Coffee Drinkers - How do you prepare your coffee at home to avoid places like Starbucks?

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  • RaeN81
    RaeN81 Posts: 535 Member
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    I make my own hot chocolate mix to make "mochas". The hot chocolate mix consists of a 1 part cocoa, 2 parts skim milk powder and 1 part sugar. Very simple recipe and about 10 calories per teaspoon (I make a batch about once a week with 1 cup cocoa, 2 cups skim milk powder and 1 cup sugar because my family likes it.)
    I put about 2-3 teaspoons of hot chocolate mix in the coffee. Then I add 1 tbsp reduced sugar creamer and if I am feeling like something extra special I add about 10 mini-marshmallows and 3 tbsp light whipped topping. This drink is under 100 calories and feels like something special.
  • leooftheyear
    leooftheyear Posts: 429 Member
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    reduced sugar almond milk
  • jessupbrady
    jessupbrady Posts: 508 Member
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    I order my coffee from BocaJava. They roast the coffee the day before it ships. So worth it; I have everyone at work so addicted to it we have our own monthly subscription (even a coworker who says he likes plain mid-roast coffees only likes the various blends that are listed as "flavored" loves the coffee) The flavors really are not "strong" and the coffee is smooth. A couple of the folks here who usually add cream/sugar stopped because the coffee doesn't need to be doctored.
  • hartmamp
    hartmamp Posts: 80 Member
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    My favorite is the Dunkin Donuts coffee grounds in either Blueberry Muffin or Chocolate Donut. They taste sooooooo good with a splash of milk. I find switching up the flavors keeps me "interested" as opposed to just plain black coffee all the time, although I do always keep a dark roast around as well.
  • hsmith0930
    hsmith0930 Posts: 160 Member
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    I like to drink cold-brew coffee in the summertime! Instead of using the hot brewer, you steep the ground in room-temp water for 12+hours. It makes a MUCH smoother coffee perfect for drinking black, even if you don't like black coffee. I make "vietnamese" style iced coffee, but it isn't exactly "low-cal" or "healthy". It uses sweetened condensed milk to sweeten and lighten it. I use about 2 tablespoons. Sometimes I add another splash of half and half if I need to lighten it more, but not always. It's super tasty!

    I use my Keurig and Aldi brand k-cups regularly. I have a vanilla, hazelnut, and donut house style coffee that I make depending on what I'm in the mood for, then 3 tablespoons of half and half.
  • babygrl7036
    babygrl7036 Posts: 3 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I drink Folgers Black Silk and have a recipe for homemade cappuccino. Tastes yummy and much cheaper than Starbucks. The recipe I have is for the chilled drink.

    10 cups coffee
    1/2 cup sugar
    1/2 cup brown sugar
    1/2 cup vanilla creamer or your choice

    Mix all together, chill and enjoy
  • kclay1021
    kclay1021 Posts: 56 Member
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    I make coffee in my keurig and buy new and interesting flavors that I know I'll love waking up to. I do my coffee with fat free half and half and then 2 truvia and then I'm out the door.

    Sometimes I do end up at Starbucks and I get a skinny vanilla latte - depends on the day.
  • lynndot1
    lynndot1 Posts: 114 Member
    edited April 2015
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    If you want the Starbucks "experience" at home I think an espresso machine is a good investment. Assuming you go for the espresso drinks like lattes and such, trying to make a "latte" with a cup of drip coffee is just not going to go well, haha. It's going to be a weird proportion of ingredients.

    I enjoy coffee black but I also enjoy espresso drinks. We have a decent espresso machine (not cheap, not on the high end either), and at this point I've got my "recipes" down pretty well:

    Americano: 2oz espresso + 4-6oz of hot water...basically, the closest you get to a "cup of coffee" using espresso. Just tastes like a strong cup, and I take it black.

    Cappuccino: 2oz espresso + 2oz milk + 2oz milk foam (you froth 2oz of milk until it doubles in size)...this is my go to drink if I want an espresso drink. 2oz of milk is hardly any calories, I think like 30 for 2%

    Latte: 2oz espresso + 4-6oz of steamed milk + optional flavors. I have vanilla, hazelnut, or caramel syrups if I want them. < 100 calories

    Mocha: 2oz espresso + 4 oz milk + 1 tbsp nice cocoa powder. Gives me just enough cocoa flavor without overpowering the drink. I think Starbucks (and most places) put too much chocolate flavor in a mocha to the point it tastes more like hot chocolate than a coffee drink. The most "calorie heavy" of any drinks I make at home, I think it ends up being 100 or so.

    All of those are still much lower calorie wise than their Starbucks equivalents, but they taste a lot better to me because it's the exact proportions I like. Starbucks main issue is their sizes are TOO BIG haha. A short (8oz) usually gives the best flavor but even 12oz talls are so big you end up putting a lot more milk in a drink than a more traditional recipe calls for. This results in a weaker drink, to me.

    I still go to Starbucks for frappuccinos though from time to time, because I don't bother with a blender here to make one myself. Also they just released the S'mores frappuccino yesterday. I had it, it's a delicious dessert, a bit too rich to have a lot though haha.

