Recommended for you
If you’re one of the 73% of Americans that drinks coffee every day, you know just how expensive it’s getting. Thanks to recent tariffs hiking the cost of imported beans and large coffee chains upping their prices for extra beverage customizations, getting your hands on your favorite café drink could cost you an average of over (gasp!) $90 per month.
This is the main reason more and more people are making their coffee at home, according to Andrea Ramirez, Consumer & Customer Market Insight Expert at Torani.
“As consumers are presented with the rising cost of drinks, with additional charges for things like flavors or different milks, many are beginning to realize the benefits to be had by perfecting their favorite coffee shop drinks at home,” Ramirez said.
This could be why your FYP is increasingly bombarded with coffee influencers and endless at-home coffee recipes. Mine is the exact same way, but as a coffee lover, I’m not complaining. After all, when I make my bev myself, typically iced coffee, I’m able to tailor it exactly to my personal taste (unlike some baristas… no offense, baristas) – and I’m not alone in that. In fact, 20% of consumers that drink cold coffee at home say improved taste has encouraged them to do so, per Torani.
With more access to professional-grade coffee products than ever, it feels like we’re all taking advantage of the vast variety of syrups, cold foams, creamers, milks, and other additions that make our coffee orders, well, ours – and less expensive, at that. The best part about becoming your own barista at home is you don’t necessarily need all those barista-level skills to produce something tasty, super satisfying, and ultimately, affordable.
You can easily start building your very own at-home coffee empire with these best additions – I’m talkin’ everything from espresso machines and moka pots to cafe-grade syrups and cold foams.
The Best Coffee Machines + Brewers
Amazon, Fellow
De'Longhi La Specialista Touch Espresso Machine
If you take your espresso seriously, an expert-approved espresso machine may be worth the hefty investment. This model from De'Longhi makes brewing strong shots super easy with guided technology to ensure the ideal grind and dose level of your beans, plus it helps assist with pre-infusion and sets the perfect brewing temperature for any kind of espresso-based drink you want to make.
Fellow Clara French Press
French presses are one of the most versatile coffee brew methods out there, but they're surprisingly also one of the easiest. Just add your grounds, pour in hot water, and let it steep before pressing down on the filter. You can play with the ratio of beans to water as well as the total steep time in order to find your perfect cup of joe. Though this model from Fellow has vacuum-insulated walls to keep your coffee hot, you can also set it in the fridge for a cold brew or iced coffee moment.
Philips Baristina Espresso Machine + Milk Frother Bundle
This compact espresso machine is a great option if you have limited counter space, but just can't kick your espresso habit. It does most of the grinding, dosing, and shot-pulling for you, so all you have to do is sit back for a couple minutes and wait for your espresso. From there, use it for lattes, Americanos, and more! This model even comes with a milk frother component for that real café feel.
Keurig K-Slim Single Serve Coffee Maker
Another small space-friendly brewer is the K-Slim by Keurig. I swore by this machine in my college days because it was so easy to pop a K-Cup in and have hot, strong coffee ready in literal minutes before I had to head to class or study sessions. If you're not about all fancy espresso and just like a classic, convenient cup of coffee, I'd say this is the machine for you.
Bialetti Moka Express
If you have a stovetop, you can whip up some seriously-good espresso using a moka pot. Contrary to popular belief, they're actually very easy to use and can create shots just as strong as a pro-grade espresso machine does. The moka pot – especially the original model from Bialetti – is my personal favorite way to make coffee at home because it feels like the most customizable method and gives me high-quality espresso without having to spend hundreds on a clunky machine.
The Best Coffee Beans
Trader Joe's, Trade, Copper Cow
Trader Joe's Organic Medium Roast Ground Coffee
The kind of beans you brew with can really impact how your cold brews, iced coffees, hot coffees, lattes, and more turn out, so it's a good idea to go with the best you can find – but the best you can find doesn't mean you have to shell out a ton of money on a single bag. I've actually found that this $8 medium roast from Trader Joe's is one of my favorites because it's not too light nor too dark, plus its flavor is nicely balanced for any kind of drink.
Klatch El Salvador Cerro Las Ranas
Every blend I've had from Klatch has been top-tier. This one hailing from El Salvador is especially tasty, thanks to notes of candied nuts, sweet vanilla, and orange.
