12 Coffee Products You Never Knew You Needed

A “good” cup of coffee means something different for everyone, ranging from a cup of dark, almost chewy truckstop coffee to a lighter-bodied pour over made with meticulous measurements and timing. Even if you feel satisfied by your usual go-to cup of joe, there are products out there that can take your coffee to the next level. If you’re willing to step (or even tiptoe) outside of the comfort zone around your tried-and-true favorite brewing process, you may find that an even better cup of coffee is within reach!

Burr Grinders

Bodum Burr Grinder, $95.98 on Amazon

Bodum/Amazon

The simplest and most effective change you can make to your coffee routine, regardless of how you brew, is to grind your own beans. Conical burr grinders allow for more control over the grain size of your ground coffee than more common metal blade grinders. Something like this electric burr grinder lets you easily switch between a finer and coarser grind, unleashing the flavor inside of whole beans for whichever brew method you choose.Buy

Bassani Manual Ceramic Burr Coffee Grinder, $19.99 on Amazon

Bassani/Amazon

And if you are traveling, this manual coffee grinder is small enough to bring to work or on vacation. Since it’s completely hand-powered, no need to worry about having an outlet nearby, and it goes well with other man-powered gadgets like your mortar and pestle, your hand-crank egg beater, or your old-timey butter churn!Buy

Check out CNET’s guide to the best coffee grinders for even more options.

French Press

Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee and Tea Maker, $15.39 on Amazon

Bodum/Amazon

A French press might be familiar to you, and perchance you already own one (or three—seems like it’s an easy gift!). But, if you regularly brew with an auto-drip coffee machine, you might want to bust out (or buy) a French press and enjoy extra-flavorful coffee during mornings where you can devote a few more minutes to your coffee (and, really, to yourself). Grind your coffee extra coarse, and bring out the French press to add a little romance to your usual coffee routine.Buy

Pour Overs

If you’ve never tried pour over coffee, either at a coffee shop or at home, prepare for a completely different world of coffee. Pour over methods release layers of flavor you never knew coffee could have: fruity, chocolatey, earthy, floral, juicy—coffee can taste like all of these and more! At home, try brewing with one of these, which each require their own type of paper filter. You’ll add a little extra time to your coffee ritual, but you will be rewarded with a cup of coffee that will have you savoring every precious drop of flavor.

Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper, $21.13 on Amazon

Hario/Amazon

This Japanese pour-over dripper can be used with your mug for a single serving, or placed above a large carafe for a big batch of coffee if you’ve got company (or it’s just one of those mornings).Buy

Hario V60 Disposable Paper Coffee Filters, 200 for $8.98 on Amazon

Don't forget the filters or you'll have a cup full of grounds.

Buy

Chemex Classic Series Pour-over Glass Coffeemaker, $40.49 on Amazon

Chemex/Amazon

With an 8-cup capacity, this classic pour-over maker is still a fine choice, both aesthetically and functionally.Buy

Chemex Natural Coffee Filters, 100 for $13.40 on Amazon

You can usually find these for cheaper at local coffee shops.

Buy

Gooseneck Kettles

Stainless Steel Gooseneck Drip Pour Over Kettle Coffee Maker, $29.83 on Amazon

The Triumphant Chef/Amazon

For pour over coffee methods, you’ll want a good gooseneck kettle. Heat up water in something like this kettle, and the narrow spout will give you the control you need to distribute hot water over your coffee grounds, first to help “bloom” the coffee grounds, and then to evenly “pour over” the rest of the water.Buy

Bonavita Digital Variable Temperature Gooseneck Kettle, $61.95 on Amazon

Bonavita/Amazon

Take it a step further with this digital kettle, which allows you to select the appropriate temperature you need for your brewing method. The water will heat up quickly and precisely, setting you up for a superbly-flavored cup of coffee.Buy

