The Unlikely Kitchen Tool That Whips Coffee Like A Charm

If you're in the mood for a whipped coffee but haven't got one of those nifty hand frothers, you need to rifle through your kitchen drawers and locate your mini strainer. This unlikely kitchen tool, that's traditionally used to strain loose tea leaves, can produce a rich and creamy foam with just a touch of elbow grease and a trio of common ingredients. 

To get started take a plate with a raised lip or wide bowl and load it with the regular ingredients required to make a whipped coffee, including sugar, hot water, and ground coffee granules. Then place your mini strainer on top and begin moving it around the plate to help the coffee dissolve in the water and incorporate the sugar. Next, agitate the strainer across the surface area of the dish, moving it back and forth until the fluid thickens. Finally, continue to use the strainer to froth up the coffee paste until it increases in volume, looks glossy, and has a super-smooth texture. 

While this technique will produce slightly different results than using a hand frother, the whipped coffee will have a delectably velvety consistency that's perfect for serving over ice and milk. Simply use a spatula to help you gather together and scrape all of that caffeinated goodness into your serving cup to assemble a scrumptious Dalgona coffee that (almost) tastes like it was made by a barista.

At first glance, it does seem unusual that the simple combination of coffee, sugar, and water can make a creamy foam that doesn't instantly deflate. However, the action of whipping air into the coffee mixture creates lots of bubbles that are then stabilized by the sugar, which allows the amalgam to retain its foamy structure. The only thing you need to bear in mind is that the final taste of your coffee will depend on the intensity of your ground coffee granules (for example a ground espresso powder will produce a stronger whipped coffee than milder alternatives). Having said that, you can flavor your coffee with pantry staples, such as vanilla extract, powdered cinnamon, or a chocolatey dusting of cocoa powder, to personalize it to your taste.

If you don't have a hand frother, balloon whisk, or a tea strainer, you can create a whipped coffee by vigorously shaking your water, sugar, and coffee granules up in a clean plastic bottle. The beauty of this technique is that all the mess is contained inside the bottle and you can neatly pour the foam directly into your cup through its mouth without using additional utensils. Plus, you can discard the bottle after you're done (or give it a rinse so it's ready to be recycled)!