Life Talk

Barista here: decent coffee at home without a £500 machine

I make coffee for a living and I don't own an espresso machine at home. Here's what actually matters, in order:

1. Fresh beans. Roasted within the last month or so. Supermarket beans with no roast date are usually the problem, not your method.

2. A grinder. Even a cheap hand grinder beats pre-ground. This is the single best money you'll spend.

3. A scale. A kitchen scale that does grams. Roughly 1 gram of coffee to 15-17 grams of water. Stop guessing with spoons.

4. Then the brewer. French press, pour-over cone or a moka pot all make great coffee. Pick the one that suits how lazy you are in the morning.

Water just off the boil, not violently boiling. That's honestly it. Fight me in the comments.