Everything I Wish I Knew as a New Home Barista

 Do you remember when you started making espresso, pulled that first luscious shot, when everything fell into place, and espresso just clicked for you? We indeed do, but there are some crucial things that we wish we had known when we first started. We're not saying that we could have started pulling the best shots of our lives, but we would have been closer to that lofty goal having known just a few key pieces of knowledge. Espresso is the most challenging brew method to master, but it doesn't have to be! Come, friend, let us guide you on your noble journey; it will be like a jigsaw puzzle falling into place. 

Fresh Coffee is Paramount

First things first: while it's vital that you brew a coffee that you enjoy, it's even more critical that you choose a coffee with a roast date and not a best-by date. We don't recommend brewing coffee for espresso older than one month because espresso outcomes get very unpredictable as the coffee ages. Typically, a month off the roast, the coffee loses flavor and body exponentially, leading to a not-so-good overall espresso experience. 

Sourcing more ethically produced coffee is becoming exceedingly easy as Third Wave and Specialty roasters pop up more in towns and cities across the world. Still, crucially, they are becoming more accessible online, especially with subscription services like our own Mistobox. Mistobox is exceptional because it can curate coffees for you and because every bag is roasted to order, ensuring that your coffee is always optimal for espresso. 

Beyond the roast date, your coffee bag can contain a ton of vital information. In our blog "What's on my coffee bag, and why does it matter?", we review everything you should look out for and what it means.

A Good Grinder is Not Hard to Find 

In our recent blog, "Better Espresso Starts Here: Invest in the Grinder, Not Just the Machine," we stressed that when building an espresso setup, you should build it around the grinder. While the espresso machine is essential, the grinder has a much more significant impact on your espresso outcomes. It can make or break your experience when you're just starting out. While semi-auto espresso machine technology has essentially remained the same over the decades, the espresso grinder, on the other hand, has evolved leaps and bounds. Once you have your beautifully roasted Ethiopian single-origin (with a roast date), you don't want to waste that coffee on a grinder that can't do the job. 

Good quality grinders are also much more affordable, more compact, and have more convenience features for home baristas. The DF64 at $400 is an incredible value for folks looking to single-dose and for home baristas who want to grind for multiple brew methods. Even on the higher end, grinders like the Eureka Atom W 65 ($1349) come with a large burr set and motor and can accurately grind by weight, merging commercial performance with the conveniences of home use.

How Crucial is the Tamper? 

You must tamp to create a coffee puck in your portafilter basket. Use consistent force and try to be as even as possible. While important, finding a tamper that works best for you is mostly a stylistic choice. Again, being as even and consistent as possible is more important than aiming for a specific tamping pressure. Tools like the Saint Anthony New Levy depth-calibrated tamper should be on your radar if you're having trouble getting an even tamp. 

Puck Prep is Serious Business (But it Doesn't Have to be)

Our blogs extensively review this topic, notably most recently in "Maximalist vs. Minimalist Puck Prep: Easy Workflow For Better Espresso." Most importantly, having a puck prep routine will not hurt your espresso, yet some home baristas may need more puck prep than others. We found that if you're using a grinder with a smaller burr set and motor, you may need to incorporate more tools like RDT (Ross Droplet Technique) to eliminate static electricity from the grinding process, as well as WDT (Weiss Distribution Technique) to get a more homogenized coffee bed. Some say shaking is better than stirring; some report the opposite. In our testing, when we used WDT with less expensive grinders like the Fellow OPUS, our shots improved considerably—we had less channeling and other extraction issues and, thus, better-tasting espresso. We had fewer extraction issues with higher-performing grinders like the LUCCA Atom 75. Using a higher-performing grinder eliminated the need for a twelve-step puck prep routine, which is honestly refreshing. 

Use a Coffee Scale 

Brewing espresso without a scale is like baking a cake with just vibes or trying to make a complex meal without a recipe. If you're new to home espresso, you can't just eyeball your shots; it won't end up well for you. We recommend the vaunted Acaia Lunar scale. Yes, it's $250; no, you do not have to buy this one. Yet, the Lunar is battle-tested, and Acaia knows what they're doing. They're built to last and will help you build your espresso recipes for years to come. Using a scale is the most essential tool to help you dial in your espresso faster, understand the changes you need to make, and waste less coffee. 

Not only will you save so much time and coffee, but you'll also learn why even just 1-2 grams of ground espresso or 1-2 seconds of extraction time will radically change how your espresso tastes. It's almost impossible to gauge, with the naked eye, how much coffee is in your portafilter, so do yourself a favor and measure it! Your taste buds will thank you. That said, you don't have to use a scale all the time, and it's mainly important to use when dialing in a coffee you're not used to or experiencing extraction issues. It's essential to use the exact amount of ground espresso in your portafilter basket each time you pull a shot. Knowledge is power. 

Latte Art is Hard

We wish latte art were as effortless as all of the YouTube tutorials make it out to be. While learning from a latte art champion is helpful, they usually spend years of  
practice in a busy cafe with ample milk to waste to get to that level. We don't have that luxury at home, but the starting point to pouring latte art is the same: learning how to perfect steaming milk. The latte art will follow once you get milk steaming under your belt. It takes practice and repetition. Our Coffee School: Milk Steaming and Latte Art online class is a great starting point for those looking to improve their milk steaming abilities and learn basic latte art. All latte art designs start with learning the mechanics of pouring a simple heart. 

(Your) Taste Rules All 

You are the one tasting your espresso, so your taste, above all, is all that matters. It's really as simple as that. Keep a shot log, notebook with coffees you've tasted, or whatever you need to help you make sense of the flavor notes you like or don't like. Taste everything! Need help dialing in? We'd love to talk. Contact us here (we even take phone calls!).