Table of Content

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Introduction............................................................................................................4

Chapter 1: The Essentials of Milk Frothing............................................................5

The Tools of the Trade......................................................................................6

How to Froth Milk...............................................................................................6

Pouring the Perfect Cappuccino or Latté...........................................................8

Chapter 2: Delicious Drinks to Make at Home.....................................................10

Vanilla Latté.....................................................................................................10

Caramel Macchiato..........................................................................................11

Dirty Chai.........................................................................................................11

Skinny Dark Chocolate Mocha.........................................................................12

Cinnamon-Topped Cappuccino.......................................................................12

Tea Steamer....................................................................................................13

Cinnamon Steamer..........................................................................................13

Café Au Lait.....................................................................................................13

Americano........................................................................................................14

Traditional Macchiato.......................................................................................14

Chapter 3: Green Uses for Coffee Grounds........................................................15

Composting and Fertilizer................................................................................15

Pincushion Filling.............................................................................................16

Insect Repellant...............................................................................................17

Eliminate Odors...............................................................................................17

Skin and Hair Care..........................................................................................18

Scrubbing Dishes and Surfaces.......................................................................19

Natural Flea Bath.............................................................................................20

Repair Scratched Wood Furniture and Dye Old Clothes.................................21

Contain Fireplace Ashes..................................................................................21

Cooking Aid.....................................................................................................22

2

Interior Decoration...........................................................................................22

Conclusion...........................................................................................................23

3

Introduction

Waking up with a cup of coffee is a well-loved ritual for millions of people, all over

the world. In the United States, thanks to corporate and independent coffee

shops popping up all over the place, we’ve grown to love gourmet drinks like

cappuccinos, lattés, and chai. We spend a lot of money on professionally made

drinks, but did you know that you could make these same drinks at home?

Making gourmet drinks at home not only saves you time and money, but it also

gives you an opportunity to do your share for the environment and your health.

There are all kinds of uses for your used coffee grounds that you may not have

ever thought of. In this book, you’ll learn how to make the drinks you love and

how to use your old coffee grounds to make your life better and help out the

environment.

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Chapter 1: The Essentials of Milk Frothing

If you love drinking cappuccinos, lattés, macchiatos, or any other frothy gourmet

coffee shop drink, you’ve probably wondered how you can make them at home.

When you go to the coffee shop, the barista stands behind a large machine,

making a lot of noise with a steam wand, while – at the same time and seemingly

by magic – pulling shots of espresso through that same large machine.

Somehow, out of all of this, you get a delicious drink that you can’t even start to

think of how to replicate at home.

Well, there’s good news. With the help of a smaller at-home version of the same

kind of espresso machine and steam wand, and just a little bit of instruction, you

can make your favorite beverages in your kitchen!

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The Tools of the Trade

What do you need to buy to make frothy, gourmet drinks? Your biggest purchase

will be your espresso machine. Make sure that you get one with a steam wand. If

you don’t, you’ll be making delicious espresso for the coffee base, but you won’t

have any way to make the milk frothy, foamy, and light to add the right texture

and taste to your drink.

Next, you’ll need to purchase a thermometer (a meat thermometer will do for this)

and frothing pitcher or two, depending on how many drinks you want to make at

a time and if you want to rinse out the pitcher in between making them. Milk

frothing pitchers are made of metal and shaped specifically for this purpose, to

avoid shattering or burning you. You still have to be careful, though! Things are

going to get hot when you start frothing. If you’re not careful, you could end up

with burnt fingers and a big mess.

How to Froth Milk

Your frothing pitcher should have a pour spout that reaches down about halfway

into the pitcher. Pour enough milk into the pitcher to reach the bottom of the

spout. Once you start frothing the milk, you’ll quickly see why you should never

pour more milk than this into the pitcher. Once you start to get to know your

portions, you’ll actually be pouring less than this most of the time.

Now, hold the pitcher by the handle in your right hand and place the thermometer

into the pitcher. If your thermometer has a clip, clip it to the side of the pitcher. If

not, just hold it in place, where you can read it, with your right thumb.

