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Writer's pictureThe Human Kitchen

Kitchen Therapy: An At-Home Coffee Bar

I am not a morning person, but this helps.

 

Many times I've decided, this is the day I become a morning person, but to no avail. I can honestly say I've done the legwork on this one.


For many months when I was waking at 4:30 am to go work in a french bakery, my body did what it was told, but my brain never got used to it. Try as I do, I'm far from my best self anytime before about 10:30. If you're back at the office, or like me and working from home these days and avoiding the cafe, waking up to fresh coffee and a place where all your favourite cups line up to greet you, is a morning pleasure that's easily set up, and really helps with the whole "I'm not a morning person" business.


In general, it's always nicer to have everything for a particular task grouped together and close at hand.

It makes sense to have the coffee, teas, spoons, teapot, sugar, cups, and coffee maker all living together in one place. Try to find a spot where you have an outlet nearby for your coffee maker or espresso machine, to avoid cumbersome extension cords. I live in an old house with very few outlets, so I make do and have tucked the cord in behind the marble-topped buffet that acts as the anchor for the whole thing.


You don't need a lot of space, and the bar itself can be anything: a table placed against a wall with some shelves above it, or maybe the kitchen office nook that was all the rage in new houses about 20 years ago that you never use for that purpose would be better suited as your coffee area. An old dresser works too, and has the added benefit of drawers to house other kitchen paraphernalia like placemats and serving pieces. I've set mine up on what used to be a buffet-hutch combo. I removed the damaged top shelves, painted the whole thing to match the kitchen cabinets and topped it with a piece of scrap marble that a local stoneyard was kind enough to cut to size. A shelf that came with the house is painted white, and mounted on the wall above to hold cups, coffee and tea, and other hot-drink essentials like white hot chocolate and cocoa to make mochas. I've added a tray that holds sugar and a pitcher for clean spoons, a great idea pilfered from the coffee house.


To make breakfast even easier, some simple clamp-down jars hold cereal, muesli, and granola. The domed cake stand is perfect for muffins or scones, and adds a cute bistro-bakery vibe. Don't forget a bit of fresh fruit in a pretty bowl too. When you see it, you eat it!


Most mornings we put the coffee on a timer, so all that's left to do is get up, grab a mug and face the much more tolerable task of facing the day. Good morning, indeed.

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