Really, Jeremy should be writing this post about how to make coffee at home.
He’s the barista around here.
They are his gadgets and funky coffee making appliances.
He is the coffee scientist who is intent on creating the best cup of coffee possible from home.
And he does an awesome job at it.
We began drinking coffee about 10 years ago. We had a Keurig and made a couple of cups a week with it. Not serious coffee drinkers at all. But when started traveling in 2012, we started drinking coffee daily. We quickly realized that there is BAD coffee and GOOD coffee. At this point, we were much more serious.
We also realized that good coffee was important to us. Finding places that sold good coffee, finding ways to make good coffee… great coffee actually… and making sure we had the tools needed either at home or on the road became a fun hobby for us.
Hobby being the key word.
A coffee hobby that has carried us through travel in America, Europe and now Africa.
Date nights, afternoons out and slow breakfast mornings… all with great coffee.
We can generally rely on Starbucks and we know we’ll have dependable, good coffee. Other times, we want to try new, local coffee shops.
Most generally since we live overseas where there IS no Starbucks, we just make it for ourselves at home.
We get asked quite often, “How did you learn all of this?” or “What do you use to make this at home?”
I’m going to try and simplify our process and just give you the basics of what we’ve found about making great coffee, finding great coffee, and knowing what you need to try it yourself.
This is not at all inclusive and someone much more knowledgeable than I could advise you but for simplicity and ease, I’ll just share what we’ve learned about how to make coffee at home.
What can you do?
How can you make coffee at home?
1} Get out and try different coffee – Truly. Branch out past the coffee pot. Go on some coffee exploration trips. Find little, out-of-the-way coffee shops. Ask questions. Taste different brews and beans and methods. Taste it hot and cold. Talk to the barista or the coffee brewer. Slowly, you’ll find the flavors, roasts, methods and beans that you love and want to bring home to drink every single day. Below is a picture of Jeremy talking to the owner of a highly rated TripAdvisor Coffee shop in France.
2} Watch videos online about coffee making – Jeremy did this a lot for how to make coffee at home. If he saw a method in a coffee shop that he wanted to try, he learned how to do it on youtube. If he wanted to understand the science behind making coffee taste the best, he found that online. Water temperature, coffee ground size, perk time, methods, and the basic how-tos of making great coffee can be found online!
3} Know your coffees – All coffee is not the same and the different brews, strengths, and beans will make completely different drinks. What makes a great black coffee? How do you perfect a latte? What is a cafe au lait? How much espresso should you use in an Americano? What size grounds do you need for a french press? I had no idea before Jeremy started researching that there were so many amazing ways to make coffee. You can google it, ask a barista, watch a video… but know your coffees.
4} Invest in some good coffee gear – We learned that to make good coffee at home, you can’t just buy pre-ground coffee beans, throw it in a coffee pot and expect great tasting coffee. After you’ve done the research, tasted coffee made by experienced hands and traveled from amazing coffee shop to amazing coffee shop, you can’t just drink coffee from a pot every day. You need some special coffee making gear.
- Coffee Grinder – you want to grind your own beans so they are fresh each day. To do this and be able to make different kinds of coffees with different size grounds, you need a good grinder that has lots of options. We love this one from Bodum. You can also get a hand grinder, which you’ll find many coffee fanatics love. a lot.
- Electric Kettle – I know, I know… you love your tea pot. But you’ll love an electric kettle more. One that has different temperature settings will really help your coffee making skills. promise.
- Air-Tight Jars – This will help keep your coffee beans fresh! Plus, they look pretty on the counter.
- Milk Frother – This keeps things simple without needing a huge machine in your house. We heat the milk, froth it with this tool and have fabulous lattes at home.
- Milk Frothing Pitcher – Ok, this one is kinda fun. You can pour, measure, make milk art… all this handy stainless steel pitcher. Speaking of milk art… take a class. Jeremy plans to soon!
- To Go Mug – like this Contigo. or a Yeti. Keeps it hot {or cold!} and lets you take it on the go.
- Filters – you always need some good filters
5} Invest in some good coffee making methods – This can get out of hand pretty quick. So stick to the basics. and learn how to use each one. If we feel the need for more than this, we just go find a coffee shop that can make it for us.
- French Press – After every single thing we’ve tried, a good french press is still our favorite go-to coffee making method. This one works great or if you want to keep the coffee hot longer, go for this one.
- Aeropress – Jeremy loves this one. Making one fabulous cup at a time. with the Hario hand coffee grinder, of course.
- Pour Over – We both love using a pour over. It is easy and simple to use. And it makes a GREAT cup of coffee. Try this one from Bodum or this one from Starbucks.
- Espresso Stovetop Maker – This allows you to make espresso at home. Think lattes and americanos.
- Ninja Coffee Bar – LOVE this one. So many options and it makes great coffee.
Beans and Mugs
6} Coffee Beans – This depends on each person. After you’ve found a roaster you like or a flavor you love or a method you want to do each day to make your coffee, you’ll know what kind of beans you want. Most of your local coffee shops or coffee roasters will be able to get you nice big bags of fresh, amazing coffee beans to take home! But in a pinch or if we can’t buy local, we love Peet’s or Biggby among many others.
7} Coffee Mugs – I’m a little bit obsessive here. I love coffee mugs. Collecting them from the places we travel or finding cute new ones to use… I love them. Good coffee at home is better in a great mug. a BIG mug. Remember, if you are branching out and trying new kinds of coffee, be sure to have some different cups and mugs for espresso or cappuccinos. It feels more legit that way.
8} Coffee Making for Travel – So, yeah… not much of this travels well. But a few tips:
- Grind coffee before you leave home. Decide which coffee making method you want to bring with you. Then, grind the right size grounds for that method. Grind just enough for how many days you’ll be gone, seal it in a good bag or container and you should be good to go!
- Don’t be afraid to simply pack some Instant Coffee. These Starbucks Vias go with us pretty much everywhere. Know someone who travels? This is a great gift. and a fun thing to pull out and share when good coffee is scarce.
- Go Collapsible. Jeremy keeps this stuff in his truck for when he is on the road. A collapsible pour over, filters and mug. All he needs is some coffee grounds!
So, that is the basics of how to make coffee at home with tips and what we use. Although looking at it all in one place, it doesn’t seem all that basic.
But it took us a few years to get here and find what we like, what works for us and how we make great coffee at home.
It sure is fun when friends come over and Jeremy can make a great latte for all!
Now, it is your turn… how do you make coffee at home? What is one tip you can add to our list?
PS: We love coffee and will drink any coffee especially with you. So no worries if you have a coffee pot or Keurig… this is only what we’ve learned and how we make our coffee at home!
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