At age 17, I began to whiten my teeth. Why, you might ask, would a young and spry 17-year-old need to go through such a process? Though I brushed my teeth twice a day, they were really quite yellow to the point where people actually commented on it. When I ended my 4-year commitment to braces right before junior year, I began to wear my retainer religiously—not because the orthodontist told me at age 40 my mid-life crisis would occur because my teeth had moved from not wearing a retainer, but because I needed my retainer for the teeth whitening gel one purchases from their local dentist.

The reason such draconian measures were necessary was because of one culprit: coffee. My mother used to put instant coffee in my bottle, so what can I say? We are Cuban, and the grounds are in my blood. But when you are carefully sipping your daily coffee dosage through a silicon straw so that it doesn't ruin the restoration process of your teeth by touching them, you start to reconsider some life choices. This beloved beverage is also often associated with the familiar, unfortunate phrase “caffeine addiction,” an accepted, and almost encouraged, rhetoric supported by the iminent concept of working round the clock. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, in my opinion, coffee is absolutely worth it. In these times of uncertainty, I continue to find it a small daily pleasure. Coffee is an experience, and what better time than now to experiment with or further appreciate it?

Coffee is good for you—as it turns out, a beneficial daily amount is actually 3 to 5 cups! According to Errika Loftfield, a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute, “The evidence is pretty consistent that coffee is associated with a lower risk of mortality.” !! A scientific report from the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee stated, “coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults.” In these uncertain times you may not be able to control your health, but one thing you can control is your coffee consumption. Though some of you may think that you have gone too far with coffee or that starting down this caffeinated path will harm your health, you can actually reap in these health benefits. So for anyone with a coffee passion or any aspiring coffee lovers, here are a few tips to make your daily coffee experience a little more exciting during self-quarantine.

Foamed milk—without coffeeshop equipment

One of my favorite parts about college is the exorbitant amount of places to get an espresso drink. Coffee can be made at home, but it’s not quite the same without that touch of foamed milk on top. Unless you have an in-home espresso machine (I do not), you can’t quite get the same quality. Here are a couple tricks to getting that nice top layer without going to a coffee shop:

The Jar: Something I miss from home is the lattes my mom used to make me when I had a long night of homework, and she never failed to include foam on top. Her method: a microwaved jar. After making the espresso, she would heat the milk in a glass jar for about two minutes in the microwave, or until the milk was literally steaming hot. She would then screw the top onto the jar and shake it for 30 seconds, or until bubbles formed. While not quite at the level of a milk steamer, it sufficiently provided for a bubbly top to my comfort drink.
The Beater: If you’ve ever been to IKEA, you’ve seen all the random bins of small trinkets they have that they somehow always manage to rope you into buying, as they seem to look really nice in the model kitchens. On one such trip to IKEA, my parents and I discovered a milk foaming stick which consisted of a small motor that whipped the top of your milk. We quickly purchased this accessory. Unfortunately, the milk foaming stick died after a couple uses… as did the next two that we purchased. The alternative: egg beaters. If you beat your milk just for 30 seconds you essentially get the same product as the IKEA milk foaming stick.
The Pump: The final, less applicable, method is pumping your milk. My grandfather owns this contraption we use which looks like a mini French press. Anything similar to that will work so that you can pump up and down for 30 seconds to, again, get the foaminess of a latte.

Café con Leche/Café au Lait (milk with espresso flavor)

Café con leche is my personal favorite for the morning. This comfort drink goes by different names but essentially is a latte without the trouble. All that is needed is a steaming hot cup of milk and ¼ cup of espresso to obtain this relaxing beverage. The drink can also be made with a scoop of instant coffee, but instead of the recommended hot water, use milk. It’s like hot chocolate powder in water vs. milk. The milk is always better.

Spice up your coffee

The convenient part of coffee shops is the limitless combinations of flavor shots that allow you to mix up your caffeine intake. Unfortunately, these syrup bottles are not always available at home. Instead, you can invade your spice rack. My go-to is always cinnamon. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top of your coffee so that about half of the drink top is covered ¼ of an inch deep and then stir. A different spice to try is tumeric. A lot of coffee shops sell “golden lattes” which is simply a latte with turmeric. A teaspoon of turmeric powder is not only good for your digestion, but it also completely changes the flavor of your drink. Turmeric is especially good with honey to sweeten it up. Another way to flavor your drink is with extract. Any extracts you might have like vanilla, almond, or peppermint can be used to add flavor to your coffee. Add a little less than ¼ teaspoon (or more depending on how strong you like it) and stir. Finally, the most common flavor shot: chocolate. In order to have a mocha at home you can use hot cocoa powder, but, if possible, chocolate syrup will lead to a mocha more similar to those in coffee shops. One or two tablespoons of syrup will suffice depending on how chocolatey you like your drinks.

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