Kitchen Scale

Ozeri Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale, $12.95 on Amazon

Ozeri/Amazon

If you’ve got the pour over and the kettle, and you’re committed to seeing this brew process through to the end, then take the red pill and get yourself a kitchen scale, too. This digital kitchen scale will help you achieve the ideal ratio of beans to hot water, so that you don’t end up with a coffee that is too bitter or too weak.Buy

AeroPress

AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker, $29.95 on Amazon

AeroPress/Amazon

There are still other methods for brewing coffee—and one of these is done via the wonderful AeroPress! Using these circular coffee filters, the AeroPress is small and lightweight, making it perfect for packing in your carry-on. It’s kind of like the next step after the French press, creating a smoother cup of coffee by way of pushing the coffee through a paper filter. And, cleanup is even easier—you’re left with a puck-shaped cake of coffee grounds that you simply push into the trash (or into your compost bin!), and then a quick rinse of the AeroPress sets you up for the next cup.Buy

Stovetop Espresso Maker

The Original Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Coffee Maker, $29.95 on Amazon

Bialetti/Amazon

Turn up the whimsy with this Bialetti stovetop espresso maker, preferably in a bright color. There is something very satisfying about watching coffee bubble up the spout and into the pour section of one of these espresso makers (also called a Moka Pot). As pretty as they are functional, these items are great to leave out as conversation pieces.Buy

Cold Brew Coffee Kit

Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $26.95 on Amazon

County Line Kitchen/Amazon

With summertime vibes fast-approaching, you might be more focused on thoughts of ice-clinking in glasses than of steaming mugs. This cold brew coffee kit with a Mason jar and stainless steel fine-mesh filter can take you there. The slower process unlocks milder, smoother coffee flavors, leaving you to add milk or sugar only if you’re looking for some extra indulgence.Buy

Automatic Pour Over

Breville Precision Brewer Pid Temperature Control Thermal Coffee Maker w/ Pour Over Adapter Kit, $319.95

Breville/Amazon

If you’re really in the mood to treat yourself, this automatic pour over coffee maker will do the trick! Take all the guesswork out of a perfectly-crafted cup of coffee—this machine heats, times, and pours the water for you so that you get the pour over flavor complexity without risking a case of “Barista Elbow.”Buy

PS: The Beans

All these gadgets will help you make a better cup of coffee, certainly, but to achieve a truly great brew, you have to start with a strong foundation: the beans! When purchasing a bag of beans, look for a roast date within the last few weeks (or sooner!). Freshly roasted beans will get you the most flavor. A local coffee roaster will be your best bet, but there are online options, too. Bags of Intelligentsia coffee smell amazing, and give you a preview of the flavors you’ll get in your brewed coffee, and some brands of coffee will even benefit a charity, like with Grounds & Hounds (“Every pound saves a hound!”).

The Best Coffee Subscriptions to Try in 2019

We rounded up the best coffee subscription services so you can keep your cup topped up.

Browse Beans

Any of the above will help you explore new ways to enjoy coffee, and for some of us, that’s really what life is all about. As Johann Sebastian Bach said, “Without my morning coffee I’m just like a dried up piece of roast goat.” Don’t be a dried up piece of roast goat—make a good cup of coffee!

Related Video: How to Pull the Perfect Espresso

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Friday Food Finds: Breakfast Bars, Peanut Butter Clusters, Kimchi Sauce, and More!

Breakfast eaters unite! Brands, both familiar and new, have released a bevy of bars to satisfy those early morning hunger pangs. But do they live up to their hype? We sampled three varieties, in addition to other new grocery items on yesterday’s Taylor Strecker Show, and break everything down for you below. Just consider us your personal taste-testers. My Venmo is @joeyskladany and you’re welcome.

Nature’s Bakery Bar

Off the bat, these weren’t the best. You can tout organic all you want, but it’s got to taste good. That being said, the latest Brownie flavor grew on Taylor and Chanel didn’t mind the Apple and Cinnamon. They just weren’t amazing…or memorable…and for those reasons alone, we’ll have to ultimately pass. Sorry, not sorry.