Copper Cow Organic Classic Ground Coffee
This 100% Vietnamese origin coffee has notes of rich chocolate and nutty undertones for a smooth sip. I like this one when I want something a little stronger on the flavor front, like when I brew espresso for iced lattes.
The Best Instant + Ready-To-Drink Coffees
Amazon, Target, Cometeer
Nescafé Gold Instant Blonde Espresso
As a former barista, I know it might sound blasphemous for me to endorse instant coffee, but it's actually one of my go-to ways to make coffee at home these days. It's just downright easy and quick, which is helpful for my very-groggy mornings. I've bought at least five jars of this Nescafé option this year alone – it tastes so yummy while still having that strong coffee effect, plus like any instant coffee, it's simple to customize using different ratios of water. For example, I can make hot coffees, iced coffees, or shots of espresso based on how much water I add!
Cometeer The Discovery Box
Cometeer flash-freezes espresso shots to lock in their flavor then packages them up in convenient, ready-to-go cups – all you have to do is add water (or milk) to have a delicious at-home coffee in your hands! I truly love these little pods because they deliver café-quality espresso without me ever having to touch a machine.
Starbucks Signature Black Cold Brew Concentrate
Boasting the same custom blend of medium-roast coffee that you'd get from a Starbucks café, this cold brew concentrate is great for all the cold coffee drinkers out there. Since it's a concentrate (and not just straight-up cold brew), you can also get more servings from it since it's made to be mixed with however much water you'd like – just add more for a mellower taste, or less for a stronger sip.
The Best Coffee Syrups
Amazon, Jordan's Skinny Mixes, Torani
Monin Honey Syrup
This is where the fun with at-home coffee begins! Syrups are so easy to snag from the store these days, and per my experience, they make all the difference in turning my drinks into something so café-worthy. Honey syrup is one of my favorite add-ins these days, especially for iced lattes made with almond milk. Yum!
Jordan's Skinny Mixes Sugar Free Vanilla Almond Syrup
There's also so many sugar-free syrup options out there if you're worried about your morning bev being a little too... jittery. I love the variety that Jordan's Skinny Mixes carries, and by far, this vanilla-almond iteration is perfect for any kind of coffee drink I make.
Torani Pistachio Syrup
Torani also carries over 150 different syrup flavors for coffee – some of which are likely used by your local café that's charging extra for them. Instead, invest in a bottled flavor you love, and watch your coffee budget go way down! I'm currently obsessed with all things pistachio, and I love that their pistachio syrup isn't overly-sweet. It stays authentic to what a real pistachio tastes like, which is a perfect blend for iced coffees and lattes alike. I'm loving adding two pumps of it to some creamer, frothing it up with a handheld frother, and pouring it on top of my drink for an at-home cold foam moment.
The Best Milks, Creamers, + Cold Foams For Coffee
Trader Joe's, Minor Figures, Target
Trader Joe's Non-Dairy Oat Creamer Brown Sugar Flavor
If you like a creamier coffee but still want to add some sweetness, this TJ's creamer made with oats is so freakin' good. Plus, it's got brown sugar flavoring that's reminiscent of my longtime favorite Starbucks order, the Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso.
Minor Figures Barista Oat
Lots of fancy cafés tend to opt for this oat milk from Minor Figures, hence its 'Barista' title. I find it's super creamy and even froths well like a dairy-based milk would.
Chobani Vanilla Creamer
Chobani has a very wide range of creamers to suit your favorite flavors, like caramel and vanilla, or even 'wackier' choices like cookie dough or birthday cake! The thing I love about their creamers in particular is that they're made with real cream, which pairs so well with practically any kind of coffee bev I want to make. It's so yummy, I'll even pack a little bottle of it to take with me on camping trips.
International Delight Cold Foam Coffee Creamer
Yep – that's cold foam in a can. No more paying extra for that delightfully creamy layer of foam on top of your drinks! This one's as easy as pressing the canister for some added flavor and cream to your at-home coffee.
Fairlife Lactose-Free Whole Milk
For all my lactose-intolerant people out there, this milk from Fairlife lets you feel like you're not missing out on anything. It's still stupendously creamy and light for adding to hot coffees, lattes, and more.
Subscribe to our newsletter for more food + bev tips!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