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Insert the tip of the frothing wand into

the milk, just below the surface. Hold

the pitcher at a slight angle. This will

give the milk room to circle the pitcher

as it foams up. With your left hand,

turn the steam wand on. If your

machine has a switch, just hit it. If it

has a dial, turn it all the way on.

You’ll notice, now, if the tip of the

wand is too deep in the milk, it will be

really loud. If it’s not in far enough, it

will sputter and spray milk all over the

place. The trick here is, as the milk

gets hotter and frothier, it will expand

and rise. So, as you froth the milk,

you’ll have to slowly lower the pitcher to keep the steam wand at the right level in

the milk.

So how can you tell when it’s done? Hopefully, you’ll never burn your milk. That’s

a smell you don’t want lingering in your kitchen. To keep from doing that, keep an

eye on your thermometer. You don’t want the milk to get hotter than 160 degrees

Fahrenheit, or it will get scorched. Keep in mind that your thermometer will run a

bit slower than the actual rise in temperature. So, when you see the thermometer

reaching 140-150 degrees, go ahead and turn the steam wand off.

You’ll also notice – if you lightly tap the bottom of the pitcher with your left palm –

that it starts to get too hot to touch right about the time that the milk has hit the

right temperature. The steam wand will change pitches, too. It will sound like an

airplane about to take off. If you get good enough at spotting these changes, you

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won’t even need a thermometer anymore. You’ll be frothing milk like a

professional.

You’ll want to take note of one thing, though, when you’re frothing milk for

foamier or less foamy drinks. If you’re making a latté or another drink without

much foam, you don’t have to lower the pitcher as aggressively while steaming

the milk. With cappuccinos, you want to get a lot of foam, so you’ll want to make

sure that you keep the wand just barely in the milk. You’ll get the hang of this as

you practice.

Pouring the Perfect Cappuccino or Latté

There are two ways to go about pouring cappuccinos and lattés. If you are a

traditionalist, you won’t use a spoon, and you’ll froth just enough milk, at just the

right level of foam, to fill your cup. Most of us aren’t professionals or

traditionalists, though. So here’s how to cheat and pour exactly as much foam as

you want, every time.

Grab a medium-sized serving spoon out of your silverware drawer. A tablespoon

or large soupspoon will work, too. Hold the pitcher by its handle in your right

hand. Hold the spoon in your left. Place the spoon, concave side up, over the

spout of the pitcher. This will hold back the majority of the foam.

If you want your drink to be “wet” (with more milk than foam), hold back more

foam and pour in the underlying milk. You can top it off with a little bit of foam at

the end. If you want a “dry” cappuccino, you can forego pouring the milk and just

spoon out all of that delicious, frothy milk foam onto your espresso. As with your

frothing technique, you’ll find the right pouring and spooning techniques for your

tastes.

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Now you know how to froth milk for cappuccinos, lattés, macchiatos, and all of

your favorite gourmet drinks, but don’t stop here. There are some really great

drink recipes waiting for you in chapter 2!

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Chapter 2: Delicious Drinks to Make at Home

Now that you have the equipment and the skills, the sky’s the limit for your

morning wakeup routine. You can experiment with all kinds of drinks, whether

you want a good, strong cup of hearty coffee or something sweet to start your

day. Try these classic recipes and see which one’s your favorite. Before you

know it, you’ll be making up your own recipes for your very own signature drinks.

Vanilla Latté

For this, you’ll need a shot or two (or three, if it’s one

of those mornings) of espresso, milk, and vanilla

syrup. Whole milk is the easiest to steam into a

creamy froth, but skim, soy, and almond milk work

just as well. Choose whichever you like best. You can

find your favorite flavor syrups in the coffee aisle at

the grocery store, or you can order them online.

Take your favorite mug and pour an ounce of vanilla

syrup into the bottom. You can measure it by using a

1-ounce shot glass or a measuring cup. Once you’ve done this, froth your milk

and pull your espresso shot. Pour your espresso on top of the syrup, and then

pour in the milk, and voila!

