With the arrival of winter and the harsh climate, the days change as do the rhythms and needs of our bodies. Whether by gluttony or the desire to warm up, even the beloved espresso can adapt to the change of season; with a few extra ingredients, in fact, it is possible to make a winter coffee to give a different touch to the cold months.
Although espresso is one of the most versatile habits – and pleasures – for consumers, in winter it is always nice to give in to sweeter flavours and particularly warm drinks. But this does not mean giving up the taste and benefits of espresso, so much as reinventing our favourite beverage.
Iced coffee, iced coffee, shaken coffee or coffee granita, in summer the coffee drinks seem to be endless. But fear not, there are also plenty of recipes for winter coffee!
Starting with the cappuccino or hazelnut coffee we have already mentioned, the beans of the coffea plant lend themselves to hot preparations, to be drunk slowly to warm up the cold and heavy days. All you need is a sprinkling of cocoa or spices to flavour your cup, or you can indulge yourself with citrus peel, honey, or cream to make a mouth-watering drink.
In short, with the right precautions, you can fight hypothermia, allow yourself a moment of relaxation and indulge in a few extra calories, without too many risks. The important thing is always not to abuse caffeine.
Here are our tips for enjoying winter coffee to the full.
Benefits of drinking coffee in winter
Starting with the most important watchword in coffee consumption, namely moderation, winter coffee can also support the body in an extraordinary way.
First of all, just like clothes, hot drinks help prevent hypothermia, protecting the body from excessive cold, shivering and the risk of fatigue due to the drop in temperature.
Moreover, even in winter, when the cold makes it more difficult to leave the house to go to work or perform one’s activities, the substances contained in coffee continue to provide an excellent dose of energy. Caffeine, in fact, is a natural stimulant that improves brain activity and increases the body’s endurance.
The beloved cup also aids concentration, counteracts sleep, and stimulates the memory, being an essential aid even for particularly demanding activities.
Coffee lovers, then, do not miss the results of scientific research: drinking coffee, without exceeding the limit of two/three cups per day, provides an excellent dose of antioxidants and helps to counteract the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia; it helps prevent heart disease and cancer.
A cup of hot coffee after a meal speeds up the metabolism and aids digestion, promoting the absorption of essential nutrients.
In the case of colds, which are difficult to escape in the winter months, hot drinks stimulate healing. First, because they have a protective effect against infection, then because they soothe inflammation, help eliminate mucus and act on neurons, decreasing the sensation of pain.
As if that were not enough, in front of a hot espresso, people tend to relax and be more friendly with other people.
In short, the beneficial effects of coffee in winter are many, it is just a matter of not overdoing it with caffeine to avoid its diuretic effect: going too much in the bathroom risks dehydration or a drop in body temperature.
Winter coffee: Recipes and tips
To consume coffee in winter, there are tasty alternatives that can warm you up (which is the basic requirement) but also brighten the day and counteract flu symptoms.
In addition to coffee, ingredients to be procured include spices, especially cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and vanilla, dried or candied fruit and chocolate, all of which go excellently with winter coffee.
In cold weather, you can usually replace sugar with honey and sip the drink in a slightly larger cup.
Let’s discover some goodies to make coffee even more enjoyable in winter.
Winter coffee with spices
This drink encapsulates autumn and winters’ flavours and is a concentrate of pure energy based on spices, cream, eggnog, and coffee.
It is prepared by mixing some whipped cream, eggnog, vanilla cream, and sugar. Espresso coffee is added to the resulting cream, which is then garnished with the remaining cream, nutmeg, and black pepper.
Viennese coffee
For chocolate lovers, Viennese coffee is a real treat. To prepare it, the only ingredients required are espresso coffee, dark chocolate, and a few tablespoons of whipped cream.
Before extracting the coffee, the chocolate needs to be melted in a bain-marie. Once the cream has formed, pour it into the cup that will hold the espresso. Finally, it can be served with a little cream and chocolate shavings on top.
Coffee with orange
This winter coffee recipe requires very few ingredients: espresso coffee, dark chocolate, and candied orange peel.
First, you have to melt the chocolate, then place it in the bottom of the cup together with the candied orange and orange peel. Finally, simply extract the coffee directly into the cup and enjoy.
Winter drinks: the best alternatives to coffee
During wintertime, it is also very pleasant to sip delicious infusions and special teas. There are countless alternatives to coffee on the market, both in pods and loose, which can be prepared in no time at all with the spear of an espresso machine.
Spices and citrus aromas seem to warm up any day, while chocolate and coffee infusions provide just the right amount of energy to cope with the frosty weather.
There are also healthy drinks, based on herbs with strong therapeutic properties, such as mint, mallow, aniseed, or elderberry.
However, we know that for a true coffee lover, the alternative to coffee is simply one: coffee!
How to prepare a great winter coffee
Hot, steaming, aromatic, coffee in winter is a moment of refreshment and pleasure that makes you forget the frost around you. It gives energy, wards off hypothermia and puts you in a good mood; the important thing is that the taste is excellent and does not disappoint expectations at the first sip.
The first thing to do, therefore, is to concentrate on the preparation of the espresso, which must be truly artfully managed, because any ingredient can be added to the drink, as long as the base is a quality espresso.
Pontevecchio lever coffee machines are not only designed for the preparation of a unique espresso, but to enrich any moment of the day with taste, pleasure, and warmth. Discover our home coffee machines and indulge yourself in preparing the winter drinks you desire. Remember that each machine model from Pontevecchio is equipped with a wand for heating water and milk, so that you can warm up your winter not only with coffee but also with herbal teas, infusions, and cappuccinos.