Streamline Your Morning Routine with a Coffee Station

We can’t all agree on everything, but we can agree on this: the day hasn’t started until we’ve had our first sip of coffee. And the best days are the days when we can actually enjoy that coffee, which don’t come around often enough. Often, our morning coffee becomes an afterthought, drunk hours old and lukewarm at the office as purely a vehicle for caffeine. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Setting up a coffee station in your home can streamline your morning routine, it can make your daily cup more enjoyable, and it’s just plain fun. Here’s how to create yours.

Location, Location, Location
Find space for your coffee station. If you have counter space, use it. Where on the counter you set it up depends on what’s important to you. Think about whether you want to be close to the refrigerator (for easy access to milk), or close to the door (if you tend to be rushing out in the morning). Use a pretty tray to hold everything.

If you don’t have extra room on your countertop, a small rolling cart or island works well.

Choose Your Coffee Maker(s)
The best way to brew coffee is the way that makes the coffee you like best. And that’s personal. From cold brew to French press to pour over to single-serve machines, there are tons of options. We’re definitely not here to tell you which is best—hey, we’re not trying to start any coffee wars here!

How many coffee makers you want depends on your dedication to your coffee station, your preferences, your budget, and how much space you have. But if you like to make lots of different types of coffee, feel free to go with more than one option.
 

Keep Your Coffee Close
If you follow the BB&B Method of staying organized, you know the second B stands for Bundle. Bundling is about keeping items you use together near each other. That’s kind of what this whole coffee station thing is about. If you currently keep your coffee in your pantry or another cabinet, it’s time to move it to the coffee station. We like using a canister for storage, because they can help keep your beans or grounds fresh, and also because it looks better than a rolled up bag. If you use pods, a carousel or drawer will help you keep track of what you have and will allow you to see everything, so the flavor you want will always be easily accessible.

And Your Mugs within Reach
Mugs are the next component of the coffee station. We love to use a mug tree for storage, because it allows you to store your mugs vertically so they take up less space. It also lets you put your prized collection on display. Keep any travel mugs beside the tree so you can grab them easily in the morning.

Flavors FTW
Sometimes we end up buying coffee out because we think we can’t make the same fun drinks we get at our favorite coffee shops at home. But, you can buy your favorite coffee flavors and syrups and keep them at home, and many of them don’t need to be refrigerated. Buy your favorites and keep them next to the coffee machine. Like cinnamon or sweeteners with your morning brew? Keep an extra container of those around as well.

Add Accessories
Having the right accessories takes your home coffee experience from good to great really easily, so definitely stock up on your favorites and add them to the station. If you like steamed, frothy milk but are intimidated by milk frothers, don’t be. They’re inexpensive, easy to use, and seriously effective. A reusable filter for your Keurig® K-Cups is a great way to brew single-serve coffee with less waste. It also allows you to use virtually any coffee in your Keurig® machine. We highly recommend keeping one of those around. Extra filters and a coffee scoop are also must-haves.

And Extras
You made it functional, now’s the time to make it pretty. Add some personality with a chalkboard, where you can write messages or your to-do list for the day. A few succulents (real or artificial, we won’t tell!) will give a fresh feel to the space, and decorative accessories, like a clock or a favorite tchotchke, will help make it yours.

Happy brewing!