Creating An At-Home Coffee Bar Is Easier Than You Think

In this economy (not to mention today's tipping culture), the cost of going out for coffee every day can add up fast. But, if you're not quite ready to kick the caffeine habit yet or basic drip coffee just isn't up to your standards, there is a way to bring your third-wave coffee shop ideals to life in your very own kitchen. Despite a larger investment upfront, you may even save money in the long run.

The key to this magical solution? Building an at-home coffee bar, complete with quality equipment and extra accessories that let you grind your beans, steam your milk, pull espresso shots, and make your nonfat half-sweet vanilla latte dreams a reality. If your kitchen is limited in terms of space, a repurposed bookshelf or entertainment center, or even floating shelves above your kitchen counter, can be great coffee bar locations. It's also entirely possible to convert existing spaces into a coffee bar, whether that means transforming an underutilized kitchen counter or simply revitalizing your current coffee corner. Your coffee bar might even fit better in the living room, where you can easily impress guests with a homemade cappuccino while they relax on the sofa. Wherever you place it, putting it together is easier than you think.

The biggest decision you have to make when designing a personal coffee bar is how you want to brew your coffee, which may include multiple appliances. Maybe you prefer an espresso machine for whipping up the perfect iced latte in the summer, but turn to your trusty pour over when the days get cold. Or maybe all you're looking for is the best Keurig machine on the market. Other variations, including Aeropresses, moka pots, and Nespresso machines, can fit any budget. Find an option that fits your coffee preferences and is within your price range; don't feel pressured to purchase something with all sorts of bells and whistles that you know you'll never use.

If you're looking for a coffee machine that's simple but still high quality, Amazon has options as low as $100, such as the De'Longhi Stilosa Manual Espresso Machine. Meanwhile, if you're ready to splurge, the $750 Breville Barista Express is a barista-approved beast that features in-machine precision grinding, digital water temperature control, a steam wand, and more.

If you opt for something simpler than an espresso machine and find yourself regretting it later, or if you already have a coffee machine that you simply want to upgrade for your coffee bar project, you can always purchase accessories. A simple at-home coffee grinder is effective and worthwhile — after all, coffee experts say that freshly ground beans result in unbeatable coffee. Other simple additions to your coffee-making set include a Zulay Kitchen handheld milk frother (or the fancier Breville Milk Café Frothe) and a Careula milk frothing pitcher to help you achieve flawless latte art.

In putting together your home coffee bar, you may find yourself quickly gaining an appreciation for just how many items go into the coffee shop experience — and just how much space all these items take up. As you start to collect coffee beans, sugar, sweeteners, flavorings, stirrers, mugs, Keurig pods, and more for your DIY project, you might need to exercise your creativity to find compact storage solutions. Creating an organized space helps keep everything you need within easy reach, while also preventing the sprawl of coffee filters on top of your toaster oven.

Bins, baskets, glass canisters, or even simple storage trays can help you sort all of your items in a visible manner. This is especially helpful if you want guests to be able to help themselves to a cup of Joe while visiting. Elevating items to utilize wall space is the other go-to move, whether that's via floating shelves or a wire-hanging rack for coffee mugs. Finally, prioritize the items that get the most use; if your French press only makes an appearance at Christmas when your in-laws visit, it can stay in a cabinet the rest of the year.

Building up a small-but-mighty collection of high-quality cups — then finding a way to store them efficiently and decoratively — is a major step in achieving the perfect coffee bar. Practically, there are different coffee containers you need for different purposes, including glasses for iced coffee and tumblers for when you're taking your caffeine to go. Beyond that, coffee absolutely does taste better, or at least different, in certain cups or mugs. Whether your caffeinated beverage is served in a ceramic mug, a plastic cup, a metal flask, or a glass affects its ability to retain heat, and certain materials can even introduce unwanted flavors to your coffee. Plus, it seems like a safe bet to say that drinking out of your all-time favorite mugs, the ones that bring you joy and nostalgia, is also a reliable way to boost your morning mood.

Ready to upgrade your coffee bar so you can make all your favorite seasonal drinks at home (looking at you, Pumpkin Spice Latte)? Getting together an appropriate selection of syrups and garnishes to flavor your drinks might almost make your coffee bar feel like a chemistry lab, but embrace the experimentation. 

Many baristas use syrups with vanilla, hazelnut, and lavender being just a few examples of the myriad of flavors available. You could also add a drizzle of honey to the bottom of your latte, dust it with cinnamon, or garnish it with homemade, flavored cold foam or an edible flower. If you really want to have fun with it, consider placing a small chalkboard or whiteboard on the counter to list "specials" based on the season or whatever you're into drinking at the moment.

Once your coffee bar is set up, you want to keep it in tip-top shape; between coffee drips and spice dustings, it's easy for unwanted residue to build up. The tried-and-true solution is a bar mat, such as the ProTensils rubber bar mats. The material and dark color mean spills don't show up as much, and when you're ready to deep clean it's as simple as pulling up the mat and rinsing it off in your kitchen sink.

You can make the drinks and the latte art that a coffee shop can. But if you really want to go the extra mile, take some time to think about the details that make a coffee shop-going experience truly special and how you can incorporate those factors into your coffee bar. 

This could mean buying some colorful reusable straws for your iced coffee drinks, hanging a decorative sign or a mini seasonal wreath above your coffee bar, putting a miniature speaker in the kitchen and curating a coffee shop playlist to listen to while you go about your morning routine, or even using a Cricut Joy to print out DIY coffee shop logos to stick on the cups and mugs you've designated for your coffee bar. These optional extras might not be as functionally necessary as the other ideas, but let's be real: Coffee isn't just about functionality. It's also about enjoyment. Why not use your coffee bar to make mornings more whimsical and enjoyable?