Luckybar

The Luckybar takes home the award for “Most Surprising.” I wanted to hate these because I feel like anything targeted towards children (particularly picky eaters) is gimmicky. That being said, these were fabulous. In fact, they tasted like healthy rice krispies treats coated in chocolate. While six grams of sugar is still significant, this is a bar we can definitely get behind.

Red Mill Oat Bars

These scared me a bit with the Peanut Butter and Banana flavor (not my fav), but once we tried Peanut Butter and Jelly…WOW! The bar has early potential for a Top 10 Friday Food Find of 2019. Whether it’s the soft texture, peanut butter to oat ratio, or strawberry jelly, there are plenty of reasons to love this new bar.

Hu Hunks

While we appreciated the use of an unconventional golden berry, it was far too sour for dark chocolate, thus resulting in an off-putting bitterness that we couldn’t scrape off our tongues. The chocolate-covered cashews with vanilla bean saved the day, though, and are a much more palatable option in Hu’s latest Hunks line. Frankly, we’d prefer an actual hunk with a chiseled jawline and six-pack any day.

Jif Peanut Butter Clusters

Okay, these are dangerously good. They have the taste of a Nutter Butter with the crunch of a Planters P.B. Crisp (R.I.P.). We also appreciate Jif’s decision to not include palm oil in these bad boys because it’s a group of bad boys who harvest a majority of the palm oil found in the foods we love (Google Amazon rain forest destruction and orangutan deaths. Sad stuff). While the sugar is still too high for our liking (seven grams), it’s definitely a snack we can add to our rotation.

KPOP Kimchi Mayo Sauce

Much like the grandma in those Frank’s hot sauce commercials, I put this shit on everything. Literally. Tuna fish? Perfect. Stir-fry? Delicious. Cold-cuts? The best. It’s like an upgraded spicy mayonnaise, but with a slightly runnier consistency that lends itself better to already-saucy dishes. This will certainly become a staple in my fridge, among the 25 other bottles of condiments I love so dearly. #saucewhore

Dragon Fruit High-Chews

We live for a Hi-Chew new flavor moment and Dragon Fruit more than delivered. While I personally enjoy Kiwi a tad bit more than its newborn sister, those chia seed additions are still a brilliant way to mirror the flavors and textures found in the actual fruit. I’ll never say bye to a Hi-Chew.

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9 Things That Taste Like a Margarita But Aren’t

We love margaritas, in all their various colors and flavors, in classic form and frozen. But they definitely feel like a summer drink, so we’re a little perplexed as to why National Margarita Day falls in the dead of winter (Feb. 22 to be exact). We are not complaining, though, and we’ll take any excuse to celebrate, because the simple blend of tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur in the right proportion never fails to charm—even outside of the margarita glass. Here, then, are 9 recipes, from skirt steak to cake, that take the classic Cinco de Mayo cocktail as inspiration so you can enjoy one any time of year, and at any meal, for that matter.

Browse Tequila on Drizly (prices vary)

Can't forget the key ingredient, of course!

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1. Margarita Doughnuts

Edible Woman

Cocktail doughnuts are a fabulous mash-up and an acceptable way to have a tiny bit of booze for breakfast (okay, weekend brunch at least). These easy, fluffy baked doughnuts with lime zest and lime juice meet a sweet-tart tequila-spiked glaze and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to finish in proper style. Get the Margarita Doughnuts recipe.

Wilton Non-Stick Donut Pans, 2 for $13.88 on Amazon

Bake an even dozen doughnuts at home.

Bake It

2. Margarita Salad with Tequila-Lime Dressing

Thyme and Love

A savory salad of baby spinach, strawberries, mango, avocado, and red onion turns extra-special when it’s paired with a tequila-laced lime juice and agave nectar dressing. It’s pretty much the healthiest margarita you’ll ever meet. Get the Margarita Salad with Tequila-Lime Dressing recipe.

