What to equip your home espresso corner with

FIRST A QUALITY ESPRESSO MACHINE

If you decide to get an espresso machinefor your home , you have several options. The first is an automatic coffee machine. It's really easy to use. There are two types to choose from, pure espresso machines and coffee machines with a steam nozzle, so you can even make a cappuccino or latte with them.

Gaggia is a safebet among automatic coffee machines . Very affordable, simple and reliable is theirGaggia Brera coffee machine . More functions, grind coarseness options and 11 different beverages are offered by their Babila model .

The other way can be a lever home coffee maker. Unlikeautomatic coffee machines, only some of them have a built-in grinder. In return, virtually all of them have a steam nozzle, so all you need is a barista pot and you can practice your latte art. If you don't mind paying a little extra right from the start and want a more professional coffee machine, theNuova Simonelli brand is a great choice . For occasional coffee ,Lelit coffee machines are great .

If you want to play around a bit more with your preparation, theFlairEspresso manual espresso machines shouldn't escape your attention . Their philosophy is filled with slowing down and claiming that the good stuff is worth waiting for. The entire espressopreparation in the machine is based on the fact that you don't need electricityto run it , just hot water, which is why it's also suitable for cottage coffee, for example. The Flair coffee maker's lever is designed so that theforce you apply to the machine is multiplied by nine, so you get the 9 bars you need.

The manual coffee machine from Flair Espresso doesn't have to stay just in your home espresso corner. Because it doesn't rely on an electricity supply to make espresso, you can take it out into the countryside with peace of mind.

PERFECT ESPRESSO PREPARATION THANKS TO THE BARISTA SCALE

If you buy a coffee machine without a built-in grinder, you'll need toweighyour coffee . And if you don't want to waste coffee, it's best to do so before grinding. At home, you're usually in no hurry to prepare, so it's a good idea to follow all the steps of the espresso process and not underestimate it. In addition to the coarseness of the ground coffee, the weight used also has an effect on the extraction, even tenths of a gram play a role in espresso.

Since weare talking about an espresso barista scale, one of the important factors for you will be the size, so that you can place the scale under the cup, during the extraction process, to control the size of the espresso. A very practical barista scale for espresso preparation is the Acaia Pyxis Ultralight, thanks to its dimensions of 7x7x1 cm. In addition to the standard built-in stopwatch, it also has an app connection so you can track the progress of your recipes. It's also great for travelling. A cheaper and a few centimetres larger version is the Acaia Pearl. It too has a connection to the app.

Then there's the very affordable Rhinoware Coffee Gear Dose, but unfortunately it doesn't have a built-in stopwatch, which is quite crucial when making espresso. Then the happy medium is the Brewista Smart Scale V2 barista scale, which has 6 weighing modes, 4 of which are for espresso. All of these scales are also great to use when preparing alternative methods or other drinks.

GRIND COFFEE BEANS FOR HOME ESPRESSO IN A COFFEE GRINDER

For grinders you again have two options, the first is a manual grinder. Yes even some hand grinders offer a wide range of coarseness, from French Press to espresso. I would choose it, but only if youfrequently alternate between making espresso and some alternatives, and you also travel and need a more portable grinder. Examples of such a multi-function grinder include the 1Zpresso JX-Pro with 30 levels of coarseness settings, or theComandante hand grinders . TheFlair Espresso machine will be a great match for their Royal grinder .

If you want to get fully into making home espresso and want to make your job easier by dosing directly into the lever, then an electric grinder is the obvious choice. The first tip is home grinders from the Eureka brand. You won't go wrong by buying the Nuova Simonelli MHD grinder, which is quiet thanks to its professional grinding stones and also grinds coffee for the perfect espresso thanks to its micrometric setting.