If the drink is too sweet or not sweet enough, just use less or more syrup. You

can make hazelnut, Irish cream, caramel, or any other kind of flavored latté you

like the same way!

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Caramel Macchiato

Everyone’s familiar with this super popular

drink, and now you can make it at home!

You’ll just need espresso, milk, caramel

syrup, caramel sauce (the kind you pour on

an ice cream sundae), and whipped cream.

Pour an ounce of caramel sauce into your

frothing pitcher with your milk and steam the

flavor and milk together. Pour the frothed milk

into your favorite mug, leaving some room.

Pull as many shots of espresso as you want,

then pour those into your mug. Stir gently,

and then top it off with whipped cream and

caramel sauce. Delicious!

Dirty Chai

Chai with a shot of espresso is called a dirty chai. It might sound a bit odd, but it’s

actually a really tasty way to add a little kick to your morning. You can make this

drink at home one of two ways; either with a liquid or a powder chai mix.

If you use a liquid chai concentrate, mix it in equal parts with your milk and steam

them together. Pull a shot of espresso, and pour it into your mug first. Then pour

the milk and chai mix over the espresso, and you’ll have a dirty chai.

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If you’re using a powder chai mix, scoop as much powder as the instructions on

the package recommend into the frothing pitcher with your milk. The powder will

mix into the milk as you froth it. Be sure to keep the steam wand far enough into

the milk, or you’ll get a face full of powder.

Skinny Dark Chocolate Mocha

For a lower calorie sweet start to your day, you’ll need espresso, skim milk, and

dark chocolate syrup. Dark chocolate isn’t as sweet as milk chocolate, because it

has less sugar.

Squirt as much dark chocolate as you like (usually about an ounce) into the milk

in your frothing pitcher and steam them together. This will mix up the chocolate

into the milk nicely. Then all you have to do is pull your espresso shot into your

mug and pour your dark chocolate milk over it. If you want to add a little bit of

sinful sweetness, top it off with whipped cream.

Cinnamon-Topped Cappuccino

For this simple and delicious drink, you’ll just need milk, espresso, and powdered

cinnamon. Froth your milk so that it’s nice and foamy for a cappuccino. If you

want it to be drier, you can hold back the milk and just scoop out the foam. If you

want it wetter, with more milk and less foam, you can froth it more like a latté.

Pour your frothed milk over your espresso, and then sprinkle cinnamon on top.

This drink is so pretty, you’ll want to take a picture and post it on Instagram.

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Tea Steamer

If you want a milder start to your day, choose your favorite tea. Fill your mug

halfway with hot water and steep your favorite kind of tea bag in it for about 3-5

minutes. Froth a half-cup of milk and pour it over your tea. Stir it up and add a

little bit of sugar or honey if you want to sweeten your tea steamer.

Cinnamon Steamer

This is a great day-off drink. If you don’t need any caffeine, and you’d just like to

wake up with a hot drink or wind down after a long day at the office, add an

ounce of cinnamon syrup to your milk before you froth it. Froth it to the

consistency you like, either foamier or more liquid, and pour it into your favorite

mug. That’s it! Enjoy!

If cinnamon isn’t your cup of tea, you can also make steamers in all kinds of

flavors. A peppermint steamer makes a great holiday alternative to hot cocoa.

Café Au Lait

If you don’t want all the caffeine that you get

from espresso, but you do want a bit of a boost,

this is a great coffee drink. It’s also great if you

aren’t a big fan of overly sweet drinks, but you

can sweeten it or add flavor, too, depending on

your taste.

Brew some regular drip coffee and fill your mug

halfway. Steam a half-cup of milk and pour it

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over your coffee. Spoon out a little bit of extra foam, if you want a little bit more

texture. If you don’t take sugar in your coffee, then you’re ready to go.

If you like your coffee a little bit sweeter, we recommend adding sugar or flavored

syrup to the coffee before you add the milk. As you pour the steamed milk in, it

will mix everything together.

