3 Simple Coffee Tricks to Change Up Your Morning

Thumbnail image from Pixabay

By Rebecca Fending

Are you tired of having the same cup of joe every morning? Or maybe you enjoy having the daily ritual that helps get your day started. Regardless of how you feel about your daily cup (or cups, we don’t judge) of coffee, these five easy tips will make you fall in love with mornings.

Invest in a New Coffee Maker

For many of us, our coffee is something we relish: it wakes us up and allows us time to ourselves as we gather our thoughts before the day. However, we can become tongue-blind to our morning cup. Coffee makers wear out just like any other household appliance, but at a quicker rate.

Since most people tend to use their coffee pot daily, sometimes multiple times a day, wear and tear can influence the effectiveness of the machine. This includes not brewing hot enough water, becoming clogged either with grounds or hard water buildup, or even the stains and scum on the inside of the carafe that doesn’t budge. All of these factors can affect the taste and enjoyment of our beverage. Here are a few new coffee makers that can help you get out of bed in the mornings:

• Stovetop Espresso Maker: Ranging from $6 to $45 online, stovetop espresso makers are a great, simple, and inexpensive way to jazz up your mornings. Whether you’re bored of traditional coffee or have a preference for espresso anyways, these brewers can even make a great gift idea for yourself or someone else.
• Keurig: Designed for those of us with busy lives or even those who want a single cup at a time, Keurig makers are a great investment. Pop in a “pod” at a time and brew your favorite flavor. Some machines now come with a Keurig single brew on one side and a full carafe brew on the other.
• French press: Otherwise known simply as a “coffee press”, these appliances are, again, great for those who want a more fresh and refined taste for their coffee. Relatively inexpensive, French presses have been around since the 1800s and are still a preferred way for people to make coffee.

Switch From Tap to Filtered

Something people may not realize is that the type of water you use can affect the taste of your morning cup. Most people assume that the taste of the grounds is strong enough to cover up any mineral taste from tap water. However, it’s not just the taste you should worry about, it’s the buildup. As tap water is boiled and filtered through your coffee maker, the minerals begin to deposit themselves along the surface within the maker. This, in turn, puts an added strain on your brewer, ultimately shortening its lifespan.

So, try brewing with filtered water to prolong the life of your appliance and reap a stronger, smoother taste for your mug.

A Cinnamon Sprinkle

This may seem like a no-brainer, but cinnamon and coffee make for a dynamic duo. Just look at coffee cake: a sweet, cinnamon-laced treat, whether it’s a dessert or paired with a fried egg. And what’s usually served on the side? Coffee, of course! So, it stands to reason that adding a dash of cinnamon to your morning brew would be a delicious spin.

There’s not exactly a recipe tied to this hack since cinnamon is a spice that changes with people’s preferences. What I personally enjoy is adding about a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon to my mug, along with my usual amount of french vanilla creamer. Some days I add more, and others I forego adding spice. The beauty of the drink is making it just how you like it.

As an added bonus, I’ve never encountered a coffee shop that didn’t have cinnamon as an option. Whether it’s Starbucks where they have a cinnamon shaker out with the half and half and sugar or a local shop where you may have to ask for it, this simple cinnamon coffee trick is one you can get anywhere.