What You Need to Make a Perfect Cup of Coffee at Home
Making a coffee as good as you get at the coffee shop in your own home is not as easy as it sounds. First of all if you are new to the idea then its unlikely that you are an expert Barista with the skills to produce a cappuccino worthy of the name.
A Barista who takes great pride in the quality of coffee he creates will probably have years of experience working in a commercial environment and making hundreds of coffees every day. To be able to compete with this and learn how to make the perfect cup of coffee at home is going to be a challenge.
If you are the type of person who loves coffee and doesn’t like to settle for the second best of anything in life then you are a perfect candidate to learn who to make the perfect cup of coffee. Be warned though that the journey to coffee perfection is a long and arduous one which only the toughest will survive.
What Equipment Do I Need To Make The Perfect Cup Of Coffee?
They say that a bad workman blames his tools but in the case of coffee making the quality of the tools is crucial. A good workman with bad tools will never produce a cup of coffee to make his mamma proud.
The Coffee Beans
Yes coffee beans, don’t even think about buying you coffee ready ground if you’re going to pretend you are a Barista in the making. The fresher your coffee beans the better the final product will taste. There are companies who will dispatch coffee to you on the day it is roasted, they’re worth tracking down if you are going for perfection.
If you can’t get freshly roasted “boutique” coffee then there are plenty of brands in the beans out there which will do a great job. At the end of the day the beans you choose to use on a regular basis is down to personal taste and most coffee roasters these days produce roasted coffee beans which are of a perfectly acceptable standard.
In my opinion, as long as you choose a coffee bean from a respectable roaster then the skill of the Barista, the coffee machine, and the coffee grinder are more important to achieving an outstanding espresso than the beans you choose.
The Espresso Coffee Machine
Buying an espresso coffee machine these days can be a bewildering experience which such a large number of different models and manufacturers. There are plenty of machines that will do an acceptable job if your only looking for “acceptable” coffee, but if your after the best of the best your really going to have to splash out on something special.
It takes a lot of pressure to create a great cup of coffee and unfortunately the cheaper electric coffee makers just don’t have the power to give your that awesome espresso taste your looking for. Semi-commercial machines are a great way to make coffee if you’re looking for the best. Something like the Nespresso Vertuo Plus Coffee or NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Genio 2 Coffee Machine are so close to delivering coffee shop coffee that you won’t notice a difference. They are pretty expensive but a Bezzera espresso machine will make you the envy of all your coffee drinking friends when they get a taste of your coffee creations.
If you aren’t willing to stretch that far then there are always Gaggia machines to fall back on. Gaggia machines ooze style and beauty so will look great in your kitchen. At the same time can deliver great espresso coffee if you know how to use it.
The Coffee Grinder
My favorite part of the whole process of making the perfect coffee if grinding up my beans. Maybe its the aromas which are released in the process, maybe its the smooth feel of the uniform fine grains when I rub them between my fingers or it could just be the anticipation of another great coffee on the way. There’s a lot be said for the ritualistic aspects of creating a great coffee.
Many people overlook the importance of an espresso coffee grinder in the whole process but without a high-quality burr coffee grinder you are setting yourself up for a coffee maker’s disappointment. Do much research into your grinding machine as you would for the espresso maker to ensure you get a machine that grinds coffee consistently and without burning the grains.
If money is no object or you just want to show off how cool you are to your friends then you’ve got to get yourself a Mazzer coffee grinder. Mazzer builds coffee grinders of supreme quality which will deliver you the absolute finest ground coffee ever. They are also built so well they will last you for years and at the price, they sell for you’ll be glad you never have to buy another one.
Your Barista Coffee Making Skills
The best way to learn how to make a perfect coffee is to get a lesson from someone you know who is a master of the craft. Make sure whoever teaches you actually knows what they are doing, there are many so-called Baristas out there who think they are experts but are actually clueless when it comes to making great coffee. Ideally, you’ll find someone who has been properly trained as a Barista and has many years of experience behind an espresso coffee machine.