THE GROUND COFFEE GOES INTO THE LEVER AND UNDER THE TAMPER

The ground coffee needs to be properly tamped after being poured into the lever. A lot of tampers are offered by the Czech brand Heavy Tamper, which, as you can see from the name, concentrates its production on tamper production. When choosing a tamper, the main thing to look for is a diameter that is compatible with the diameter of the lever of your espresso machine. A lot of brands also make their own tamper, which is not an easy step, and then you won't get confused with the diameter.

Tampering your coffee is a very important step in making espresso. If you squeeze the coffee unevenly, it will also extract the coffee unevenly, which will affect its taste. Source.

For a comfortable tamping experience, you shouldn't forget therubber pad. Rest the lever on it while tamping and you won't damage your worktop. Plus, this will keep the tamper in place.

Avoid the most common tamping mistakes

KNOCK THE USED COFFEE INTO THE KNOCK-BOX

Definitely don't leave the coffee in the lever after making espresso, it needs to be cleaned. If your espresso bud production is larger, a knock-box or knock-off machine will probablycome in handy as well . Thanks to the bar, you can knock out the bud with the used coffee in one piece and the log, so it doesn't end up everywhere.

THE ESPRESSO IS NOT THE END OF HOME CAPPUCCINO MAKING

Get your milk chilled from the fridge and get whipping. But of course we need abarista potfor that first . A barista without a teapot is almost like Edward Scissorhands without scissors. To be the perfect home barista, you'll need yours, too.

Learning how to draw milk pictures in your coffee will probably take some time, it takes patience. As soon as you understand how to do it, you won't want to do anything else. Source.

We won't find big differences between the two. They differ primarily in design, then also insize, so choose a large enough one if you're going to prepare a café latte. They also differ when it comes to thebeak, each one is designed for different types of shapes. With a narrower one, you will draw rosettes better, with a more open one, hearts or tulips.

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE OF THE HOME COFFEE MACHINE, GRINDER AND COFFEE ACCESSORIES

You'd probably like to get straight to work on your coffee, but there are a few things you need to do before that. If you've been making a cappuccino, wipe the nozzle clean of milk and use a barista cloth to wipe off any milk left in the nozzle. Then you also need to clean the nozzle, and especially the nozzle tip, with a special product.

Unscrew the nozzle.
Prepare Caffetto MFCin a teapot , mix it with warm water, put the nozzle in it and whisk
Then let the nozzle soak.
In the meantime, wash the nozzle thoroughly with a sponge.
Finally, wipe the nozzle, screw on the nozzle tip and spray

Our video shows you how to do it best.

Just as it is important to clean the nozzle, we must not forget the barista pot. Wash it thoroughly and especially concentrate on the beak, where the milk tends to stay.

The coffee machine needs to be kept clean. Cleaning varies, of course, according to the type of coffee machine, i.e. whether it is a lever coffee machine, an automatic coffee machine or a Flair Espresso manual coffee machine. If you have a lever coffee machine, then you shouldn't miss aCafizain your corner . For an automatic coffee machine, on the other hand, it will be the Cafetto N10 tablets.

Although not after every use, but at least once every one or two weeks, you should also clean the coffee grinder. This will rid it of unwanted oils that can then affect the taste of the coffee.

WATER FILTRATION FOR HOME COFFEE MAKER

To avoid problems with a malfunctioning coffee maker, it is also important to mention that the water you use in it also matters. Classic tap water often contains various minerals that, although they don't bother you for normal consumption, wouldn't do your coffee machine any good at all. For automatic coffee makers, you don't need to ditch the water pipes in your kitchen, but just get afilter kettle from which you top up the water in the reservoir in the coffee maker.

Some lever coffee makers, however, require a water connection. In that case, afilter cartridge will comein handy . A great lever coffee maker is the Oscar II from Nuova Simonelli, and it even offers the choice of a direct connection or a reservoir.

AN ESPRESSO CORNER FOR THE COFFEE ENTHUSIAST

If you're looking to set up a home espresso corner on a budget but want to avoid low-quality products, Flair products are great. What's more, this espresso corner can be easily transported to your cottage.