Making great coffee at home

Stay home and stay caffeinated

At Chatsfood, we love coffee. Long blacks, lattes, flat whites, macchiato – we love them all. And we’re not alone as the queues outside our favourite cafes every morning show! But 2020 has seen people staying at home a lot more as we find a new way of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fortunately, staying home doesn’t have to mean being stuck settling for Nescafe Blend 43 or a cup of Moccona anymore. (But if you love your instant coffee, we support that too! It’s a great, convenient option.) With International Coffee Day falling on 1 October, it’s a perfect time to look at some of the ways you can make an awesome cup of coffee at home. And the great news is that it doesn’t have to mean spending a bomb on an expensive, high-end espresso machine.

What’s secret to low-cost but awesome home coffee?

Maybe you don’t have bench space for a home espresso machine. Or maybe you don’t think you’d use it enough to get bang for your buck on the initial upfront cost. Whatever your
reasons though, there’s plenty of affordable options for home without an expensive machine. The secret is embracing filter-style coffee. Unlike espresso, filter coffee can be made with
compact, low-cost equipment. This means you can make excellent coffee when you’re at home and still happily support your favourite café when you’re out and about, without feeling guilty that you’re getting takeaway coffee when there’s a “cost-me-a-bomb” espresso machine on your kitchen counter.

Our favourite filter methods

Some of the most common filter methods for at home are:

• Pour-over: A filter cone, lined with a paper filter or a reusable metal filter, is the basic equipment for a pour-over coffee. It’s low-tech with a great final result.
• French press or cafetiere: A French press uses an immersion method and uses the in- built filter. A coarser grind is recommended for this method compared to pour-over.
• Aeropress: This compact brewer uses a plunger to force water through the coffee and filter. You can use paper filters or buy a reusable metal filter. This is a fantastic option for travel too, taking up very little space in your luggage.

The Steam Engine at Chatswood Interchange sells a range of filter equipment for at home including V60 pour-over cones and Aeropress. Cafetieres are widely available at kitchenware and department stores throughout Chatswood.

Whatever method you use, for the best results be consistent with the ratio of coffee to water (a set of digital scales can help). You might need to play around to find your perfect strength, but a starting ratio of 1 part coffee to 16 parts of water is a good guide. Remember, that how much your beans are roasted will impact the flavour too, as will your preferences around adding milk and sugar.

Take it to the next level

The other element to improve the quality of your coffee at home is fresh beans, ground as close as possible to brewing. While you can buy ready-ground coffee, it can oxidise and lose those amazing aromas quickly. So buying whole beans, in small quantities, and grinding as required is another way to dramatically increase the quality of your home coffee.
There’s a bunch of home grinder options available, from high-end electric grinders through to compact hand grinders. Alternative Brewing has a great range through its online store.