Knowledge Base
Coffee & Tea Guides
Brew better and explore more — buying guides, how-tos, and explainers for every coffee and tea ritual.
How-To
How to Make a White Russian Cocktail
A White Russian is a three-ingredient cocktail — vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream over ice. Here's the classic recipe, easy variations, and a non-alcoholic swap.
How-To
How to Make a Peppermint Mocha at Home
A peppermint mocha is espresso, chocolate and steamed milk with a cool hit of peppermint. Here is a simple copycat recipe you can make hot or iced at home.
How-To
How to Make a London Fog Tea Latte at Home
A London Fog tea latte is strong Earl Grey, a little vanilla, and steamed frothy milk. Here is the easy hot and iced method, an ingredient table, and pro tips.
How-To
How to Make a Latte at Home (With or Without a Machine)
A latte is strong coffee under a tall pour of frothy milk. Here is how to make one at home, with or without an espresso machine: the ratio, easy frothing methods, milk choices, and iced and flavoured variations.
How-To
Kahlua Coffee Cocktails: Drinks to Make With Coffee Liqueur
Kahlua is the rum-based coffee liqueur behind the White Russian, Black Russian and Espresso Martini. Here are the core kahlua drinks with measures, tips and a booze-free swap.
How-To
How to Make a Chai Latte at Home (Hot and Iced)
A chai latte is spiced black tea with steamed, frothy milk and a little sweetness. Here is how to make one at home, hot or iced, from a concentrate, tea bags, or whole spices.
How-To
How to Host a Tea Party: Menu, Etiquette, and Ideas
A tea party is simpler than it seems: a few good pots, a three-tier menu of sandwiches, scones and sweets, a nicely set table and light, myth-busted etiquette. Here is how to plan, brew and host one.
How-To
How to Froth and Steam Milk at Home (Tools and Technique)
Frothing and steaming milk means adding air and heat until it turns glossy and foamy. Here is the technique plus every tool that gets you there, from a steam wand to a jar and microwave.
How-To
How to Find a Work-Friendly Cafe (WiFi, Outlets, Quiet) Near You
Finding a work-friendly cafe comes down to a few map searches and knowing what to check first: WiFi, outlets, seating, noise, and whether laptops are welcome. Here is the method, plus the etiquette that keeps you a good guest.
How-To
How to Descale a Nespresso Machine
Limescale quietly slows and cools every pod machine. Here is how often to descale a Nespresso, what descaler to use (never vinegar), and a simple step-by-step method that works across OriginalLine and Vertuo models.
How-To
How to Clean an Espresso Machine (Backflushing and Cafiza)
Learn how to clean an espresso machine properly: daily wiping, weekly Cafiza soaks, and how to safely backflush the group head (only on machines built for it) without confusing it with descaling.
How-To
How to Brew Kombucha at Home, Step by Step
Kombucha is fermented sweet tea, and brewing it at home is a simple two-stage process. Here is the full method, a working ratio, the gear, and the safety basics.
How-To
How to Brew Coffee With a Vietnamese Phin Filter
A phin is the little Vietnamese metal drip filter that brews one strong, slow, full-bodied cup by gravity. Here is how to use a phin, step by step, hot or over ice, plus fixes for a brew that runs too fast or stalls.
How-To
How to Brew the Perfect Pot of Tea
A teapot is the easiest way to make several cups at once. Here is how to brew a pot of tea step by step, with a temperature and steep-time chart for every common tea.
Explainer
How Much Caffeine Per Day Is Safe?
For most healthy adults, up to about 400 mg of caffeine a day is generally considered safe, with no more than roughly 200 mg at once. Here are the limits by group, where caffeine hides, and the signs you have had too much.
Explainer
How Many Cups of Coffee a Day Is Healthy?
For most healthy adults, up to about three to five cups of coffee a day (roughly 400 mg of caffeine) is generally considered safe. Here is how to find your own sensible limit.
Explainer
How a Coffee Farm Works, From Seed to Harvest
A coffee farm turns years of patient cultivation into green beans. Here is how coffee grows, from seed and flowering to ripe cherries, harvest, and processing.
Explainer
Hot Tea: Types, Serving, and How to Enjoy It
A friendly guide to hot tea: the main types served hot, the water temperatures and steep times each one wants, when to add milk, and how to serve it and keep it warm.
Explainer
Hot Coffee: Styles, Serving, and Getting It Right
Hot coffee is coffee brewed and served warm — but under that one phrase sits a whole world. Here are the main styles, the right brew and serving temperatures, how to keep a cup hot, and how hot coffee differs from iced.
Explainer
Hot Chocolate and Cocoa Pods for Capsule Machines, Explained
Hot chocolate pods are machine-specific cocoa capsules, so which system you own decides what you can make. Here is what Dolce Gusto, Keurig, Tassimo and Nespresso actually offer, what is inside the pods, and how to get a richer cup.
Explainer
Hong Kong Milk Tea (Silk-Stocking Tea), Explained
Hong Kong milk tea is a strong, silky black milk tea strained through a "silk-stocking" cloth bag and finished with evaporated milk. Here's what it is, why it's nicknamed pantyhose tea, how it differs from British and bubble tea, and how to make it at home.
Explainer
Honeybush Tea, Explained: The Sweet Cousin of Rooibos
Honeybush is a caffeine-free herbal tea from South Africa and a naturally sweet cousin of rooibos. Here is what honeybush is, how it compares to rooibos, its antioxidants, and how to brew it hot or iced.
Explainer
Honey Tea, Explained: Tea with Honey and How to Make It
Honey tea simply means tea sweetened with honey. Here is what it is, the best tea and honey pairings, how to add honey to warm tea, and the honest, non-hyped benefits.
Explainer
Honey in Coffee: Does It Work, and How to Use It
Can you sweeten coffee with honey instead of sugar? Yes, and it shines in milky drinks like a honey latte. Here is how honey in coffee tastes, how to use it, and whether it really beats sugar.