3. Grilled Margarita-Marinated Steak

Spicy Southern Kitchen

Steak marinated in all the elements you expect in a margarita—tequila, Cointreau—and some you don’t, like cilantro and garlic. (Try it with an avocado-tomatillo salsa too.) Get the Grilled Margarita-Marinated Steak recipe.

4. 10-Minute Spicy Margarita Shrimp

Wicked Spatula

Shrimp, paprika, sea salt, olive oil, tequila, lime juice, honey, and jalapeño combine for a super-quick—and delicious—dinner that you can serve in a myriad of ways (over rice, over salad, in tacos or burritos…) Get the 10-Minute Spicy Margarita Shrimp recipe.

5. Fresh Margarita Chicken

Iowa Girl Eats

Chicken breasts get drunk on flavor in a marinade that includes orange and lime juices, garlic, tequila, and agave nectar. After grilling, top with perfect guacamole for a healthy meal. Get the Fresh Margarita Chicken recipe.

6. Margarita Fruit Salad

An Affair from the Heart

Fruit salad can be boring and bland, but this mix of watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, and other fruit (use whatever looks and tastes best) gets a quick toss with lime juice, silver tequila, and triple sec. Bright, fresh, and all grown up. Get the Margarita Fruit Salad recipe.

7. Margarita Cookies

Love from the Oven

Delicate butter cookies flavored with grated lime peel and a touch of orange extract. A discreet amount of food coloring gives them a bright green color, and a tequila and powdered sugar glaze gives them authentic sass. Get the Margarita Cookies recipe.

8. Mini Margarita Bundt Cakes

Jo Cooks

Lemon cake mix gives you a head start, while lemon pudding mix guarantees a moist texture. Tequila and triple sec, meanwhile, ensure a fiesta-like kick. (If you don’t have any Bundt pans, try this Tequila Lime Margarita Sheet Cake recipe with cream cheese frosting.) Get the Mini Margarita Bundt Cakes recipe.

Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Anniversary Bundtlette Pan, $32.58 on Amazon

Baby Bundt cakes are downright adorable.

Downsize

9. Frozen Mango Margarita Mocktail

Unbound Wellness

Okay, maybe this is cheating just a little, but who can resist an easy blender drink, especially one this tasty? Frozen mango, orange juice, lime juice, and a little honey are pretty much all you need—and since it’s a mocktail, it counts as “not a margarita.” (But by all means, if you want to add a shot of tequila, do!) Get the Frozen Mango Margarita Mocktail recipe.

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What Is the Difference Between a Margarita and a Skinny Margarita?

2019 Oscar Cocktails Inspired by the Best Picture Nominees

Whether you host a red carpet cocktail party, an award-worthy dinner, or put together a more casual movie-snack-inspired affair, the Oscars are a great excuse for some kind of party. And you can’t have a party without drinks. So in honor of Oscars 2019, we’ve rounded up show-stopping Oscar drink options inspired by each Best Picture nominee.

Like last year, there are spoilers below, mostly minor, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. If you don’t care about any of the nominees (or about themes, for that matter), just go with something appropriately classy for the occasion—this is also your last safe space before potential spoilers start to crop up.

All-Purpose Oscar Cocktail: Red Carpet Royale Champagne Cocktail with Gold Leaf

Fizzy, festive Champagne meets tequila, Cointreau, and a little gold leaf because you have to have some bling for the Academy Awards. Get our Red Carpet Royale Champagne Cocktail with Gold Leaf.

Now, if you’re a sucker for thematic tie-ins and/or puns, allow us to suggest our Best Picture-inspired picks for Best Oscar Cocktails 2019, perfect for parties or just watching the 91st Academy Awards on your couch with a few friends. (And if you want to go all-out, pair these with nominee-inspired food!)