Americano

This is the perfect drink for the hardcore coffee drinker. The Americano was

invented in Italy for American tourists who wanted something closer to the drip

coffee they were used to at home.

You won’t need to steam any milk for this. All you have to do is pull a shot of

espresso for every four ounces of drink that you want to make. If you have a 12-

ounce coffee cup, 3 shots of espresso will be perfect. Add hot water to your

espresso shots, and you’ll have your Americano.

Traditional Macchiato

In Italy, the macchiato is a very different drink from what you’ve seen here in the

United States. It’s not a sweet drink, and it’s not a large drink. The word

“macchiato” just means, “to mark” in Italian. A traditional macchiato is a shot of

espresso that’s been “marked” with milk foam.

If you don’t have time to sip on a cup of coffee, but you need a boost of caffeine,

this could be the drink for you. Adding a little bit of steamed milk to the espresso

makes it go down a little bit easier. You can even add a little bit of sugar for a

sweet shot that will wake you up and help you get ready for your day.

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Chapter 3: Green Uses for Coffee Grounds

You drink coffee almost every morning. It keeps you fueled, and you love the

ritual that comes with making it and sipping on it as you wake up and prepare for

your day.

Does it ever bother you, though, that you add a little bit every day to your trash

heap? Think of all of the coffee you make at home in a year. Now, think about

that much coffee filling up trash bags, sitting in a dump somewhere. You can do

a lot to help your environment just by doing a little bit with your coffee grounds.

Here are some great recommendations for getting a little bit greener with your

coffee grounds. You might be surprised by how useful your grounds can be.

Composting and Fertilizer

Instead of throwing your coffee

grounds and filters away, put them

aside in their own bucket. If you have

a garden, your used coffee could be

hugely beneficial. If you mix lye into

your grounds, you can dump them

(and the filters, too) into your compost

bin. The earth worms that help compost all of that waste will happily eat up the

bacteria in the coffee, and the grit of the grounds actually helps their digestive

systems, creating better compost.

If you don’t have a compost bin, you can still use your coffee grounds for your

garden. Just add a small amount of coffee to your choice of fertilizer or directly to

the topsoil. You’ll notice darker, richer soil and more lush plants in no time!

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If you don’t have a garden of your own, ask around. Does one of your friends

have a green thumb? Is there a local nursery that might appreciate some free

composting and fertilizer material?

Pincushion Filling

Are you crafty, or do you have a friend who’s crafty and appreciates a good,

green life hack? This one takes a little bit more preparation than composting or

fertilizing, but it still doesn’t take much work. You can make pincushions by using

old scraps of cloth and coffee grounds.

You’ll need to dry your coffee grounds first. Fortunately, this is pretty easy. Just

spread them out on a cookie sheet. You can leave them on the counter in the

morning, and they’ll be dry and ready to collect by the evening. If you’re not so

patient or you have pets that might get into them while you’re away, you can pop

them in the oven at 250-300 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Once your grounds are dry, collect them in a canister. Use scraps of cloth from

old clothes or old craft projects for the skin of the pincushion. Wrap between 2

and 4 layers of cloth tightly around the grounds. This will keep them from spilling

out if the fabric has a loose weave.

You can get fancy and look up a pattern for sewing a pincushion online, or you

can keep it simple and tie the ends of the fabric together tightly with a rubber

band or a piece of twine.

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Insect Repellant

Did you know that ants, mosquitoes, slugs, and maggots can’t stand the smell of

coffee? Not only does the scent repel them, but they also react poorly to the

acidity of the grounds. That means, when you use coffee in your garden’s

fertilizer, you’ll be less likely to be plagued by parasites and insects, but that’s not

the only way to use coffee grounds as an insect repellant.

If you have an ant problem in your house, you can use your old coffee grounds to

keep them out. Instead of hiring an exterminator, just save your grounds. It helps

to locate the ants’ (and/or other insects’) entry point into your home and start

there.

Spread your old coffee grounds in the dirt near the foundation of your home

where the ants are coming in. Of course, if you only put coffee grounds in that

one area, they’ll just go around it, so keep saving your coffee. Spread your

grounds at the entry points and then keep spreading, working your way all the

way around your house.

