9 home barista tips
Do you scour all the trendy little cafés every weekend for that espresso? You can make it at home too, with a proper espresso machine. We’re giving you nine tips to get started.
1. Buy a good grinder
Nothing beats the smell and taste of freshly ground coffee beans. Coffee grinders with blades cut the beans into uneven pieces or coffee powder. Grinders with burrs produce evenly sized grounds with a beautiful texture. And you can taste the difference. So go and have a good browse in the shop.
2. Choose the best coffee beans
Say hello to whole beans from your favorite coffee roaster and goodbye to ground supermarket coffee. Go for a beautiful blend or compare single-origin coffee beans from different countries. Think BOOT koffie, Bocca, Lucaffé, Giraffe, or a brand from a coffee roaster in your neighborhood.
3. Always use clean cups
Do you always work hard to achieve the perfect crema (that golden-brown layer on top, also known as coffee’s holy grail), only for it to disappear far too quickly? Leftover grease in your coffee cup reduces the surface tension, causing your crema to dissolve quickly. The whut? Trust me, it works—give it an extra rinse with dish soap.
4. Let the water run through for 25 to 30 seconds
Set a timer or turn it into a little zen moment by counting along. Let it run longer? Then the coffee will taste very bitter. Shorter? Then not all the flavors will be released. A brewing time of 25–30 seconds is just right.
5. Oh, oh Americano? Add some hot water
Would you rather have a large cup of coffee? First make a regular espresso, then add some hot water (just below boiling point). This way, you preserve the subtle flavor of the perfect espresso in a lungo or Americano too.
6. Store coffee beans in the freezer
It may sound a little odd, but storing coffee beans in an airtight bag in the freezer really works. This preserves the beans’ aroma and flavor until the moment you want to enjoy them.
7. Always use fresh water
Is there still some water in the reservoir? Pour it out and always use fresh water. Tap water is usually fine in the Netherlands, but going for perfection? Run it through a limescale filter first.
8. Make coffee at 90–95 degrees Celsius
Feeling hot, hot, hot? If possible, set your machine’s temperature to 90–95 degrees Celsius. Set it hotter? Then the coffee will burn and taste bitter. Set it colder? Then you’ll end up with a weak cup with less flavor.
9. Use preheated cups
You don’t drink the perfect cup of coffee too hot or too cold. Using preheated cups keeps the temperature steady and the coffee’s aroma and flavor perfect. Do you have a machine with a flat top? Put the cups on top, and they’ll preheat automatically.
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