6 Coffee-Making Essentials Every Great Host Should Have, According to an Entertaining Pro

Social media influencer Isabelle Heikens is best known for her “Dinner at Isabelle’s” series on Instagram. From her Toronto home, she serves up cocktails, pretty table settings, a gourmet meal, and dessert—all around a theme. For these monthly special occasions, Heikens leaves no detail unconsidered, and her almost half a million social media fans eat up the ideas and inspiration. But all that creative energy has to come from somewhere, right?

Turns out, in addition to throwing a killer dinner party, Heikens is also a caffeine aficionado. She has outfitted her kitchen and breakfast nook with everything an at-home barista needs for making a delicious cuppa. Sometimes it’s just for herself, and sometimes this born entertainer finds herself hosting friends for coffee, croissants, and a catch-up session at her cozy breakfast nook. Here, the culinary creative shares her favorite product picks for brewing, sipping, and savoring the perfect cup.

This coffee maker is Heikens’ secret weapon for an ideal drip brew. The sleek, compact appliance is available in matte black or matte white and comes with a handsome opaque pot. “I always find myself craving a black drip coffee in the morning and then something creamier in the afternoon,” Heikens says.

A milk frother is a must-have for Heikens’ caffeine routine. “If my coffee is going to have milk in it, I want it foamy,” she says. “I love that this does both hot and cold foam and is super easy to clean.” The frother is dishwasher-safe and has an ergonomic handle.

Heikens likes matcha as an alternative to coffee sometimes. “I go through phases with matcha,” she says. “Sometimes I am on a big kick and other times I just want coffee.” When she’s in the mood for the green stuff, she always opts for individual packets rather than a single can. “I don’t like to leave a matcha can open for too long, so I love the convenience and freshness that these individual sachets provide.” A box of this matcha comes with 28 servings of organic, ceremonial-grade matcha.

“Every time I break out this mug set, I get so many compliments,” Heikens says. “It is the perfect mismatched set without being too mismatched.” The set of six sturdy stoneware mugs includes two each of similar, but not identical, green, blue, and pink mugs. When she invites friends over for coffee or tea, she has a fun little ritual. “I love to hand my guests a color of mug that best matches what they are wearing,” Heikens says.

To jazz up her at-home coffee drinks, Heikens likes to make her own flavored syrups. Honey-lavender and brown sugar-cardamom are two of her favorites. “I love a fun drink, and homemade syrups are the easiest way to do it,” Heikens says. After she makes a syrup, she decants it into a glass pump dispenser that she keeps alongside her coffee maker and milk frother. Storing syrups on a wipeable tray contains any sticky messes and makes it easier to clean up.

These sweet little glass tumblers went viral because of the dozens of designs they come in—everything from hearts to bows to chili peppers to pretzels. The designs come from small glass beads in different shapes that are pressed into the side of the glass. The fun is in choosing whatever icon speaks to you. Heikens favors the bumblebee version and uses them for iced coffee or matcha drinks.