“Bohemian Rhapsody” — St. Cecilia’s Punch

Chowhound

Freddie Mercury allegedly favored vodka tonics in the evenings, Champagne in the afternoons and early evenings, and Earl Grey every morning. Out of those options, bubbly is the obvious choice for the Oscars (and a fantastic excuse to mention this amazing story about the Queen frontman once taking Princess Diana clubbing)—but a simple glass of sparkling wine doesn’t seem impressive enough. So make a big batch of Champagne punch that also happens to contain tea (green, not Earl Grey, but you could always substitute that English staple)! We strongly suggest freezing edible glitter into the ice ring to give it extra flair, but if you don’t need that much alcohol, make a bubbly Yellow Bicycle in honor of one of Queen’s catchiest songs. Get our St. Cecilia’s Punch recipe.

Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label on Drizly (price varies)

Find the best bubbly to pair with whatever you're watching.

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“Black Panther” — The Vibranium Cocktail

This Worthey Life

Of the handful of “Black Panther” and Wakanda cocktails out there, most are a deep amethyst that’s definitely gorgeous (check out the Heart of Wakanda Cocktail from The Afropolitan Mom, and the molecular gastronomy-inspired Black Panther Cocktail from Savoring the Good), but Tatanisha and Derrick Worthey of This Worthey Life have truly risen above the rest to create four stunning options—makes sense for such a crowd-pleasing and dazzling Oscar contender. Their Heart-Shaped Herb Cocktail, with coconut and pineapple rum, creme de violette, and both black currant and lavender syrups, may not actually grant you super powers, but it will definitely make you feel great, and any land where we can find The Chilling Mist with black vodka and sorrel-infused syrup is one we’d gladly venture into. They even turned out a red velvet cake-inspired “Hey, Auntie” cocktail option honoring that super-quotable line from the film! But if we had to choose just one, we might pick this potent blue sip that’ll armor you against almost anything (at least the thought of having to go back to work on Monday). Get the Vibranium Cocktail recipe.

Hypnotiq on Drizly (price varies)

A blue blend of vodka, fruit juice, and Cognac.

Check Availability

“The Favourite” — Pomegranate White Hot Chocolate

The Speckled Palate

Mud comes up more than once in this flick, including in the form of a mud bath—coincidentally, we’d be happy to sit in a vat of this rich hot chocolate (or at least drink a big mug of it, and maybe finger-paint a chocolate mustache on for a photo op). It’s also a nice non-alcoholic option, but something you could easily spike if so inclined. And the addition of pomegranate juice? Inspired—the tart flavor really tamps down the often-intense sweetness of white chocolate, and is also responsible for the drink’s deceptively dark color; a little trickery is wonderfully appropriate for this film. Plus, it hearkens back to a memorable slow-mo scene involving a fusillade of the fruit in the movie… Get the Pomegranate White Hot Chocolate recipe.

POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice, $3.48 at Walmart

Sweet, tart, and good for your heart.

Drink it

“BlacKkKlansman” — Hillary Wallbanger

Chowhound

Look, we’re not gonna try to get too cute with this one, but Spike Lee’s film (based on a truly fascinating true story) has its fair share of bar scenes, and it’s set in the 1970s, so let’s look at what was popular at the time. Difford’s Guide says Galliano was the most popular liqueur of the decade, which had a lot to do with why Harvey Wallbangers were so widespread on the cocktail scene. This take on that throwback drink of orange juice, vodka, and sweet, herbal liqueur might be a bit surprising—which seems only fitting for a tale that hinges on subterfuge (and, admittedly, has faced accusations of misrepresenting facts itself). The vodka in the traditional drink is replaced with white wine, but it also gets a new name so you know to expect the unexpected. Get our Hillary Wallbanger recipe.

Galliano Italian Liqueur on Drizly (price varies)

Try a taste of the '70s.

