Today I’m sharing how I created a fun and functional kitchen coffee and cocoa bar.
Hello friends!
Prepare yourselves for some scintillating content.
I talk a lot about my morning hot cocoa routine.
But I’ve been remiss in not sharing where this morning magic happens.
So, today it’s a quick tour of our kitchen coffee / cocoa bar.
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Images by Jessica Brydson Photography
When we renovated Snowberry, we added a built-in buffet at the far end of our galley style kitchen. It’s an amazing addition for many reasons. Storage … obviously. And it’s the perfect spot for a cute little coffee bar set up.
I don’t drink coffee. But, Jim does and we’ll get to that later. First let’s talk about the important stuff. My morning cocoa.
I’ve been drinking hot cocoa in the morning for a long time. My gateway drug was Instant Breakfast. Who remembers that? This was pre-coffee culture. Once Starbucks and its ilk hit the scene I transitioned to hot cocoa which I bought in the lobby of my office building on the way to the elevator. Anyone else work at One Market Plaza in San Francisco? On weekends in the ‘burbs I rollerbladed to a local coffee shop in town for cocoa … and a muffin or scone. Quite honestly, my morning cocoa is the best part of my day. At least it’s the part I most look forward to.
Over the years I tried to replicate the deliciousness of barista made cocoa at home to no avail. I tried heating it on the stove and I bought every milk frother known to man. No dice. During the pandemic my desperation reached new heights and my research (ahem … Instagram scrolling) led to Breville’s Milk Frother. Queue angels singing. Well, suffice to say Starbuck’s sent a search party but I refused to go back.
I actually feel quite smug about this and Suze Ormon would approve. Did you hear her recent interview where she said she’d rather die than buy a cup coffee? Then she spouted off some stats about how much retirement savings one would accumulate if they’d just stop buying coffee. Yes, I’m saving tons of money which somehow seems to find its way to Nordstrom instead of our savings account. But that’s neither here nor there.
As for Jim, he prefers adult beverages. And coffee. In our Fidalgo Island house he went so far as to install a Miele built-in coffee maker. At the time it was the only fully plumbed option. He worshipped that machine, but there’s no room for that nonsense at Snowberry so he invested in the popular Breville Expresso Machine. He loves it. And before you say it, yes, I could froth milk with this contraption. But it requires a skill level way above my pay grade.
Anyway, my beloved milk frother sits next to Jim’s fancy espresso machine. Last week I was forced to replace it with Breville’s newer, fancier model. It’s taken a bit of adjustment but I think it’s going to work out between us. Anyway, the frother upgrade seemed to call for an overall coffee bar update. By update I mean I bought a new tray. A hammered brass tray. It replaced a wooden tray and it’s a little bit smaller which has required some rearranging to ensure it’s both cute and functional. Jim needs more ‘stuff’ to make his morning latte and we’re still negotiating what does and does not belong on the new tray.
Recent Coffee Bar Upgrades ~
Breville Milk Frother | Hammered Brass Tray
Obviously we ‘decant’ our coffee beans and cocoa powder. We’re not savages.
How I make the best hot cocoa ~
Ok, so what you really want to know is how do I make my cocoa. I get asked this all the time so here it is for the permanent record.
2% milk (8-12oz) + Starbuck’s Classic Cocoa Powder (1-2 Tbsp)
As for milk, I try to stick with 8oz but some days just call for 12. If I really need to indulge I’ll use full-fat milk. Yum.
I buy Starbuck’s Classic Cocoa Powder on Amazon. It comes in a pack of two (usually dented) tins.
What are the components of a cute coffee bar?
Whatever you need to create your family and friend’s favorite morning beverages. Corral them on a tray and voila … you have a cute coffee bar.
This is what we keep on ours ~
- Coffee beans
- Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla Syrup
- Tea towels
- Mugs
- Spoons
- Coasters
So there you have it, our kitchen coffee / cocoa bar.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading this frivolous post.
And indulging my hot cocoa addiction obsession.
If you’re not following me on Instagram @makemineaspritzer, you’ll miss my cocoa making Reel.
Cheers from Snowberry!
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