Here are some essential tools for becoming a top-notch home barista. The term “barista” is typically used to describe someone who prepares gourmet coffee beverages — from cappuccinos and caffè lattes to caffè mochas. There is definitely an art to being a skillful barista, just as there is an art to being a skillful bartender or chef. And some coffee lovers assume that coffee beverages made at home cannot measure up to what they get at their favorite coffee house. But in fact, becoming a skillful home barista is quite doable with the right equipment. 

Does social distancing and months on months of being cooped up at home have you urging to scratch the travel bug itch? Go on a mental escape from monotony and travel to the tropical city of Cancún through the magic of some Mexican coffee recipes.

Coffee connoisseurs can spend hours discussing and comparing the many varieties of coffee that are available — from Brazilian and Columbian blends to Hawaiian blends, from dark roasts to medium roasts to light roasts. But the beans themselves fall into two main categories: arabica vs. robusta. Arabica coffee beans come from the coffea arabica plant, while robusta coffee beans come from the coffea canephora plant (also known as the “robusta coffee plant”).