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 Hibiscus Syrup for Iced Coffee and Cold Foam
A jewel-red, sweet-tart hibiscus simple syrup you can make in about 20 minutes: steep dried hibiscus flowers into a sugar syrup, then pour it into iced coffee, cold foam, sodas and iced tea.
How-To
How to Make Apple Cider Syrup (Boiled Cider) for Coffee
Apple cider syrup, or boiled cider, is fresh apple cider simmered into a glossy, sweet-tart syrup. Here is how to make it and stir it into coffee, cold foam, and autumn drinks.
How-To
How to Make Black Sesame Syrup for Coffee & Lattes
A toasty, nutty East Asian seed syrup for your coffee: toast and grind black sesame, steep it into a simple sugar syrup, and stir it into lattes, cold brew, or iced coffee.
How-To
How to Make Sorghum Syrup for Coffee
Sorghum syrup is a dark, earthy coffee sweetener that sits between honey and molasses. Here's how to loosen it into a smooth, pourable syrup, plus a molasses-and-sugar stand-in, ratios, and easy ways to use it.
How-To
How to Make Bee Balm Tea (Oswego Tea) at Home
Bee balm tea, also called Oswego tea or wild bergamot, is a bright, minty, faintly bergamot, caffeine-free infusion. Here is how to make it from the fragrant leaves and flowers, with amounts, steep times, iced tips and the history behind the cup.
How-To
How to Make Solomon's Seal Tea (Dunggulle) at Home
Solomon's seal tea — dunggulle-cha — is a warm, nutty, caffeine-free infusion of roasted rhizome. Here is how to steep or simmer it for an amber, comforting cup, plus re-steeping and storage tips.
How-To
How to Make Pineapple Weed Tea (Wild Chamomile)
Pineapple weed tea is a mild, gently sweet, caffeine-free brew made from the little rayless flower heads of wild chamomile. Here is how to identify, forage and steep it at home.
How-To
How to Make Mallow Tea at Home
Mallow tea is a mild, silky, caffeine-free infusion from the flowers and leaves of common mallow. Here is a simple recipe, the gentle steep that keeps the flowers blue, and the lemon trick that turns the cup pink.
How-To
How to Make Wood Avens Tea at Home
Wood avens tea is a warm, caffeine-free infusion made from the clove-scented root of herb bennet. Here is how to make it at home, with amounts, brewing steps, a strength table and light safety notes.
How-To
How to Make Lady's Mantle Tea (Alchemilla) at Home
Lady's mantle tea is a mild, green, gently astringent, caffeine-free infusion made from the pleated leaves and small flowers of Alchemilla. Here is how to make it step by step, plus taste, blends, storage, and a light safety note.
How-To
How to Make Sweet Cicely Tea at Home
Sweet cicely tea is a soft, naturally sweet, caffeine-free aniseed infusion made from the ferny leaves of Myrrhis odorata. Here is how to make it at home, with amounts, a steeping table and the plant-identification points that matter.
How-To
How to Make Salad Burnet Tea: A Cool, Cucumber-Fresh Cup
Salad burnet tea is a cool, cucumber-scented, caffeine-free infusion made from fresh young leaves. Here is a simple recipe with amounts, steep times, storage and iced serving ideas.
How-To
How to Make Rowanberry Tea at Home (From Cooked Berries)
Rowanberry tea is a tart, caffeine-free infusion of cooked rowan (mountain ash) berries. Here is how to simmer, strain and sweeten a smooth cup, and why you must always cook the berries and never use them raw.
How-To
How to Make Ground Elder Tea (Goutweed) at Home
Ground elder tea is a mild, green, caffeine-free infusion made from the young spring leaves of a common garden weed. Here is how to make it, from careful identification to amounts, water temperature and steep time.
How-To
How to Make Banana Cold Foam
A pale, creamy, mellow-sweet cold foam you froth cold — with very ripe banana or banana syrup — then float over cold brew or iced coffee.
How-To
How to Make Peach Cold Foam for Iced Coffee & Iced Tea
A golden, mellow-sweet cap of cold-frothed milk and peach syrup — here is how to froth peach cold foam cold and float it over iced coffee, cold brew or a peach iced tea.
How-To
How to Make Blueberry Cold Foam for Iced Coffee & Matcha
Blueberry cold foam is a silky, soft-purple cap of cold-frothed milk and blueberry syrup. Here is how to make it for iced coffee, cold brew or iced matcha.
How-To
How to Make Raspberry Cold Foam at Home
A pink, tangy-sweet cold foam you froth cold — with raspberry syrup or a little real berry — then float over cold brew, iced coffee or iced matcha.
How-To
How to Make Toasted Marshmallow Cold Foam for Iced Coffee
Toasted marshmallow cold foam is a fluffy, campfire-sweet cap of cold-frothed milk and marshmallow syrup. Here is how to whip it up and float it over iced coffee or cold brew for a s'mores-style treat.
How-To
How to Make Hazelnut Cold Foam
Hazelnut cold foam is a nutty-sweet, cold-frothed cap that floats on iced coffee. Here is the simple recipe, the amounts, a milk-texture table, and how to keep it cold.
How-To
How to Make Clove Syrup for Coffee
Clove syrup is a warm, mulled coffee syrup made by steeping whole cloves in simple syrup. Here is how to make clove syrup, with amounts, a steep-time table, and ways to use it in lattes and cold brew.
How-To
How to Make Blackberry Syrup for Drinks
Blackberry syrup is a deep-purple, sweet-and-tart fruit syrup made by simmering blackberries with sugar and water, then straining. Learn the recipe, ratios and how to use it in coffee, sodas and iced tea.
How-To
How to Make Praline Syrup for Coffee
Make praline syrup at home: toast pecans, infuse them into a brown-sugar syrup, and pour a buttery, nutty caramel sweetener into your coffee.
How-To
How to Make Molasses Syrup for Coffee
Molasses syrup is a dark, toasty coffee syrup you gently warm from molasses, sugar, and water. Here's the ratio, the step-by-step method, a light-to-bold table, and easy ways to stir it into lattes, cold brew, and iced coffee.