If you’re having trouble with anthills in your yard, you can pour coffee grounds on

top of them to encourage grass to grow and ants to leave. You can also spread

coffee grounds in the dirt around your patio to repel mosquitoes as you sit

outside and enjoy an evening with your friends or family. If only you’d known, for

all these years, that you were throwing away a free insect repellant.

Eliminate Odors

Refrigerators hold onto smells like it’s nobody’s business! You would think, after

cleaning it out and scrubbing it clean, your fridge would smell like nothing more

than a little bit of Lysol, but, of course, you’d be wrong. How can you get rid of

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the smell of leftovers and spoiled food? The answer is as simple as saving your

coffee grounds.

Dry your grounds on a cookie sheet, the same way that we recommended for

making pincushions. Then collect them into a small cup. You can leave this cup

in the back of your refrigerator, uncovered, and it will soak up all of those smells.

If you’re afraid of knocking it over and making a mess, just secure a piece of

loose-weave cloth over its top with a rubber band.

Before you know it, your refrigerator will smell like inviting coffee, not repellant

mildew and bacteria. You can also freshen your bathroom by hiding a cup of

coffee grounds behind the toilet. The scent won’t be overpowering the way some

potpourri and air fresheners can be, and it’s totally green!

Rooms and refrigerators aren’t the only things that can be deodorized with a little

bit of coffee, though. After playing with the dog, washing dishes, working on the

car, or handling smelly foods like salmon or garlic, your hands will hold onto

some pretty unpleasant smells. You can rub them raw with harsh soaps, but

they’ll still smell a little bit off.

Keep a cup of dried coffee grounds near your bathroom or kitchen sink. Rub

some grounds between your hands, and then rinse them off with warm water.

The smell will be gone, and your hands won’t be dry and cracked from over

washing.

Skin and Hair Care

Skin care products can be incredibly expensive, and you never know exactly

what you’re applying to your face. Look at all of those chemical ingredients. Is

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that stuff really good for your

skin? Instead of spending

that money on sketchy

chemicals, you can make a

really inexpensive, effective,

and green facial scrub.

This mixture is also

purportedly good for

tightening skin and reducing the appearance of cellulite. So, you might want to go

ahead and scrub your arms and legs with it, too. It’s so inexpensive to make this

formula that you won’t ever have to be stingy with it.

Combine dried coffee grounds, olive oil, and a few drops of your favorite

essential oil into a bottle, and keep it in your bathroom. Scrub this on your face

and then rinse it off with warm water. It will exfoliate away dead, dull skin cells,

and it will leave your face feeling smooth and hydrated. The trace amounts of

caffeine left in the coffee grounds will also stimulate your skin, giving it a super

fresh feeling.

You can also use your coffee for shinier, healthier hair. If you have leftover coffee

in your pot when you get home from work, pour it into a squeeze bottle and take

it with you to the shower. Wash your hair and dry it. Then apply that old coffee

directly to your hair and leave it in for about 5 minutes. After that, just rinse the

coffee out of your hair with warm water.

Scrubbing Dishes and Surfaces

Coffee grounds are abrasive and mildly acidic. That makes them perfect for

scrubbing down surfaces that get caked up with grease and overcooked food.

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You can scrub down your countertops, stove, and even your pots and pans with

coffee grounds. If the stains and caked-on grease are still giving you trouble, just

mix in a little bit of dish soap with the grounds.

Pour a cup or two of coffee grounds into your soapy dishwater, and you can

scrub away at your pots and pans for an easier time getting them clean. This

eliminates the need to buy a bunch of steel wool or Brillo pads that you’ll have to

replace after just a few washings.

And here’s another trick! If your garbage disposal is getting a little bit old, you can

actually sharpen its blades with your old coffee grounds. Run cool water into the

sink, turn the disposal on, and pour a cup of coffee grounds in. The blades will

get sharpened, and you won’t have to run your disposal as long to take care of

the food remnants you put in it.

