How do I make coffee at home like a barista?
Posted by scottparat on 31 May 2009 | Tagged as: Coffee Questions
I am a coffee lover, and I have tried everything I can think of to make a decent cup at home, with no luck. My coffee always turns out yucky. What am I doing wrong? Any good coffee making tips out there?
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4 Comments »
on 31 May 2009 at 5:50 pm 1.Cappuccino S said …
There are lots of ways to make coffee, but if you don't have quality coffee to start with, you're limited in what you can achieve…
There's all kinds & types of beans in the world, and when ranked best to worst, there is one bean that is the absolute worst bean! It won't matter how you try to make coffee, what machine is used, the water could even come from a glacier in the north pole, it won't taste good.
There's also one bean which is the best in the world. No other bean can beat it. It's very easy to make a great cup of coffee with, and if you're skilled and have some kind of decent coffee maker, it will make the best cup of coffee you'll ever have.
It's called Jamaican Blue Mountain. I would suggest reading the history of Jamaican Blue Mountain here: http://fastcafe.com/history.html
on 31 May 2009 at 5:50 pm 2.-itsphungus said …
you need to identify the question first. For example, is the coffee tasting bitter?does the milk taste burnt? (and by the term 'burnt' it doesnt mean that the milk literally went brown but that it has a certain smell to it, like the milk has been cooked on a stove)
If the coffee is tasting bitter, then the problem lies in the shots. Before you do anything else to try and fix it, make sure you know what machine or method you use to make shots. For example, an expresso machine, a plunger, or boiler. After acknowledging it, you need to find the propoer grind for it as expresso machines uses finer grind, plungers uses medium grind etc. In the cafe i work in, we also time our shots as for the expresso machines, we tamp 14g of grind to produce 2 shots (another problem you may need to consider, are you putting in the right amount of grind for your machine if you are using one) and then we time it as the coffee shot needs to be between 18 and 28 secs. Because if its any earlier than 18secs, the shot is too watery but if its over 28secs, the shot is then too bitter and cannot be served.
If those stated above isnt your problem, then it has got to be your milk. When steaming your milk ensure that your milk is smooth and silky not like bubble suds or a bumpy road with holes everywhere. That is the first step, to perfect it (and maybe when you do, you can try and attempt to do some latte art, which is produce pictures in your coffee using latte milk (: ). To make good milk, when steaming it you must suck in all the bubbles- so therefore when steaming try to get your milk and froth to interrelate together. Also, make sure you are not over steaming it. When your milk gets over 180F, that is when the milk is burnt and you would need to redo it again (that is unless you like burnt milk) When pouring your coffee, ensure that the milk ratio and the shot is how you like it. For example if you like it strong, you might pour in less milk or if you like it weak you would add more.
Well hope that helps. Good luck!~
and dw, it took me a little while to master it too
on 31 May 2009 at 5:50 pm 3.Due Oct. 5th with #1 said …
its all about the GRIND.. your coffee has to be the right grind to get the full effects of flavor. HIGH quality water is key to a great cup of coffee. PROPORTION of coffee is very important. do 2 Tbsp for every 6 oz of water. AND lastly… freshness… if your coffee is not fresh it will taste stale and yukky… so try these 4 steps next time you make a pot of coffee =)
and of course i have to say this… if you are using foldgers or maxwell house its going to taste yucky!
on 31 May 2009 at 5:50 pm 4.mashe_others said …
you gotta have the equipments and the right ingredients. There's a lot of types of coffee, what exactly do you want to make? If it's just regular coffee and you have a coffee maker just buy ground coffee beans at your favorite coffee shop or wherever you'll find good coffee. If you're not satisfied with the coffee maker coffee, i suggest you buy a French Press. It makes coffee that's more flavorful and it's very easy to use, doesn't need coffee filter or electricity.
If you're more interested in making flavored coffee like in starbucks, you're gonna need an espresso machine and learn how to steam milk properly.