Break: subtleties of coffee table setting
Reading time: 4 minutes Every morning, millions of people around the world associate it with coffee. Strong espresso or delicate latte macchiato, airy cappuccino or your own coffee drink according to a unique recipe. How to properly set the table for a beautiful morning ritual?
One of the most pleasant things to do in the morning is to climb up onto a soft sofa with a plush blanket and drink a cup of strong aromatic coffee, snuggle into a large bear sitting next to you, bought in a luxury supermarket in London or New York, and forget about everything in the world! But coffee can unexpectedly stain a sofa, blanket, and even a bear. Therefore, it is still better to perform the morning ritual at the table.
To do this, we should use a few simple rules, which, first of all, depend on the main drink: Italian espresso, Turkish coffee or another coffee recipe you choose.
The first rule of coffee etiquette involves choosing the right utensils for serving. For example, in porcelain elegant coffee pairs or coffee sets, coffee is served, prepared on a stove in a Turk or made by you using a drip or geyser coffee maker. There is even such a term, the coffee trio, which means that every coffee lover uses a coffee cup, saucer and spoon.
If you want to pour the brewed coffee in advance into another container for serving, then use a special coffee pot. It can also be made of porcelain, similar to a teapot that is used for brewing, but has slightly different parameters: such a coffee pot is quite narrow, but tall.
The drink is poured from the coffee pot into cups, filling them two-thirds, no more. This is done for guests so that they can add cream or milk to their cup if they wish.
If you are preparing cappuccino, then to serve it you can choose special thick-walled cups that widen at the top, then the foam will lie in a beautiful even layer and there will be room for latte art, this is the art of drawing on the foam. To serve coffee drinks with different layers, such as latte macchiato, use tall glass glasses or tumblers. It is in them that color transitions are clearly visible. Glasses can be equipped with special handles for easy drinking of these hot drinks.
In addition to drinkware, you should stock up on special coffee spoons; they are slightly different from tea and dessert spoons. And for drinks served in tall glasses, there are special elongated spoons.
The second serving rule concerns coffee additives.
Milk or cream is served separately in a milk jug. Portioned cream is more suitable for home or office use, but is not very suitable for beautiful serving. Sugar is also served in a common sugar bowl; it is often included in coffee services, so that each guest can sweeten the coffee to their own taste. To do this, use forceps. Plastic spoons, stirrers and portioned sugar should not be used.
When setting the table, do not forget to place a dessert plate to the left of the coffee trio. You can put sweets and the necessary utensils on it in advance. Prepared desserts are placed in the center of the table. Cakes, sweets, and chocolate go well with coffee drinks.
If you decide to put dessert directly on a plate for each guest, choose gourmet pastries that look like homemade ones. Small croissants, Scottish shortbread cookies, Israeli sweets such as Elsa Story, marzipans, leaf-shaped chocolate like Hachez, and much more are suitable for this.
If the coffee is brewed using spices or the drink is simply quite strong and tart, you should set the table with a glass of cool still water for each guest. You can add sliced lemon to the dessert plate; guests can use it to acidify cold water.
However, the most complex tradition, which has acquired a huge number of rules and conventions, is Italian espresso and ristretto - strong espresso for one sip. Today we will not consider the intricacies of preparation, we will only note an important point - real Italian espresso should have not only a special taste and intoxicating aroma, but also an excellent thick foam, which experts call crema (emphasis on the last syllable).
If you are preparing this type of coffee, and it can only be made using special coffee machines under high pressure, this drink cannot be poured or made in advance. As soon as the last drop has entered the cup from the coffee machine, it should be immediately handed over to the guest, and woe to the host who offers cold espresso or a drink without decent cream!
Another professional secret: before you bring the cup to the coffee machine when making espresso and press start, you should warm up the cup itself. For this purpose, many coffee machines even have special heated zones. This is not just a tribute to fashion or etiquette, a heated cup several times enhances the taste and aroma of the drink, even average quality coffee beans that could be used for preparation will open up in a new way, and you will receive incomparable pleasure and delight for everyone guests.
Morning breakfast hardly involves drinks such as Irish coffee with whiskey or ice cream, so we’ll talk about the features of setting the table with them on occasion another time.
Well, the last rule of etiquette concerns the actual consumption of the drink. Espresso is drunk from small cups in literally a couple of sips, while you can and should draw in the liquid, making characteristic smacking sounds, this is how baristas - coffee specialists - evaluate this or that variety. If you drink cappuccino, you can eat the foam first or spoon it out; etiquette allows for both actions. The same should be done with other drinks with high foam.
By the way, according to classic Italian coffee etiquette, coffee is enjoyed in the morning, at the beginning of the day, so be sure to prepare yourself and your loved ones for the next luxurious coffee drink, and our tips will help you make this a truly memorable event.
Related devices
To serve coffee correctly, you need not only cups, but also some related equipment. These primarily include:
- a coffee pot, French press or any other container in which coffee is served and then poured directly into cups;
- a sugar bowl with granulated sugar (or a special vase with refined sugar);
- a spoon for granulated sugar (or tweezers for refined sugar);
- milkman or creamer;
- a teaspoon for each guest;
- stand for paper napkins.
Coffee can be served in a French press
The number of certain devices may vary depending on the situation, dishes served with coffee, the number of guests, and their tastes. For example, serving at least two milk jugs is considered good form in a large company: with regular milk and soy milk, if someone prefers that. Other utensils can also be added to the list: a candy dish, dishes with cakes or snacks along with small plates, forks for them, sockets next to each guest if jam, jam, marmalade or honey are supposed to be served. Ideally, it is believed that it is also necessary to have a serving table on wheels or at least a tray, with the help of which all the cutlery, as well as food, can be brought to guests.
The materials from which cutlery is made can be completely different. Coffee pots and milk jugs are made of ceramic, clay, copper and others, spoons are made of certain specific metals, but silver utensils are considered good form. The same applies to forks and tweezers for refined sugar. But, of course, this requirement is met only ideally; in practice, they usually make do with, for example, steel or any other spoons, as well as other utensils not from the same series or even from the same material.
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Sweets selection
An important step in setting the table for tea is the choice of sweets. Dishes should be small and portioned. This will allow guests to easily pick them up and enjoy the taste.
A good option would be:
- Cupcakes or cake. These are the main treats for guests. They are often installed in the center of the table.
- Profiteroles, mousses and small cakes. Such light desserts should be present at every tea ceremony.
- Candies and other sweets. Chocolate and caramel, marmalade, jelly and marshmallows are all additional treats and are used to fill the table.
When choosing sweets, you should pay attention to their appearance. They must correspond to the concept of tea drinking and optimally combine with the background. Sweets as a gift would also be a good solution. With their help, you can add zest to the reception. Guests will definitely leave a good comment.
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