How baristas brew coffee at home, and the method they avoid

Baristas who work in the coffee shops of San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, have shared how they brew coffee when they are at home. According to a report in The Guardian, their picks range from simple, low-cost tools to expensive espresso machines. One method, however, was rejected by nearly everyone the writer spoke to.

Karl Stuebe works as a barista and also part-owns Home Coffee Roasters, a business in San Francisco. Each morning he brews a cup at his home station and judges the result. If a cup tastes overly acidic, he notes it down and changes his approach the next day. He says he likes to keep testing his palate daily.

Portable and quick options

Jason Mitchell, a barista of nearly 30 years who works at Roseline Coffee in Portland, travels with an AeroPress Go. The AeroPress Go resembles a large syringe. Pressing down forces water through grounds and a filter, which produces a drink similar to drip coffee. Mitchell says users can press harder to make a result closer to espresso.

Cobi Williams, who works with Stuebe, prefers a French press on his sleepiest mornings. He says the method needs only coarse grounds and hot water. The coffee steeps for four minutes before pressing, and no paper filters or electricity are needed.

Instant coffee also has its fans. One barista near Union Square, who asked not to be named, starts her day with plain Nescafé. The Guardian’s own blind taste tests found that many people prefer instant coffee, and the Illy Intenso Bold Roast was named the winner of its best instant coffee test.

Methods for more effort

Stuebe makes pour-over coffee almost every morning. He says brewing one cup at a time lets him try different beans and keeps the natural notes of a light roast. Sonia Clinkinbeard, head barista at Proud Mary Cafe in Portland, uses a Hario V60 dripper, which she says brews evenly.

When Williams wants a stronger drink, he uses a Bialetti Moka Express. The stovetop pot pushes water up through the grounds using steam pressure. He describes it as the closest option to espresso that can be made at home without a large machine.

Espresso machines divided the baristas. Heidy Espinoza, who works at Home Coffee Roasters, owns a Breville machine but says she has never switched it on. Clinkinbeard uses her Breville every day to make almond-milk lattes. The Breville Barista Express with a built-in grinder is the most expensive pick, starting at about $500, and it takes practice to use well.

Grinding, beans and matcha

Baristas say the grinder matters as much as the brewer. Mitchell goes slightly finer with light roasts, while Stuebe adjusts his grind according to taste. Beans ground just before brewing keep more of their aroma, according to the report. A hand grinder such as the Toaks Manual Coffee Bean Grinder was recommended as a portable choice.

Clinkinbeard said the beans matter most, and she encouraged buyers to try whole beans from local roasters. Reina Garcia, a barista at Home Coffee Roasters, makes vanilla matcha every workday morning. She sifts about 4g of matcha, adds 45g of hot water and whisks it in a ceramic bowl.

Methods the baristas avoid

Pod machines and drip pots were the one group no barista chose. The Guardian writer, who uses a Nespresso and once used a Mr Coffee drip pot, noted that none of the professionals mentioned these machines. Espinoza said her Keurig was collecting dust. Although pod machines and standard drip makers sit in a large share of American kitchens, not one professional picked them.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• The Guardian: Caffeine off the clock: six ways baristas make coffee at home (and one they all hate)

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