What Do You Need to Build the Ultimate Brewing Station?

Not all coffee drinkers are the same. Some only drink coffee when it’s super fancy and requires more than 10 minutes to make. Others need their coffee fast and easy for those ‘grab-and-go’ days. Then there are the connoisseurs who not only know the difference between medium roast and dark roast, but also recognise which coffee equipment is well suited for certain types of coffee.

Although there are enough cafés in the UAE to ensure you get your caffeine fix wherever you are, sometimes you just want to make your own. Hand-crafting coffee gives you full control over the brewing process. You’re able to customise your drink according to how strong, creamy or sweet you want it. You can also choose from among the array of coffee beans in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE.

If you’ve been toying with the idea of using that empty space in your flat for a coffee brewing station, here are a few key things to keep in mind to help you sip in style.

Know Your Preferences

What a casual coffee drinker would have in their brewing station would be different from the coffee enthusiast. A casual coffee drinker will likely have low-fuss equipment, featuring a common coffee grinder, perhaps a scale, and a coffee brewer. The coffee enthusiast, on the other hand, will have the full setup. Think coffee house-style espresso machine, a tamper, steaming pitcher, scale and top-of-the-line grinder. 

Your coffee preferences will determine what sort of setup you’ll have at home.

Choose Your Equipment

Do you prefer a pour over or French press? If your coffee preferences lean towards the lighter roasts, a pour-over would be the perfect tool to highlight those delicate flavours from the beans. If you love your coffee strong and dark, then a French press will allow you to make full-bodied cups any time of day.

If you’re more of an espresso drinker, a good quality espresso machine would satisfy your taste for concentrated shots of coffee.

An espresso machine comes with a whole lot of features, from the pressurisation method to the shot pulling and automation. If you don’t want to fuss with the levers and buttons, go with the automatic. The machine pulls the shot according to how it’s programmed; you’ll still have control over the grind setting with an automatic espresso machine. However, if you prefer to let the machine do it all, you can get a superautomatic espresso machine that will grind the coffee, pull the shot and steam the milk. All you have to do is choose the bean.

Along with your preferred coffee equipment, pick your ideal:

• Coffee grinder (Burr grinder does a consistent grind)
• Milk frother
• Digital scale
• Tamper
• Gooseneck kettle for precise pouring

Use the Right Layout

Where you place the coffee brewing station determines the ease in which you make your cup of java. If foot traffic in the kitchen will be affected by a coffee station, consider placing it near the living room or a reading nook. But still within easy access from the kitchen.

For efficient use of a small space, use wall-mounted shelves for storing cups, silverware and coffee essentials.

Another way to keep a coffee brewing station in a small space is to use a trolley. A mobile brewing station gives you the flexibility to make coffee wherever you are in the flat.

Create an Ambiance

If you spend a lot of time on Pinterest, you’ve probably heard of ‘cafécore’. It’s an interior decor style that has coffee drinkers upgrading their in-home brewing stations. You can take your cue from this design trend.

Find the right mix of accessories, from chalkboards to café-style signage. You can keep the station monochrome for low-key elegance, or try a vintage look with an antique apothecary cabinet and old coffee signs for a fun, quirky station.

Stock Up on Essentials

Every good coffee brewing station must be stocked with the right essentials. Apart from your preferred coffee beans, you’ll need milk (which could be non-dairy if you’re lactose intolerant or are vegan) or creamer, sweeteners (which could be simple syrup, raw sugar, coconut sugar, date syrup, or monk fruit) and flavoured syrups (to enhance every cup you make, e.g., vanilla, salted caramel, gingerbread, pumpkin or hazelnut).

You could also stock your coffee station with tea and cocoa, for family members and guests who may not be coffee drinkers.

Once you have everything you need to build your coffee station, and you’re ready to set it all up, consider how you’re going to keep it clean.

Keep It Neat

A good coffee station doesn’t have to be cleaned every day. But it must be tidy. If you’re the only one using it, it should be easy to practise the ‘clean as you go’ habit of restaurant workers. If not, put up a sign saying as much or work it out with the other people who use it.

Your coffee beans must have a ‘best by’ or ‘roasted on’ date to ensure you’ll have fresh tasting coffee every time. Once a bag is opened, the practice is to consume the rest within three weeks. 

A coffee brewing station in your home can make every morning or every weekend a pleasant, serene time. Just you and a cup of finely brewed coffee made according to your taste. You can still go to your favourite coffee shop, but a brewing station at home will always elevate your coffee drinking experience any time of the day.