you will be able to identify unique flavours in your coffee precisely.

3. Create a ‘coffee station’ in your kitchen 

Creating a coffee station in your kitchen is an easy DIY project that can be done on even the smallest budget, while still significantly enhancing your mornings. 

In your coffee station, you will keep everything you need for your morning java. This will include your coffee appliance(s), jars of coffee, your mugs, as well as any other essentials that you use, such as filters or sugar. You may also have a coffee grinder, milk frother, and electric kettle. 

To create this area, start by choosing the perfect space for it. You want to ensure that it has enough room for your coffee essentials and provides easy access to the sink and bin. You will also want it to be near an electrical outlet if you have to plug in your appliance, or the stove if you need to use it. 

Some individuals like to set up their coffee station in a corner of their kitchen, while others prefer to use a freestanding cart. You may even have space for a sideboard or other table that can be positioned against an empty wall. Wherever you choose to put it, make sure that it works for you and your coffee-making routine in the morning. 

Decor is also an integral part of your coffee station. Maybe you want to include a plant in a coffee mug or a coffee sign placed on the wall behind your set-up. Or consider hanging up a chalkboard where you can write down your own menu!

4. Consider adding a little extra something to your coffee 

Homemade flavoured syrups are a fantastic way to add a little extra something to your coffee at home. By creating a batch of homemade syrups, you can then easily prepare yourself a delicious vanilla latte, a caramel Americano, or a pumpkin spice drink in the autumn. 

Many individuals like to blend coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and ghee into their coffee as it is said to provide your body with essential nutrients that help provide more energy, suppress the appetite, and boost the metabolism into high gear.

If you find you have made your coffee a little too bitter, then you can sprinkle some salt into it to reduce the bitterness as the sodium counteracts the bitter taste.

Or, if you want some extra flavour in your drink, have a look at your spice rack. Simply adding spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom can add a nice pop to your standard cup of joe, while vanilla beans or orange zest can make for a nice flavour. It’s your coffee station, so include whatever you want!

Are you a big coffee drinker? Or are you looking to try more speciality coffees this year? How do you like to make your morning coffee routine more special?

Let us know your thoughts and any other ideas you have in the comments below! 

AUTHOR BIO

Drew Dennehy is the co-founder of THREE Coffee, one of the region’s leading specialty coffee companies, headquartered in Dubai. His passion for coffee has led to the pursuit of career opportunities around the world from New Zealand and Europe to the United Arab Emirates. Drew’s goal is to enhance coffee experiences and ensure the industry is sustainable at every level. “We will achieve this by telling the story of the farmers who make each cup possible.”