Coffee Shop Drinks Without an Espresso Machine
If you have an electric percolator, there is so much more you can make with it than a regular cup of morning coffee!
You guys loved my tutorial for making the best coffee in a percolator, so I wanted to take that delicious, strong coffee and turn it into three easy coffee shop drinks you can make right at home.
We’re making a creamy Salty Canadian with butter and maple syrup, a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Iced Coffee, and an easy Café Mocha. They’re simple, made with ingredients you probably already have, and you don’t need an espresso machine for any of them.
The best part? Brew one pot of strong percolator coffee and you can make all three.
This is the stovetop percolator I use in my kitchen and in the video. I love how simple it is and how beautifully strong the coffee comes out.
[SHOP MY PERCOLATOR ON AMAZON]
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Secret: Make Your Percolator Coffee Strong
Because we’re adding milk, ice, chocolate, or butter, I like to brew my coffee a little stronger than I would for drinking it black.
That extra strength is especially important for iced coffee. Ice melts quickly when the hot coffee hits it, and starting with a stronger brew keeps your finished drink from tasting watery.
If you’re new to percolator coffee, start with my [How to Make the Best Coffee in a Percolator] tutorial. I walk you through the entire process there.
1. Salty Canadian Coffee
If you’ve seen butter coffee popping up everywhere, this is such a fun one to try. The combination sounds a little unusual at first, but hot coffee melts the butter into the maple syrup and creates a surprisingly rich, silky drink.
Ingredients
½ cup strong hot percolator coffee
1 teaspoon salted butter
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, or to taste
Pinch of cinnamon
¼ cup milk or half-and-half
Ice, if serving cold
Tiny pinch flaky salt, optional
Instructions
Add the hot coffee, butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon to a frothing cup. Froth until the butter is completely incorporated and the coffee looks creamy and slightly foamy.
Enjoy it hot with warm milk, or pour it over a glass filled with ice and finish with cold milk. Add the tiniest pinch of flaky salt on top if you like that sweet-and-salty contrast.
Dimitra’s Tip: Add the butter while the coffee is piping hot. You want it to melt completely before frothing.
2. Brown Sugar Cinnamon Iced Coffee
This may be the easiest of the three, and it tastes like something you’d pick up at a coffee shop on the way to work.
Brown sugar gives the coffee a deeper caramel-like sweetness, while cinnamon and vanilla make such a simple drink taste special.
Ingredients
½ cup strong hot percolator coffee
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Ice
¼–⅓ cup milk or half-and-half
Instructions
Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla into the coffee while it’s still hot so the sugar completely dissolves.
Fill a tall glass with plenty of ice and pour in the coffee. Slowly pour the milk over the top and stir just before drinking.
Dimitra’s Tip: Don’t add the brown sugar after you’ve iced the coffee. Dissolving it in the hot coffee first gives you a much smoother drink.
3. Easy Café Mocha
Chocolate and coffee were made for each other, and this is probably the coziest recipe of the three.
Ingredients
½ cup strong hot percolator coffee
1 tablespoon chocolate sauce
½ cup milk
Whipped cream, optional
Cocoa powder or chocolate shavings, for serving
Instructions
Stir the chocolate sauce into the hot coffee until smooth.
Warm and froth the milk, then slowly pour it over the coffee. Top with whipped cream and a little cocoa powder or shaved chocolate if you want the full coffee-shop experience.
A little handheld milk frother is one of my favorite inexpensive kitchen tools for making coffee at home. I use it for the Salty Canadian and for getting that beautiful foam on the mocha.
[SHOP MY MILK FROTHER]
My Favorite Tools for Making Coffee Shop Drinks at Home
You definitely don’t need a counter full of expensive equipment to make good coffee at home. A few inexpensive basics make it really easy.
[My Coffee Percolator] — the one you see me using in the video
[Handheld Milk Frother] — perfect for frothing milk and butter coffee
[Tall Iced Coffee Glasses] — great for iced coffee, lattes, and summer drinks
[Glass Coffee Mugs] — because that beautiful layer of foam deserves to be seen
This section contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Dimitra’s Dishes!
Can You Make Coffee Shop Drinks Without Espresso?
Absolutely. They won’t taste exactly like drinks made with espresso because brewed coffee and espresso are different, but strong percolator coffee works beautifully for simple homemade coffee drinks.
That’s why I like the percolator here: it makes a robust cup of coffee that can stand up to milk, ice, chocolate, and other additions.
Watch the Video
Make One Pot and Try All Three
That’s what makes these recipes so much fun. Brew one pot of strong coffee and turn it into three completely different drinks.
Make the Salty Canadian when you want something rich and a little different, the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Iced Coffee when you want something cold and refreshing, and the Café Mocha when you’re craving chocolate.
And if you’ve never used a stovetop percolator before, head over to my [percolator coffee tutorial] next. Once you get the technique down, it really is one of the simplest ways to make a beautiful pot of coffee at home.
Kali Orexi! ☕❤️
Leave a Reply