Natural Flea Bath

If your cat or dog has ever gotten fleas, you know how much of a hassle it can be

to get rid of them. They pose a health risk to your pet, your family, and yourself,

and they’re a big annoyance, too. Fortunately, fleas, like so many insects, are

repelled by the smell and acidity of coffee grounds.

Rub damp coffee grounds into your pet’s fur, and you won’t have to worry about

fleas latching onto it when it goes outside. Why spend money on flea repellants

that might be toxic to your pet? Why put up with wet dog smell after a bath? Use

coffee grounds on your pet, and you’ll get rid of an unpleasant smell and a lot of

unpleasant fleas.

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Repair Scratched Wood Furniture and Dye Old Clothes

If you think that a scratch on your hardwood floor or wood furniture means that

you’re going to have to strip and refinish the whole thing, you’re absolutely

wrong. You can use leftover coffee, or run another batch of water through your

coffee maker with your old coffee grounds, to make a natural and

environmentally friendly stain.

Use a Q-tip or cotton ball to swab your coffee stain onto the scratches on your

furniture or floor. If the wood’s been treated with a lighter stain, you’ll just need to

do this process once. If it’s treated with a darker stain, you may need to repeat it

a few times or brew your coffee a little bit stronger to get the right shade.

If you have some old white shirts that are stained or just looking a bit yellow,

throw some coffee grounds in with the wash next time. “Wash” these shirts on

high heat with coffee grounds instead of detergent, and they’ll come out a rich,

warm brown color. You can do this with slacks, scarves, and sweaters, too.

Darker colors will look even darker and richer, and lighter colors will come away

with an earthy tone to them.

If you want to get really creative, you might soak your used coffee grounds in

water and create paint with them. You and your kids can make coffee-based

crafts. You can even dye paper with coffee to give it an aged look.

Contain Fireplace Ashes

Your fireplace is a real boon when it’s cold out. As the flames start to gutter,

though, ashes tend to blow around. Pouring water on them only helps until they

dry, and it doesn’t create the best smell, either. Instead, sprinkle damp coffee

grounds over the ashes of your fire. These will contain the ashes and keep them

21

from blowing everywhere. You’ll spend a lot less time sweeping up after your fire,

and the room will smell delightful, too.

Cooking Aid

Your used coffee grounds make great cooking aids in a couple of ways. First of

all, keep a cup of them on the counter to help you discern different tastes while

you’re cooking. Coffee has a neutralizing smell. If you’re trying to determine if

you’ve put enough spice into the stew, step away and take a whiff of those coffee

grounds before you taste it again.

That’s not the only way to use coffee when you’re cooking, though. Coffee

grounds can add a hint of flavor to a number of different dishes. Add a few

grounds to your chili while you’re cooking it, and your family will wonder what that

secret ingredient is, the one that made your famous chili even better. Chocolate

dishes taste better with some coffee grounds, too. Experiment with cooking with

coffee grounds. You might be surprised at some of the amazing concoctions you

come up with.

Interior Decoration

In addition to all of the other ways to reuse your coffee grounds, you can dry

them out and use them as vase fillers. If you have silk or metal flowers or plants

around, make their “soil” out of dried coffee grounds. If you have a pen jar that

keeps falling over because it’s top-heavy with all those pens, you can fill it

halfway with coffee grounds. The pens will stick up out of it. It will smell nice, and

it’ll look great, too.

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Conclusion

If you think you can’t afford to buy an espresso machine to make gourmet drinks

at home, think about how much money you’ve spent on drinks at coffee shops in

the last year or even in the last month. Then think about all the uses for the

coffee grounds you use at home.

The uses of coffee and coffee grounds are really limitless. You can use them for

your home, your skin, your hair, your garden, and your pets. Not only will you

save money on drinks you’d be buying at a coffee shop, but you won’t be wasting

grounds or disposable coffee cups anymore. You’ll even be able to save money

when you make your own exfoliants and crafts, instead of buying pre-made

products. So wake up and enjoy a cup of delicious coffee!

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