How To Make Coffee At Your Home As A Professional Barista

There’s nothing better than starting the day with a good cup of coffee. For most people, getting this morning fix is as easy as heading into the nearby local coffee shop. For some, however, being able to brew their own perfect blend is more challenging but it can be more rewarding as well.

What does it mean to brew a good cup of coffee? If you ask a barista, you’ll be given an hour or so lecture on what it means to make that perfect cup. However, if you’re pressed for time or if you’re too excited to begin making your own perfect blend, then you’ve come to the right place.

Many factors go into making a good cup of coffee and you must understand each of these. If you want to see some of the integral aspects that result in a good coffee and read on as this guide will help you become the home barista of your dreams.

Know Your Brew

Before anything else, you need to familiarize yourself with the process of brewing coffee. Actually, there are 5 ways you can brew your coffee. There are benefits to each of these and it’s important that you first know what type of brew suits you best:

• Cafetiere – The easiest way to brew coffee. There’s no need to use filters and it’s the most common method to brew coffee at home.
• Chemex – Helps pick up the subtle flavors in the coffee. Often results in a smooth brew which is perfect for people who don’t like the strong bitter taste of coffee.
• V60 – This brewing method results in flavors similar to what the Chemex can make. However, what’s good about the V60 is that it can make one or two types of coffee at the same time. Good for households where there are a lot of coffee lovers.
• Aeropress – If you truly are a coffee aficionado and you’d love yours with strong flavors, then go for the AeroPress. It creates the strongest tasting coffee possible.
• Moka pot – It’s a brewing method that results in a thick and muddy type of coffee. It’s strong and flavorful as is. However, if the flavor is too strong, you can top it off with some hot water.

Invest In The Right Equipment

If you really want to take things up a notch, then be prepared to shell out some money. All of the top cafes out there come equipped with an espresso machine in their arsenal and this appliance is more important than you think. It can be a bit pricey too if you’re really looking for the best machines.

What is an espresso machine anyway? To put it simply, it’s a machine that brews coffee by using pressurized water through ground coffee. At the end of the machine and the result of the magical process is a thick concentrated type of coffee which you may know of like an espresso.

Espresso machines can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Of course, you’ll be spending thousands of dollars if you are getting a model that’s primarily used for commercial purposes. The good news is that there are some models which are suited for home baristas such as yourself.

Before buying an espresso machine, make sure that you set the right budget for yourself. Try not to get anything too fancy. This list of top-rated espresso makers is a good start. Some many features and aspects make an espresso machine worth buying and reading through reviews is a good way to “filter” the good from the bad.

Buy Fresh Beans

The heart and soul of a good cup of coffee are the beans. Whatever your type of coffee maybe, it’s very important that you have fresh beans in your pantry. Fresh coffee beans result in a more solid flavor. If you really want to get the most out of the beans, you need to keep them fresh as well.

To keep coffee beans fresh, you need to store them in an airtight container. Glass or ceramic jars that have a rubber seal at the top are a good way to keep the air and the moisture out. Before putting the beans inside the container, make sure that the container itself is as dry as possible.

Use Good Water

What most newbies don’t know is that the water you use for your coffee matters too. Tap water or water high in chlorine are definitely not viable options. These can ruin the flavor of the coffee bean instantly. As much as possible, use only spring water. Alternatively, you can have charcoal-activated filters installed on your tap to get good water.

Find The Perfect Temperature

One does not simply make coffee with hot water. If you use water that’s too hot, some of the components inside the bean will get activated and you’ll get a piece of news that’s very bitter.

The best temperature to brew your coffee with is 200°F. This is around 45 seconds into a full boil. It can be hard measuring the temperature, that’s why it’s very recommended to invest in a good thermometer to keep the temps in check.

Trial And Error

Once you’ve got the right equipment, it’s time to test out exactly what you want in your coffee. There are those that like it black and strong. On the other hand, there are also those that want it on the creamier and lighter side. Your next job is to determine what type of coffee suits your taste buds best.

It would be wise to start brewing in small amounts first. That way, you can experiment with the type of brew that you want without having to waste too much of this valuable concoction.

There’s a lot of passion and science that goes into brewing the perfect cup of coffee. If you want the perfect blend, make sure that you consider these tips first. With enough practice and the right equipment, you’ll be moving like a full-fledged barista.