10 Ingredients To Help You Kick Your Coffee Up A Notch

Are your daily cups of coffee getting a bit bland? Why not add a little flavour and make your coffee at home more exciting? You can shelf your store-brought sweeteners and creamers; they don't really improve on anything. Instead, spice up your favourite beverage by adding something extra and go for natural flavourings. From common ingredients found in your pantry to unique ones, we run down a list of ingredients that will dress up your morning cup.

1. Butter

Adding butter with coffee has gained popularity in recent years due to its truly unique taste. Many coffee lovers and health buffs have grown accustomed to this coffee-butter mixture. Just a teaspoon of organic butter is enough to give your coffee a smooth, rich texture.

2. Vanilla

Vanilla adds a whole other dimension of flavour that you won't get with artificially flavoured creamers or sugar. Add a vanilla bean just before you grind and taste the difference. If fresh vanilla cannot be had, you can add one to two drops of extract to your coffee. A little goes a long way!

3. Cinnamon

Many coffee drinkers consider adding cinnamon to make the best coffee. Cinnamon with coffee is a common favourite, and this is why it has stood the test of time. Infuse your coffee by grinding whole cinnamon sticks for that really spicy punch.

Alternatively, if you don’t grind your beans fresh before each brew, you can sprinkle some cinnamon into your pre-ground coffee before adding water. It allows for a fully blended coffee that tastes like cinnamon and not just smells like it.

4. Nutmeg

If you want a surefire way to tickle your taste buds, try nutmeg. Nutmeg brings out the earthiness in your morning coffee brew, and together with the added sweetness, makes for a truly unique taste. The amount of spice to use is dependent upon personal taste. One shard, though, is good enough for a cup.

5. Cocoa Nibs

Cocoa nibs are 100 per cent cocoa beans. They are blacker than brown, their texture is different, and the taste is far nuttier and slightly chewier with a dark, rich taste.

This is excellent for those who love the taste of dark chocolate together with their coffee. Just add about half a teaspoon of cocoa nibs to every two cups of coffee that goes into your coffee grinder, grind together, and then brew your coffee as normal.

6. Lavender

Lavender is great when paired with fruitier roasted coffees. Either add lavender in with your ground coffee or add tiny drops of lavender oil to your brew and enjoy the fruity, fragrant aroma from your morning coffee.

7. Peppermint Oil

Nothing says yuletide season quite like pure peppermint oil in your coffee. It is best for chocolatey, dark coffee beans. Add a couple of drops of peppermint while you brew. However, use this sparingly because peppermint oil in its concentrated form can quickly overpower the coffee taste.

8. Clove

If you are used to smoking cigarettes, clover-flavoured coffee may be right up your alley. Since this spice can be pretty overpowering, use cloves sparingly with coffee. Either grind with your beans or add a couple of cloves to your pre-ground coffee and infuse when boiling water is poured over the ground beans.

9. Star Anise

This speciality coffee can be described as an acquired taste, and it will definitely raise some eyebrows. Add Star Anise into the whole coffee beans before grinding, and then brew as you normally would. However, it is recommended to use no more than three-fourths of a seed because when overused, it can be really overpowering.

10. Cardamom

One of the most unique spices you can add to coffee is cardamom. This spice tastes like ginger and contains fibre and other essential minerals, as well as aids in blood circulation. Either add whole cardamom seeds into the whole coffee beans before you grind, or sprinkle a couple of pinches of pre-ground cardamom seeds to your freshly brewed cup of coffee.

Conclusion

Bring your morning routine out of the box with these ten additions to your pantry. You'll surely bring out the best in your beans if you accentuate them with any of these ingredients and spices.

Your morning cup of coffee will only be as good as your blend. Let our team in Sydney at The Wood Roaster take care of that. Our award-winning coffee and smooth blends are the best companion for your mornings. Browse our offers today!