There is no doubt about it – a great cup of coffee is a real treat. I developed an interest in better coffee in the mid 90’s but it’s only in the last 10 years, since 2010, that I’ve really investigated speciality coffee. That quickly became an all-consuming passion and by 2020 I was spending far too much money and time making great coffee and experimenting with all the available equipment.
It’s way too easy to spend too much time and money on rubbish coffee and equipment, but now I’ve become really picky, and now I want every cup to be as good as it can be made, with the minimum of equipment and low cost. I love experimenting with new tastes but also love returning to old favourites, and today’s blog is specifically about making the best coffee you can make at home.
In the early days I was always frustrated when making my own coffee at home. Why could I not make coffee that tastes as good as those coffee shop people? I was, of course, doing it all wrong – for example, I purchased a very expensive bean to cup machine, which just made dreadful coffee that was not even hot – this was incredibly frustrating. I became determined to learn, and my experiences may help others take a shorter and less expensive route to being able to make fantastic coffee.
As a coffee fanatic household, we use a variety of different methods for making our coffee at home. What amazes me is how the same coffee beans can produce such a widely different taste when the coffee is made using a different grind and/or different equipment.
My favourite coffee-at-home kit is simple, relatively low cost, and quick to use and clean:
An entry level De-Longhi espresso machine (about £200) will make fabulous coffee. A more advanced Sage espresso machine (between £400 and £1100) has many more configuration options, and has a larger portafilter meaning it will make make a larger espresso shot than when using the De-Longhi.
Further reading: for anyone really interested in investing time and energy to improve their coffee making I strongly recommend reading James Hoffman’s book How to Make the best coffee at home, and also visiting his YouTube channel where he delivers fabulous insight into the more nerdy side of coffee making.