    If you don't want to invest in an espresso machine but want the espresso like intense flavor your next best bet would be an Aeropress, I think. We have one that doesn't get used now but before the machine it was our main coffee maker. It uses pressure to create a strong concentrated amount of coffee (not quite like espresso, but same idea), and you just add hot water to it to make a "cup of coffee" - but you could use the concentrated amount for an espresso drink.

    Sorry this turned into a novel. I guess tl;dr if you want espresso drinks they're hard to capture with regular coffee. For regular coffee I just drink it black. If you're the type that doesn't enjoy black coffee you can wean yourself off sugar/milk. I grew up drinking black coffee so it never bothered me but my boyfriend basically tapered off sugar a little bit each day until he could enjoy the bitterness of black coffee, now he loves it. Or just enjoy the sugar in your coffee and count the calories! Whichever :

    Edit: If anyone is looking for new coffee to experiment with I highly recommend ordering from Happy Mug, an online coffee seller. They have great shipping rates and delicious beans from all over the place. But for experimenting, you can get 1/2 pound bags for just $5 more or less. We buy 3 different types at a time and have been slowly making a list of our favorites.

  • brendak76
    brendak76 Posts: 241 Member
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    I love iced coffee in the summer and started making this cold brew coffee. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

    I make half of her recipe and strain it with a coffee filter not a cheesecloth. It's fantastic. I just drink it over ice with some vanilla soy milk.
  • anglyn1
    anglyn1 Posts: 1,803 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I have an espresso machine so most mornings I have a latte w/ whole milk for breakfast. No sugar or flavorings. If I want a special dessert coffee sometimes I will stir some salted caramel sauce and chocolate syrup in with the espresso and top w/ the steamed milk for a salted caramel mocha.
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
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    I put 2 tablespoons of sugar free hazelnut coffeemate creamer in every cup so if i drink 6 cups in a day then i consume 180 calories in creamer. If i use fat free milk i use 1/4 cup at 22.5 calories for each cup. I like to add almond or hazelnut extract to give it more flavor along with splenda packets or liquid Stevia.
  • dinaconesetraya
    dinaconesetraya Posts: 6 Member
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    In the fall and winter I use the "fake" pumpkin spice recipes I found on pinterest. I use stevia, solid pumpkin, almond milk and vanilla. Heat it up and then pour on top of coffee. Delicious!
  • 1shauna1
    1shauna1 Posts: 993 Member
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    I make four cups of water's worth (one scoop of grounds) in my brewing machine. I love President's Choice coffee in the gold can (Canada). I take it in my travel mug with half and half until light beige and one Splenda. Every day, never tire of it!
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,276 Member
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    I bought a Nespresso espresso machine. Have not spent a dime at Starbucks since then.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
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    1shauna1 wrote: »
    I make four cups of water's worth (one scoop of grounds) in my brewing machine. I love President's Choice coffee in the gold can (Canada). I take it in my travel mug with half and half until light beige and one Splenda. Every day, never tire of it!

    Four cups of water for one scoop of grounds? Is President's Choice coffee stronger than most (I've never had it) or do you just prefer your coffee less intense? I generally use about 1.5 tablespoons per 8 ounce cup...unless I am drinking coffee with chicory in which case I use about half as much.
  • nicoleromine
    nicoleromine Posts: 92 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Generally, I drink my coffee black, but if I'm craving an iced, sweet Starbucks sort of drink, here's what I do - I always have cold brewed coffee around (basically let coffee, 2 oz for every cup of water, sit at room temp for 24 hours and then drain). I fill a cup with ice, fill half way with the coffee, add a serving of my favorite flavored creamer, and top with water or milk, depending on my mood. Good stuff.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
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    I grind coffee and stick it in my Keurig.

    I still pick up Starbucks from time to time thanks to giftcards from coworkers. I'll usually get a black coffee or a frappuccino if I can fit it into my day.
  • Hippychick5983
    Hippychick5983 Posts: 130 Member
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    I have my Folgers coffee with either regular 2% milk or almond milk. Depends on what I grab from the fridge. Sometime I will spice it up with a creamer but that is mostly in the fall or winter when I want pumpkin or peppermint but I don't do that every day.

    There have been some great suggestions on here though that I want to try!
  • freeoscar
    freeoscar Posts: 82 Member
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    softblondechick wrote: »
    I bought a Nespresso espresso machine. Have not spent a dime at Starbucks since then.

    I fully back the Nespresso. I have a regular espresso machine as well, but they're difficult to consistently get a great cup - I really only use it on weekends now. Nespresso is better quality than Starbucks for sure. The pods are expensive, but still cheaper than buying.
  • lindaloo1213
    lindaloo1213 Posts: 283 Member
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    debsdoingthis wrote: »
    super_b_star wrote: »
    TheVirgoddess wrote: »
    I've never liked Starbucks, though oddly I use their coffee at home.

    I just have a cup with two sugar in the raw packets, and a tsp of hot chocolate mix. I'm not trying to replace Starbucks though, so I'm probably not much help.

    I use basic,generic, Folger's coffee. Do you think that using other grounds make a world of difference in quality? I'm sure it must, although I'm too afraid to try. Afraid of not liking it and it ends up being a waste of money because I don't know what to look for :(
    I just use Folgers as well, or any that's on sale (I'm cheap that way!). I shake a little cinnamon on top of the grounds in the basket or some cocoa powder and brew. YUMMM

    I drink folgers too. I have teued many others and dont care for them.

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