Coffee makes me happy. Having a spot that’s easy for me to make my own cuppa just helps me start my day out with a positive outlook on life.
And when it looks nice (and honestly, it only looks this nice for company), that just makes my heart sing!
Why You Need a Coffee Bar
If I have to convince you to dedicate a space to coffee, then you must not be a diehard coffee drinker.
Ha. I’m totally kidding.
Setting up a coffee bar or coffee station at home is way easier than driving out every morning to get your morning java.
Not to mention, cheaper.
Seriously, having a dedicated spot for your favorite beverage is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Sometimes it’s the little things, like a cute coffee bar, that help you roll out of bed with a an extra pep in your step.
You should try it out. Because what else is there to live for? Again, totally kidding! (Or am I?)
How to Set Up an Awesome Coffee Bar At Home for Free
I’m guessing that if you want to set up a coffee bar, you’re a coffee drinker, and you already have stuff to make coffee. That’s pretty important for the “free” part of my title. If not, I’ll have some suggestions for stuff you can get for your coffee bar throughout this post.
Step 1: Pick a spot for the coffee bar
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Ideally, you want a spot that’s somewhat out of the way, but still accessible, and close to where you’ll enjoy having your morning coffee. Here are my great ideas.
- Clear a spot in the kitchen for the coffee.
- Set up a coffee station in the entryway so you can grab your coffee as you head out.
- A bar cart works beautifully for a coffee bar, as well.
Whatever spot you pick should be large enough to host a coffee maker and at least one mug. It should also have storage nearby for supplies for coffee-making and consuming.
Oh, and an outlet. Yeah, outlets are important.
Step 2: Set up the Basic Supplies for your COffee Bar
Keep the basics handy:
- coffee maker (scroll down for my recommendations!)
- coffee
- filters
- mugs
Do you have a spot to keep mugs and coffee-making supplies organized? If you don’t have any cabinet space, try a pretty basket, or even a tray. Grouping things intentionally on a tray helps them look organized.
Step 3: Add all the little coffee extras
Now, let’s customize your coffee station even further. Before we dive in, let me ask you this.
How do you enjoy your coffee?
If you drink it black, then all you need is a coffee maker, filters, grinder, and beans.
For the rest of us, sugar, spoons, and creamer are must-haves. I also like to brew my coffee with cinnamon, so I have a little spice jar at my coffee bar.
The cinnamon, honey, and spoons are all contained in this little tool box caddy. The exact one in the photo is from Macy’s, but here’s a similar one.
Step 4: Top Off Your Coffee Bar with Cute Decor
Personally, I think decor is best when it’s both practical AND cute!
To my coffee bar, I added a decorative tray, rustic caddy, plant, and coffee bar wall sign. (DIY on the sign to come!)
The plant is purely for decoration! Just to liven up the scene and hide the wall outlet. However, the caddy helps keep the little stuff (honey jar, spoons, and cinnamon jar) organized, and I do typically use the white tray in the back for serving drinks when we have guests.
Sometimes displaying things like sugar, stirrers, or coffee beans can help pretty up a space while still being ultra practical.
Other ways to amp up your coffee bar decor:
- a lamp
- a framed photo
- mug holder
- pretty sugar bowl
- cute canisters
- cake stand with pastries
Dig through your pantry and ransack the house for cute decorations for your coffee bar! Free decor is just waiting in a closet somewhere!
Don’t Forget about Tea Drinkers
Not everyone enjoys coffee. Just because they don’t, doesn’t mean we should exclude them!
The top drawer of my at home coffee station includes lots of tea, extra coffee filters, napkins, a bottle opener, corkscrew, and other miscellaneous extras.
Corralling tea bags in old tins helps keep things nice and neat, and easy to find. I also lined the drawers with a non-slip drawer liner, so the loose items don’t slide around every time I open the drawer!
Make Your Best CUp of Coffee Yet
I keep my coffee beans in a cute, but tightly sealed, glass jar. This is because as coffee is exposed to air, its quality deteriorates. So use that cute container you’ve been eyeing! But make sure it is airtight.
I also like to use whole beans and grind them fresh every day.
This is key to getting that barista-brewed coffee flavor in your mug at home!
If you usually buy pre-ground coffee, switch immediately to a burr grinder and whole coffee beans. It makes a HUGE difference, even if you buy cheap coffee beans.
I find my coffee to be more flavorful and less acidic when I grind my own beans.
Bean Box has great tips on coffee grinding if you’re ready to get started!
The Skinny on Coffee Makers
Now that you own a burr grinder, you are officially a coffee snob. This means that you can get super fancy with the coffee makers if you want.
I’ve been relying heavily on my good ol’ drip coffee maker these days. However, I do have other coffee makers for just about any kind of coffee I want!
Though sadly, not espresso. Those machines are too expensive and I could never convince my husband to get me one.
Drip coffee maker: This is what I currently use, and probably what a lot of you use! Best features: it’s programmable, and it can make a lot of coffee! I like that the hot plate keeps the coffee warm because I never get to drink my coffee right away anymore.
Single-serve coffee makers: I’m not a fan of the pods. I used a Keurig before I knew coffee could taste so much better than that. Plus, what happens to all those little plastic cups in the landfill?
French press: I like my little French press. It’s compact, it’s cute, and it doesn’t require any extras like coffee filters. I just have one thing to wash. The downside is that it only makes 4 cups of coffee, so that doesn’t work for me on the weekends when my husband is home.
Cold brew: Come summer, I love my cold brew! This cold brew maker is exactly like a French press, except it’s plastic, and it’s bigger. To use it, I pour my freshly ground coffee into the cup, then add cold water, and seal it with the lid. I let it sit for 24 hours undisturbed on the counter. When I’m ready for it, I swap the lid for the plunger and press all the grounds to the bottom. I typically make this every day and store the extra in the fridge until I have a good supply built up.
Aeropress: I haven’t tried this, but I’m thinking about it. Basically its the love child of a French press and an espresso (keep wanting to type expresso, ugh!) maker. I love lattes, and a good espresso is key to making one.
Pour over: OK. This is the most labor-intensive way to make coffee. I’m still not convinced it makes the best coffee. Then again, I could be using it wrong. Shrug.
Espresso machine: I used these all the time during my summer in Europe. Espresso is fantastic. Espresso machines are horribly expensive. If you love espresso and have an affordable espresso machine you would recommend, please let me know!
Set Up a Coffee Bar in Your Home Today
Thanks for taking a little tour of my coffee bar!
I absolutely love having a dedicated coffee station. Sometimes it’s the little things that turn ordinary days into extra special ones. For me, it’s a freshly brewed mug of coffee in my pajamas.
Hope you enjoy, and may your coffee pot always be hot.
Follow Sojourner Mom on Pinterest for more coffee bar ideas! And please pin this post!
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