Creamy, cozy, and deliciously frothy, my 4-ingredient recipe for cafe-style Hot Coffee is the perfect way to give yourself a little pick-me-up. Best of all, you don’t need any special equipment to make your cuppa taste as good as if a barista had done it for you, and it’ll be ready in less than 15 minutes!
About Hot Coffee
Normally, I stick to tea, but sometimes nothing but coffee will do the trick. Whenever I’m feeling blue or am having trouble shaking off the yawns, this is the frothy coffee method I turn to. Known in India as “Beaten Coffee,” this method can also be used for making cappuccinos and lattes.
While I love getting coffee from a trained barista at a cafe, it’s only something I do on special occasions because it gets so pricey! This method for making cafe-style hot coffee produces a delightfully frothy replica for a fraction of the price.
Using just 4 easy-to-find ingredients and no special coffee devices, you can make the best tasting coffee at home. Better yet? It takes less than 15 minutes to make, which is about as long as you’d spend trying to get one from your local coffee shop.
Also, while the recipe is written for one medium-sized coffee, note that you can halve it or double it to suit your caffeine needs!
If you are a coffee lover, then you can check out some of my other coffee recipes:
- Cold Coffee – Cafe style recipe
- Filter Coffee – South Indian style
- Coffee Milkshake – Creamy thick coffee shake
- Dalgona Coffee – Korean Whipped Coffee
You Will Need
You don’t need much to make this cafe-style coffee at home. Here’s your list:
- Instant Coffee Granules – I have used Nescafe classic instant coffee but you can also use Bru instant coffee (for Indian readers) or any other instant coffee or espresso granules you prefer. Feel free to swap in a decaf variety if needed!
- Milk – I’ve found that whole milk and 2% milk does a better job of frothing than skim milk, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. You can even make a vegan coffee using your favorite plant-based milk alternative. There’s no need to boil it if it isn’t dairy; simply heat it until it reaches the temperature you desire.
- Sugar – I used cane sugar here, but feel free to swap in the sweetener of your choice. Brown sugar or powdered jaggery will give more of a caramelly taste.
- Hot Water – Preferably boiling!
- Spoon – The first part of this cafe style coffee recipe is beating the coffee with a spoon briskly and vigorously.
- Jar With Tight-Fitting Lid – Creating a perfect, foamy milk head on your coffee is as easy as heating the milk and shaking the heck out of it in a mason jar. If possible, I suggest choosing one with a handle to prevent any discomfort while holding it.
You can use a milk frother in place of the spoon and jar if you prefer, but as promised, my recipe shows you how to make cafe style beaten coffee with zero fancy equipment. 🙂
How To Make Coffee
1. In a cup, take 1.5 teaspoons of instant coffee and 1.5 tablespoons sugar (or add as per taste).
2. Add 3 tablespoons hot boiling water. You can heat water in an electric kettle or in a small pan. ¼ cup of water can also be added if you prefer a slightly weaker coffee flavor.
3. First mix the coffee and sugar with water.
4. Then begin to stir briskly and beat coffee for 3 to 4 minutes. You can take a break after 1 to 2 minutes and then continue if your hands start aching. You can also feel free to use a milk frother here if you prefer!
5. Beat the coffee till its color lightens and you see a frothy layer on top.
6. Then take 1 cup milk in a small but heavy saucepan and boil it on a medium to medium-high heat.
7. Let the milk come to a brief boil.
8. Now pour the milk in a glass jar or a thermos flask.
9. Do not use a plastic bottle or jar. Steel is fine. A glass jar with a handle helps while shaking as the milk is hot.
10. Now shake the jar vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes.
Alternatively, you can also use a handheld frother or blend the milk in a blender.
10. There should be a good layer of frothy foam on the milk.
11. Here’s the coffee brew in the cup with the foam still on top.
12. Pour the foamy milk in the cup.
13. After adding ⅓ or ½ of the milk to the coffee, stir with a spoon.
14. Pour in the remaining milk.
15. Make sure to add the frothy layer to get the real cafe effect.
16. Serve the frothy cafe style hot coffee straightway.
17. Feel free to sprinkle some cinnamon powder or cocoa powder on top for a bit of extra yumminess. I hope you enjoy this homemade cafe-style hot coffee as much as I do!
Expert Tips
- Alternative methods of foaming milk. If you don’t have a glass or steel jar with a tight-fitting lid, you can opt to either blend the milk in a blender, use an immersion blender, use a handheld milk frother, or use a French press coffee maker by quickly and repeatedly agitating the handle up and down.
- Make it stronger. Using instant espresso will give you a richer coffee flavor.
- Or, make it lighter. Add more water to mellow out the brew.
FAQs
Absolutely! Feel free to swap in a sugar substitute if you prefer.
Beating coffee makes the coffee concoction lighter and better in terms of taste and flavor. It is also an essential step to creating a super foamy cafe-style coffee.
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Hot Coffee | Beaten Coffee (Cafe Style)
Ingredients
- 1.5 teaspoons instant coffee – nescafe or your preferred brand
- 1.5 tablespoons sugar or add as per taste
- 3 tablespoons water – hot
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- In a cup add the instant coffee and sugar.
- Add 3 tablespoons hot boiling water.
- First mix the coffee and sugar with water and begin to stir briskly and beat coffee with a spoon for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Beat the coffee till its color lightens and you see a frothy layer on top.
- Then take 1 cup milk in a small but heavy sauce pan and on a medium to medium-high heat boil it.
- When the milk comes to boil pour the milk in a glass jar or a thermos flask.
- Do not use any plastic bottle or jar. You can use a steel bottle also. A glass jar with a handle helps while shaking as the milk is hot.
- Now shake the jar vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Alternatively to get the froth on milk, you can also use a handheld frother. Milk can be blended in a blender also.
- There should be a nice layer of frothy foam on the milk.
- Pour the foamy milk in the cup containing coffee.
- After adding ⅓ or ½ of the milk to the coffee, stir with a spoon. You can even swirl the cup gently so that the milk get mixed with the coffee.
- Then pour remaining milk together with the frothy layer.
- Serve cafe style coffee straightway.
- You can even sprinkle some ground cinnamon powder or cocoa powder on top. Enjoy this homemade cafe style coffee.
Notes
- The instant coffee can be in powdered form or granular. I have used Nescafé in the recipe, but you can add your favorite brand of instant coffee.
- For a lighter version of this drink, add a bit more hot water.
- If you prefer, you can opt not to add milk and only add hot water.
- Sweeteners can be of your choice.
- This recipe is for 1 serving, but you could scale it easily.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Hot Coffee recipe post from the archives first published in February 2018 has been republished and updated on November 2022.
Not a fan of instant coffee but tried this it’s easy and delicious
Thank you.