Knowledge Base
Coffee & Tea Guides
Brew better and explore more — buying guides, how-tos, and explainers for every coffee and tea ritual.
How-To
Cafe Bombon: Espresso and Sweetened Condensed Milk
Cafe bombon is Spain's two-tone espresso drink — a shot of coffee layered over an equal pour of sweetened condensed milk in a small glass. Here is what it is, why it separates into dramatic bands, and how to make one at home in two minutes.
How-To
How to Make Iced Coffee With a Keurig
The one-minute Keurig trick for iced coffee that never tastes watery: brew a small, strong cup straight over a tall glass of ice, then finish with milk, syrup or cold foam.
How-To
How to Make a Kombucha SCOBY From Scratch
Grow a kombucha SCOBY from scratch using nothing but a bottle of raw, unflavoured store-bought kombucha and sweet tea. Here is what you need, the step-by-step method, and how to tell a healthy culture from mould.
How-To
How Long to Steep Tea: A Steeping Chart by Type
How long to steep tea depends on the type: black 3-5 minutes, green 2-3, white 2-4, oolong 3-5 and herbal 5+, each at its own water temperature. A steep-time and temperature chart, plus tea bag versus loose-leaf timing and how to spot over- and under-steeped tea.
How-To
Vietnamese Coconut Coffee (Ca Phe Cot Dua): How to Make It
Vietnamese coconut coffee (ca phe cot dua) is iced coffee topped with a blended coconut-cream and condensed-milk slush over a strong, dark phin-brewed base. Here is what it is, the two parts it is built from, and an easy step-by-step recipe.
How-To
How to Make Coffee Without a Coffee Maker: 5 Easy Methods
Five reliable ways to make coffee without a coffee maker, from cowboy-style saucepan coffee to a mug-and-strainer steep, a DIY pour-over and a jar press, plus the grind, ratio and water temperature that make each one work.
How-To
White Chocolate Mocha Recipe (Cafe-Style at Home)
A white chocolate mocha is a sweeter, creamier take on the classic mocha, made with white chocolate instead of cocoa. Here is how to make a cafe-style one at home, hot or iced, in about five minutes.
How-To
What Is Thai Coffee? Oliang and Thai Iced Coffee
Thai coffee is a strong, dark, sweet iced coffee — from black, sugar-only oliang to the creamy version layered with condensed and evaporated milk. Here's what it is and how to make Thai iced coffee at home.
How-To
What Is Spanish Coffee? The Flaming Cocktail, Explained
Spanish coffee is a flamed after-dinner cocktail of rum, coffee liqueur and hot coffee served in a sugar-rimmed glass with whipped cream. Here's the classic recipe, essential flaming safety tips, no-fire and zero-proof versions, and how it differs from a Spanish latte and a carajillo.
How-To
What Is Protein Coffee (Proffee) and How to Make It
Protein coffee, or proffee, is coffee mixed with protein powder, a shake, or high-protein milk. Here is what it is, plus a simple, no-clump recipe and a base ratio.
How-To
Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Ca Phe Trung): How to Make It at Home
Vietnamese egg coffee, or ca phe trung, is strong hot coffee topped with a fluffy, sweet whipped cream of egg yolk and condensed milk. Here is the story behind the "liquid tiramisu" and a step-by-step recipe to make it at home.
How-To
Vanilla Syrup for Coffee: Easy Homemade Recipe
Homemade vanilla syrup is just sugar, water and vanilla simmered for about five minutes. Here is the base recipe, the ratios that change its body, how to store it, and how to use it in lattes, cold brew and iced coffee.
How-To
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Recipe (Copycat)
A Starbucks-style vanilla sweet cream cold brew, made at home in two easy parts: smooth cold brew sweetened with vanilla syrup, topped with a silky, pourable vanilla sweet cream that cascades through the glass.
How-To
Vanilla Latte Recipe: Hot or Iced, Cafe-Style
A vanilla latte is just espresso, steamed milk and vanilla syrup. Here is how to make one hot or iced at home, with ratios, sweetness tips, and blonde and dairy-free versions.
How-To
Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)
A caffeine-free, coffee-free Starbucks copycat: blend vanilla bean powder or vanilla ice cream with milk and ice for a thick, snowy vanilla bean Frappuccino at home.
How-To
Uses for Coffee Grounds: 20+ Ways to Reuse Them
Do not bin your spent coffee grounds. Here are 20-plus practical uses for coffee grounds in the garden, around the home, in beauty, in the kitchen and in crafts, plus how to dry and store them.
How-To
Unsweetened Iced Tea: How to Make It (No Sugar Needed)
Unsweetened iced tea is chilled brewed tea with no sugar. Make it two ways: a fast hot brew over ice or a smooth overnight cold brew, both bitterness-free.
How-To
Ube Latte Recipe: The Purple Yam Latte
A step-by-step ube latte recipe for the vivid purple, sweet-and-nutty Filipino yam drink -- hot or iced, with espresso or caffeine-free, using halaya, extract, or powder.
How-To
Turmeric Tea: How to Make It (and Why)
Turmeric tea is a warm, caffeine-free haldi infusion of turmeric, black pepper, and lemon. Here is how to make it, what it may do, and a few cautions worth knowing.
How-To
Toffee Nut Latte Recipe (Cafe-Style at Home)
A toffee nut latte is a sweet, nutty espresso latte flavoured with buttery toffee-nut syrup. Here is the simple cafe-style method, plus an iced version and a quick DIY syrup you can make at home.
How-To
Tiramisu Latte Recipe: The Dessert in a Cup
A tiramisu latte turns the flavors of the classic Italian dessert — espresso, mascarpone cream, vanilla and cocoa — into a drink. Here is how to make it hot or iced.
How-To
Themed Afternoon Tea Ideas: Chocolate Factory to Mad Hatter
A themed afternoon tea keeps the classic three tiers and dresses them around a story, era or palette. Here are the most popular afternoon tea themes — chocolate factory, Alice in Wonderland, Regency, festive and floral garden — with styling cues, menu twists and a simple plan for hosting one at home.
How-To
Teh Tarik: How to Make Malaysian Pulled Tea
Teh tarik is Malaysia and Singapore's frothy pulled milk tea. Learn how to make it at home with strong black tea, condensed and evaporated milk, and the signature high pour.
How-To
Tea Biscuits: What They Are and How to Make Them
Tea biscuits are two different things: British dunkers like rich tea and digestives, and soft, scone-like quick breads. Here is what each one is, which dunk best, and a simple recipe to bake at home.