How I Make Barista Coffee at Home

One of the biggest breakthrough moments I had was when I discovered that making Barista Coffee at home is not as hard as you may think. Not only is it more affordable than going to your local cafe but you are able to brew a much better coffee for a fraction of the price. Over time I have refined my technique and found the best way to make pour over coffee, espresso and lattes all from the comfort of my home.

Here's a glimpse into my daily coffee ritual, along with tips on how you can replicate each recipe.

Morning: Pour Over Coffee

My mornings always begin with a 300ml pour over coffee. Using a light roast single origin for pour over coffee gives me fruity and floral notes that I love waking up to. Here’s my simple pour over coffee recipe:

You Will Need:

• 20g light roast single origin filter coffee beans (I typically opt for Ethiopian, Brazilian or Kenyan coffees).
• 300ml of water heated to 92°C.
• Hario V60 Pour Over Dripper
• Filter Paper - 02 Size

Method:

1. Start by grinding the beans to a medium coarse consistency. I use 25-28 clicks on the Comandante C40 MK4, which gives me the perfect grind size and consistency for pour over coffee​.
2. Bloom the coffee by pouring 60ml of water over the grounds, and wait for 30 seconds for the gasses to release
3. Slowly pour the remaining water in a circular motion over 4 additional pours of 60g each, wait for the coffee to draw down completly before starting the next consecutive pour.
4. Let the final pour drip through into your server / cup and enjoy a bright, aromatic start to the day.

Afternoon Espresso

For the afternoon pick me up, nothing beats an espresso made on the STONE Coffee Machine. It’s a low profile yet powerful and precise machine that lets me extract a huge range of different flavours from my coffee. While having something as luxurious as this it is very possible (and much cheaper) to make an espresso using the Wacaco Picopresso
Here's my recipe for the perfect afternoon espresso:

You Will Need:

• 20g of light roast coffee (I particularly love using the same single origin as my morning pour over or something roasted slightly darker towards a medium roasted coffee).
• 40ml of water.
• Stone Espresso Machine / Wacaco Picopresso Espresso Maker.
• Espresso Scales.
• Small ceramic Espresso cup.

Method:

1. Grind your coffee beans fine on the Varia VS3 grinder I usually opt for around 1.5 - 3 Clicks, this will change as your coffee ages and will vary depending on each coffee too.
2. Preheat the Stone machine and flush a small amount of water through the group head.
3. Tamp the coffee evenly and firmly into the portafilter, ensuring it’s level.
4. Pull a 20-30 second shot until your espresso extracts a 1:2 brew ratio, which extracts just enough to highlight the fruity acidity and sweetness​.
   It would be incredibly unrealistic to have a perfect tasting espresso after your first shot, espresso coffee is notourious for being challenging to dial in so get comfortable changing the variables until your espresso starts tasting banging!

Evening Melbourne Latte

To end the day on a punch, I prepare a double ristretto latte. Ristretto is a 1:1 ratio of coffee, which gives the latte an intense flavour that pairs perfectly with milk. For this recipe, I use a medium roast coffee, which complements the creaminess of milk.

You Will Need:

• 20g medium roast Espresso coffee beans.
• 180ml of steamed milk of choice.
• 20g water 90ºc.
• STONE Espresso machine / Picopresso + Nano Foamer (to texture milk)
• Ceramic cup / Latte Glass.

Method:

1. Dial in your coffee and prepare your portafilter basket with 20g of coffee.
2. Pull two short shots 12-18 seconds, extracting only the very start of the espresso.
3. Steam the milk to around 65°C, creating a smooth micro foam.
4. Pour the milk over the ristretto, starting high for the body, then lowering the jug to pour latte art​​.

The Stone Coffee Machine

The Stone Coffee Machine is my espresso machine of choice. Its precise temperature control and powerful steam wand make it perfect for home baristas. It’s compact build is significantly smaller than other machines and allows it to fit in most kitchens with limited bench space.

This espresso machine is incredibly consistent, it has most of the perks of a commercial espresso machine packed down into a stylish stainless steel tiled body.

The Wacaco Picopresso - Travel Espresso Maker

The Wacaco Picopresso is a travel friendly portable espresso maker with a 20g basket, perfect for making double shots of espresso.
This is a great budget friendly alternative to a home espresso machine and when it's paired with the Subminimal NanoFoamer you are able to texture milk to combine with your espresso and make some fantastic tasting coffee that also looks great! 

How I Texture Milk Perfect for Latte Art

Creating the perfect milk texture is the secret to beautiful latte art. For this, I always aim for a smooth microfoam, with tiny bubbles that create a velvety texture. Here's how I do it:

1. Start with cold milk: I use full cream milk because its fat content helps achieve a rich texture but if you do end up using an alternative milk like oat or almond milk, keep it refrigerated as this will give you more time to texture your milk.
2. Positioning the steam wand: Submerge the tip just under the surface of the milk and tilt the jug slightly on an angle.
3. Stretching the milk: Let air in for the first 3-4 seconds, then fully submerge the steam wand deeper into the milk to heat it evenly. You want to create a vortex that pushes down the milk to the bottom of the jug and pulls the milk from the top down, it should resemble when your water drains from a sink.
4. Temperature: Stop steaming when the jug feels just too hot to hold (around 65°C). Perfectly steamed milk should have a glossy, silky paint-like consistency, ready to pour​ into your coffee.

How I Dial-in Espresso:

Dialing-in espresso is an art that involves adjusting the grind size, dose, water pressure, water temperature, and extraction time. A great tasting espresso, has a balance where the coffee’s acidity, sweetness, and bitterness are all in unison and combine to make your coffee taste flavourful with little to no bitterness. 

Adjust based on taste: If the espresso tastes sour, I grind finer and if it's bitter, I go coarser. This is the first variable I change before changing other variables.

What Types of Coffee I Drink

I tend to gravitate towards light roast, single origin coffees for both pour-over and espresso. They offer bright, fruity, and floral flavours that represent the origin, the processing and the coffee itself.

For milk-based coffees like my evening latte, I switch to a medium roast. This roast level balances the coffee’s flavours with the creaminess of the milk, creating a harmonious cup that isn't too acidic.

3 Tips for Making Great Coffee at Home Without Expensive Equipment

You don’t need the most expensive equipment to make great coffee at home. Here are three tips to get you started:

1. Invest in a good grinder: A quality grinder like the Varia VS3 for espresso or the Comandante Grinder for pour over coffee will make a massive difference in the flavour of your coffee, as it allows you to grind consistently for any brew method​.
2. Perfect your technique: Whether it’s mastering the bloom in a pour over or learning how to tamp for espresso, good technique often trumps expensive gear.
3. Use fresh, high quality coffee beans: Even the best equipment can’t save stale or poorly roasted coffee. Always buy fresh beans from a local roaster and invest in a coffee canister to store your coffee beans.