Dalgona coffee, a whipped latte-style drink made with instant coffee, has been all the rage on social media recently. It’s proof that everyone wants to enjoy the perfect cup of coffee at home while in lockdown. We asked Jake Easton, professional roaster and café quality control manager of Tribe Coffee and Arise in Cape Town for his advice and then found a few YouTube tutorials to bring out your inner barista.

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Make the perfect cup of coffee

This is Jake Easton’s advice:

1. Use boiling water that has had time to cool. Once you have boiled enough water for your coffee, wait 3-5 minutes for it to cool down before using it.

2. Buy coffee that suits your taste. Jake highly recommends buying local, as coffee made in South Africa is world-class by every standard.

3. Grind your coffee at home if possible. If not, buy ground coffee suited to your preferred coffee. For example, espresso requires a powder grind with a slight granular feel, whereas larger grains work well for a pour-over or Chemex.

4. The quantity of coffee matters. According to The Specialty Coffee Association, the perfect coffee, or The Golden Cup as they call it, is made using 60g of coffee per litre of water.

5. Making filter coffee should take roughly four minutes. If you’re using a French Press, pour the hot water into the glass jug and fully submerge the coffee for four minutes before pushing down the plunger.

More from Jake, follow @drinkarise or @tribecoffeeroasting on social media or visit tribecoffee.co.za.

Try these fun café-style coffee recipes

Instant Coffee Latte

One of the reasons why Dalgona coffee is so popular is that not everyone has access to an espresso machine, French press or milk frother. The tutorial below demonstrates how to make a café latte with what you have at home. Although they do use a milk frother, you can use an electric beater or whisk instead, just make sure that the milk is warm when you’re whisking.

Want to make Dalgona coffee? Food and Home Entertaining show you how, click here. 

Gingerbread latte

A delicious combination of sweet and spicy, gingerbread latte is perfect for winter. And you don’t need to buy an expensive coffee syrup to make it as this tutorial shows you how to make your own.

 

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Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee is a classic and surprisingly easy to make. If you have access to whisky, it’s worth treating yourself to one.

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French hot chocolate

We know it isn’t coffee, but who can resist a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day? Take it to a new level with this traditional French version.

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