The Home Barista
Essentials For Home Brewing
Do you love coffee so much that you want to make barista quality coffee in the comfort of your own home?
The good news is... you can!
With several ways of making coffee at home, it is easy to impress guests, show off to your family and friends, or just simply enjoy a good coffee without leaving the house.
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French Press
The French Press is one of the most common brewing devices – nearly every household has one. You simply put your ground coffee into the carafe (glass/plastic part of the device), pour boiled water and brew. Afterwards, you then press the plunger, pour, and enjoy!
Grind size: Medium-coarse
Brew time: 3-5 minutes
Price range: £5-£30
Pros: Easy to use, suitable for beginners; affordable; versatile brewing method, goes well with most coffees.
Cons: Some grounds can seep past the metal filter and end up in the cup – the result can be unpleasant.
AeroPress
Made by frisbee company, Aerobie, the AeroPress is somewhere between filter and espresso. Using slightly finer grounds, a shorter brewing time and using pressure (pressing the plunger to extract the coffee), it offers a sweeter, balanced cup. Simply insert disc paper filter; add coffee and boiled water; leave for 2 minutes; stir and plunge.
Grind size: Medium-fine
Brew time: 2.5 minutes
Price range: £30-£40
Pros: Easy to use; faster brewing method; great for those who love sweeter/balanced coffees.
Cons: Slightly less affordable for those on a tight budget; not ideal if you prefer coffees with acidity.
Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker
V60 Pour-Over
There are many pour-over brewers but to make things simple, we’ll just go with the one. The Hario V60 is one of our favourite brewing devices as there is so much you can do with it. This cone-shaped filter comes in plastic, ceramic, glass and metal. To use it, simply rest on a carafe or your cup; insert paper filter (pre-wet to avoid paper-tasting coffee); add coffee; and pour slowly. There’s more to it than that, but this will be covered in a separate blog.
Grind size: Medium-fine
Brew time: 2-4 minutes (depending on method)
Price range: £5-£30
Pros: Produces amazing coffee, highlighting acidity and nuance in flavours; affordable with slightly more expensive options available; looks fancy to guests.
Cons: Not ideal for those looking for a fast brew; requires precision in brew ratio and flow rate; not ideal for absolute beginners.
Espresso
Home espresso machines have made bringing the coffee shop vibes to your kitchen more of a reality. Available from supermarkets, online platforms, and supplier websites, it’s incredibly easy to find one that’s right for you. I will strongly advise that if you want your espresso to be as good as from a coffee shop then the more expensive the better. It might be costly but its best to look at it as an investment, especially if you want to improve your barista skills at home or will be using the machine often.
Grind size: Very fine
Brew time: 20-30 seconds (depending on grind size, personal recipe etc)
Price range: £60-£4,000
Pros: Short brew time; can create that cafe experience in home; can practice latte art skills; can save you money compared to what you’d be spending on your beverage in a coffee shop (please don’t stop supporting your local coffee shop!); can show off your barista skills to guests.
Cons: Financial investment if you want better returns; some machines require you to buy tampers and milk jugs separately; larger ones require space, water tank and wastage tank (can makeshift); uses more electricity than other brewing methods.
Grinder
Lastly, we recommend to anyone who is getting into home brewing to consider buying a grinder. Avoid going for those nut/blade grinders you see in the supermarket. What you’re looking for is a burr grinder. These come either as a hand grinder or electric. Like the espresso machine, the more expensive grinders tend to work better. Cheaper ones grind reasonably well for filter but don’t go fine enough for espresso (even if they have an espresso setting).
Price range for hand grinders: £10-£70
Price range for electric grinders: £60-£300
Pros: Grinding coffee just before brewing tastes better than pre-ground coffee (it takes longer to lose flavour); you can find a grind size that suits you for each brewing method.
Cons: Cheap grinders don’t do as good a job for espresso; expensive, better-quality grinders are an investment; hand grinders require a bit of manual effort.
We hope that this guide has been useful, especially if you are looking to get into the world of being a home barista! If you would like to purchase any of the recommended gear (or try something else) Please use our affiliate link
