Coffee holds a significant place in all our lives, a taste we consume daily. These days, when we have to bring our work home, coffee has become more of a necessity than a craving. Becoming your own home barista and achieving the taste of the coffees we drink in cafes at home by following the right methods is very easy!
Don't forget that you'll make significant savings by cutting down on your daily espresso or cappuccino expenses at your favorite cafes and coffee shops!
You'll be surprised by how delicious the coffee you make at home is.
WHERE SHOULD I START?
If you're asking, "How can I be my own home barista?" you don't need to spend a lot of money to be a great home barista. All you need is the right equipment for specific brewing methods. The quality of the coffee beans and the correct use of brewing equipment are determining factors in the taste of the coffee.
To make excellent coffees with a manual espresso machine, you need to practice a lot and be a little patient. You can also check out our ideas below to get started.
- First, make sure the portafilter (basket) where you put the coffee is clean every time you use it. Even a small residue left around it can negatively affect the taste of the coffee. You can check out our blog post for details on cleaning your espresso machine.
- Make sure you put the correct dosage of coffee. illy recommends using 7g of ground coffee for a single espresso.
- How you distribute/spread the coffee in the portafilter (basket) is also a detail that enhances the quality of the espresso. After putting the coffee in, you can lightly tap the portafilter on the table to help the coffee settle.
- Compacting the coffee is one of the most critical points. A coffee tamper is a tool that compresses and flattens finely ground coffee beans by applying even pressure. Compacting and flattening the coffee is important for the pressurized water to act evenly on the coffee on the surface. Check out the coffee tamper varieties on our website.
- Be aware of the brewing time! 30 seconds is the ideal brewing time for espresso. If you brew faster, your espresso may be weak and tasteless. If you brew longer, you may end up with a bitter espresso.
- The amount of single espresso you obtain should be between 25-30cl. If you get more or less coffee at the end of 30 seconds, you may need to adjust your coffee grind setting.
If you don't have an espresso machine and aren't planning to get one, easier-to-use brewing equipment will help you make delicious coffees. In addition to brewing equipment, you can explore illy starter sets, which include a variety of illy coffees and allow you to discover different coffee brewing methods, as a complementary option.
On our page where we share coffee recipes, you can find coffee recipes shared with all the details to help you make your favorite coffee types easily and deliciously.