There’s no better feeling than sipping on an amazing specialty coffee in your favorite café – but what if you could enjoy that same cup of coffee at home?
Learning how to make coffee will take your love for this beverage to whole new heights. You’ll not only be able to enjoy delicious brews whenever you want, but you’ll also be able to explore more of the intricate world of coffee: why do Costa Rican honey processed beans taste different from Rwandan washed beans? Why does a French press taste different from a pour over? And why is grind size important?
There’s a lot to learn, but I’ve got good news for you: today, we’re here to help you out. I spoke to several coffee professionals and asked them for their tips for beginner home brewers. Let’s take a look at what they had to say.
HOW TO START MAKING COFFEE AT HOME
The first thing you need, of course, is your device. But out of the many different home brewers available, which is best? Here are some of the ones our experts recommended. Not only are they all easy to use, but they’re also all affordable.
The French Press
French press a great way to get started. A very consistent brewer that usually makes a great cup of coffee. You just need to make sure to have a grinder (of course) and dose 60 g/L using some sort of bottled water that you brought up to the boil. Steep for four minutes, press, and serve.”
The French press/Press Pot is a classic immersion brewing device: you simply combine ground coffee and hot water before filtering (or, in this case, plunging).
Moka Pot
The Moka Pot is a stove-top coffee maker with a simple design and effective method. The bottom-most chamber holds the water, the center basket contains the coffee grounds, and the upper chamber will store the final coffee. Ample amounts of pressure push the steam through the grounds and up through the tube into the final chamber, resembling espresso. If you’re hoping to imitate your favorite shop’s latte however, you may want to look elsewhere. Even still, the Moka Pot is a widely used and respected method across the globe that boasts a full body and strong brew.
DO YOU NEED ANY EXTRA EQUIPMENT?
Once you get into your home brewing, you may find yourself tempted to buy all kinds of equipment: different filters, different brewers, kettles… but how much do you really need as a beginner? Not much – especially if you start with one of the immersion methods above.