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“Green Book” — Honey & Hearth Bourbon Chartreuse Cocktail

The Bojon Gourmet

“Green Book” is another based-on-a-true-story movie that may not hew quite so close to reality, but what is certain is that Dr. Don Shirley was an immensely talented artist and piano virtuoso, with an appreciation for finer things—who also faced racism throughout his life (definitely not just in the south), and may have had some internal struggle with respectability politics. His life, like most lives, was complicated, so we’re choosing this multi-faceted cocktail that combines complex French Chartreuse with American bourbon (not to mention lemon and ginger), and includes a smoking cinnamon stick garnish, which recalls his pointed comments about other musicians “smoking and putting a glass on the piano.” It’s definitely okay to put these on your coffee table, though. Get the Honey & Hearth Bourbon Chartreuse Cocktail recipe.

What's the Difference Between Green and Yellow Chartreuse?

They each bring their own little something-something.

Compare and Contrast

“Vice” — Toronto Cocktail

Liquor.com

If you have a darkly ironic streak, you could just shotgun a beer for this one, or go with a slightly more complex “hunter’s cocktail“—but we’re nominating the Toronto Cocktail for best sip when it comes to “Vice.” Initially, this was just because (in addition to Canadian rye) it includes Fernet Branca, the most pungent of all Italian amari, which is sure to leave a faintly bitter taste in your mouth—but then we were reminded (by Googling “Cheney + Toronto”) that violent protests in 2012 led the former VP to cancel a trip to the actual city of Toronto, so this just seems like kismet. Get the Toronto Cocktail recipe.

Fernet Branca on Drizly (price varies)

Acquire (or satisfy) a taste for this bartender favorite.

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“A Star Is Born” — Liquid Cocaine or Bittersweet Coffee Mocktail

Chowhound

You can go two ways with this, depending on how insensitive you’re okay with seeming. If your sense of humor tends toward the pitch-black, a Liquid Cocaine shot is clearly just the thing! Not only is it thematically appropriate (even more so if you swap in whiskey for rum), but it shimmers with gold flakes, a nice touch for the occasion, and to represent, you know, stars. That said, these are potent, and overdoing it is no joke, so drink with caution. Get our Liquid Cocaine recipe.

Goldschlager Cinnamon Liqueur on Drizly (price varies)

With floating gold flakes swirling in the bottle to boot.

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Oh So Beautiful Paper

If that’s just too tasteless for you (or you simply don’t drink alcohol), consider a fittingly bittersweet coffee mocktail that’ll keep you awake through the entire Oscars ceremony instead. If you don’t have time to buy the vanilla-grapefruit shrub, it’s easy enough to make your own. Ditto the rosemary simple syrup. Get the Bittersweet Coffee Mocktail recipe.

Element Shrub All-Natural Grapefruit Vanilla Shrub, $26.99 on Amazon

This tangy shrub adds great complex flavor to mocktails.

Try It

“Roma” — Spicy Gingered Mango Margarita

Half Baked Harvest

Everyone’s doing a Paloma for this one, and it’s a totally solid option. But we want something a little more visually stunning, just like Alfonso Cuarón’s striking cinematography, and with more of a visceral punch that stays with you for a while. This margarita fits the bill and is breathtaking in more ways than one (though all of them good!)—it’s sweet from mango; spicy from jalapeño, fresh ginger, and a chile-salt rim; piquant from lime juice; and just flat-out gorgeous thanks to hibiscus blossoms for garnish. But even without the flowers, this is a captivating option—and you can replace the tequila with more lime juice and sparkling water if you want another non-alcoholic drink. Get the Spicy Gingered Mango Margarita recipe.

Don't Drink on An Empty Stomach

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Visit our Oscars headquarters for more red carpet-ready recipes, tips, and tricks, and be sure to enter our award-worthy 65-inch 4K TV giveaway by Feb. 25 for your chance to win best picture (not to mention Fandango gift cards)!

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