This guide will describe how to make a simple coffee beverage known as a mocha. Mochas can come in many different varieties, but in general are characterized by a coffee beverage that has chocolate flavoring in it. This is one of my own favorite recipes which produces good results (although not as good as a fully equipped cafe). You don't need any cooking experience to make this, but knowledge of how your coffee maker works will make the process easier. The key to making food that you like is experimentation, so feel free to vary this recipe to make drinks that suit your tastes. While creating a mocha is relatively safe, make sure to be careful whenever handling hot beverages. If you accidentally spill a hot liquid on your skin, rinse it under cool water for several minutes. Creating a mocha will take about 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 1: Gather Supplies

To make a mocha you will need to gather the following ingredients:

3 tbsp ground coffee beans

1 Cup Milk

1 tbsp Mocha or Hot Chocolate Mix (with Extra for Sprinkling on the Top)

2-3 tbsp Bittersweet Chocolate

Whipped Cream (optional)

Chocolate Drizzle (optional)

And you will need the following equipment:

Mug (16 oz)

Coffee Maker (with Paper Filter if needed)

Small Microwave Safe Dish

Toothpick

Spoon

When selecting coffee beans for your mocha, you will need to know what your own tastes are. Most people prefer dark beans to give the mocha a more roasted taste, but this is up to you. Mocha mix can give your drink a more authentic chocolaty flavor, but hot chocolate mix will do just as well. Similarly, I use bittersweet chocolate for melting into my beverage but some might prefer a sweeter variety for a more sugary taste. The milk that you choose will determine how creamy your beverage is, with skim milk creating a lighter consistency.

TIP: If you want your drink to be as close to a professional mocha as possible, you can use dark espresso beans in your non espresso coffee maker. The drink will taste the best if the coffee used is as concentrated as possible.

Step 2: Brew Coffee

The first step to making a mocha is brewing to coffee that you will use. The exact process for this step can depend on which coffee brewing system you use. Here I include instructions for a standard drip coffee maker.

Put a paper filter in the basket on your coffee machine. This may not be needed for some systems with a reusable filter.
Pour 3 tbsp of ground coffee into the basket on your machine. Try to pile the grounds as close to the center of the basket as possible.
Fill the carafe with four cups of cool water.
Pour this into the water compartment on the machine .
Place the carafe under the dripping mechanism.
Turn the power on. Your coffee will be done in about 3 minutes.

Note: Coffee makers use a nonstandard unit of measurement on the carafe. Make sure that you use its markings and not a separate measurement cup. The image above shows a carafe filled with four cups of water.

Step 3: Steam Milk

The next step is to steam your milk. I usually do this in the microwave to save time and minimize the number of containers needed to make the mocha.

Pour 1 cup of milk into a 16 oz microwave safe mug.
Put the cup in the microwave, ideally near the center.
Set it to run on high for 1 minute. You can stop the microwave whenever you can see a small amount of steam rising from the milk. If needed put it in for longer.
Carefully take our the milk and put it on an insulated surface.

WARNING: The milk will be very hot when it comes out of the microwave. Be sure not to spill it on yourself.

Step 4: Melt Chocolate

In this step you will melt the chocolate that will sweeten your beverage. Some people add the solid chocolate to the beverage at the end of the process, but I think that is mixes much better if you melt it beforehand.

Put 2-3 tbsp of bittersweet chocolate in to a small dish. The picture above shows the size that I like to use.
Put this dish in the microwave for 30 seconds on high.
Take a toothpick and stir the chocolate, trying to break up any chunks.
Put the chocolate in the microwave for another 30 seconds.
Carefully remove the dish and place it on an insulated surface.

TIP: Try to immediately move to the next step after you melt the chocolate. It hardens very quickly and will be easier to get out of the dish that way.

Step 5: Combine Ingredients

In this step you will combine the different ingredients for your mocha. Make sure to be careful when pouring or stirring hot liquids!

Using a spoon or toothpick to help you, pour your melted chocolate out of the dish and into the mug filled with steamed milk.
Stir the drink for about 30 seconds.
Add 1 tbsp chocolate or mocha powder to the milk, stirring until dissolved.
Take your carafe full of coffee and add carefully pour into your mug until it is almost full.
Stir again for about 30 seconds.

TIP: Don't overfill your cup with coffee. If you leave about half an inch at the top then stirring will be a lot easier

Step 6: Add Toppings

Now that you're mocha is complete you can add any toppings that you desire. This step is really up to you, but here's what I do:

Take a cool can of whipped cream and position it vertically with the cup of coffee.
Begin to apply it to the edge of the coffee mug, and them move it closer to the center in a sort of spiral (shown in picture).
Apply as much as desired, usually about 1 inch of whipped cream.
Sprinkle a pinch of the mocha or chocolate powder onto the whipped cream.
Apply a small amount of chocolate drizzle on top. The mocha will probably look better if the drizzle is cool when it is applied.

TIP: Go easy on the whipped cream. While delicious, adding too much can make the mocha difficult to drink.

Step 7: Conclusion

Congratulations, you've just made a simple mocha! With any luck you should be holding a sweet morning beverage topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. The steps are relatively straightforward, but there are a few extra tips that can make the process easier.

It is usually best to make the coffee as the first step in the process so that you can complete some of the other steps while it brews.
Make sure that you are careful whenever removing something from the microwave because it can be difficult to know how hot it really is.
I try to steam milk in the mug that I will use for the mocha to reduce the number of dishes that are needed and the need to pour hot liquids.

Again you will probably find that you like doing this process a certain way, so never be afraid to try a new way of making the drink. Thanks a lot for reading my guide, don't forget to enjoy your mocha with a sweet treat as well!

Introduction: How to Make a Simple Mocha