Tips & Advice
The core ingredient
for third wave specialty coffee at home
It’s impossible to make a balanced third wave specialty espresso using a poor quality bean. The best beans are grown at high altitude in specific microclimates and soils, carefully selected, processed at the origin, and roasted by artisans with lighter roasting profiles.
Know when to grind
When it comes to great coffee, freshness is everything. That’s why you should always use your beans 10-30 days after roasting. Always buy coffee that has a “roasted on date” on the bag, never rely on the “use by date” as a guide to freshness. You may find it difficult to find freshly roasted beans at the grocery store, but your local café should be able to help.
What to look for
Under extracted
Taste = Bland
Flow = Fast and pale
Colour = Pale whitish crema
Volume = >40ml in 20 seconds
Balanced
Taste = Sweet and creamy
Flow = Thick, warm honey
Colour = Caramelly crema
Volume = 30ml in 20 seconds
Over Extracted
Taste = Bitter
Flow = Dripping and dark
Colour = Burnt crema
Volume = < 20ml in 20 seconds
Milk
Texture is everything.
When textured correctly, milk looks like wet, white paint with a consistent texture from top to bottom. Milk when textured correctly, commonly called micro-foam, isn’t just nice to look at, it enhances the taste of the coffee. The thousands of tiny bubbles within the milk entrap the oils of the espresso and burst on the tongue to enhance flavour and mouthfeel.
Too thin
Just right
Too thick
The Crowd Favorites
Try creating some of the most popular blends in your own home.
LONG BLACK
What you’ll need:
200-250 ml 1 double espresso (or 60ml espresso shot)
Instructions:
- Extract a double espresso.
- Pour hot water to fill the cup.
CAPPUCCINO
What you’ll need:
180-220 ml cup 1 single espresso 150ml cold milk Drinking chocolate
Instructions:
- Texture milk to desired temperature.
- At the same time extract single espresso. Stir 1 tsp. Of drinking chocolate into espresso shot.
- Swirl milk in the jug to integrate the texture.
- Pour milk directly into the centre of the espresso.
- Hold milk jug tip close to the espresso surface. Steady consistent pour is the secret.
- Garnish with drinking chocolate.
LATTE
What you’ll need:
200-220 ml glass 1 single espresso 150ml cold milk
Instructions:
- Texture milk to desired temperature.
- At the same time extract single espresso.
- Swirl milk in the jug to integrate the texture.
- Pour milk directly into the centre of the espresso.
- Hold milk jug tip close to the espresso surface. Steady consistent pour is the secret.
RISTRETTO
Italian word for “Restricted”
What you’ll need:
60-90 ml cup or glass
Instructions:
- Prepare as if mixing a single espresso.
- Stop extraction at 15 seconds.
SINGLE ESPRESSO
Sometimes called a “Short Black”
What you’ll need:
90 ml cup or glass
Instructions:
- Approximately 30 ml of espresso in 20-35 seconds.
DOUBLE ESPRESSO
Sometimes called a “Double Shot”
What you’ll need:
90 ml cup or glass
Instructions:
- Approximately 60ml of espresso in 30-35 seconds.
MACCHIATO
Italian word for “Marked”
What you’ll need:
60-90 ml cup or glass 1 single espresso 2 teaspoons textured milk
Instructions:
- Texture the minimum amount of milk you can (just over the white ring) and set aside.
- Extract a single espresso into a suitable espresso glass or cup.
- Swirl milk in the jug.
- Spoon 2 teaspoons of milk into the centre of the espresso.
PICCOLO
What you’ll need:
90 ml glass 150 ml cold milk
Instructions:
- Texture milk to desired temperature.
- At the same time extract single espresso.
- Swirl milk in the jug to integrate the texture.
- Pour off some milk from the jug into the sink.
- Pour milk directly into the centre of the espresso.
- Hold milk jug tip close to the espresso surface. Steady consistent pour is the secret.
MOCHA
What you’ll need:
180-220 ml glass 1 single espresso 150 ml cold milk Drinking chocolate
Instructions:
- Texture milk to desired temperature.
- At the same time extract single espresso. Stir 1 tsp. Of drinking chocolate into espresso shot.
- Swirl milk in the jug to integrate the texture.
- Pour milk directly into the centre of the espresso.
- Hold milk jug tip close to the espresso surface. Steady consistent pour is the secret.
- Garnish with drinking chocolate.
WEAK COFFEE
What you’ll need:
200-220 ml glass 1/2 single espresso 150 ml cold milk
Instructions:
- Texture milk to desired temperature.
- At the same time extract single espresso.
- Swirl milk in the jug to integrate the texture.
- Pour milk directly into the centre of the espresso.
- Hold milk jug tip close to the espresso surface. Steady consistent pour is the secret.
STRONG COFFEE
What you’ll need:
200-220 ml glass 1 double espresso 150 ml cold milk
Instructions:
- Texture milk to desired temperature.
- At the same time extract single espresso.
- Swirl milk in the jug to integrate the texture.
- Pour milk directly into the centre of the espresso.
- Hold milk jug tip close to the espresso surface. Steady consistent pour is the secret.
FLAT WHITE
What you’ll need:
180-220 ml cup 1 single espresso 150 ml cold milk
Instructions:
- Texture milk to desired temperature.
- At the same time extract single espresso.
- Swirl milk in the jug to integrate the texture.
- Pour milk directly into the centre of the espresso.
- Hold milk jug tip close to the espresso surface. Steady consistent pour is the secret.
ICED COFFEE
What you’ll need:
200-250 ml cup or glass 1 double espresso 180 ml cold milk 1 scoop ice-cream 1 shot vanilla flavouring Blender
Instructions:
- Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend on “Smoothie” for 60 seconds.
AFFOGATO
What you’ll need:
200-250 ml low profile glass 1 double espresso 1 scoop vanilla ice-cream
Instructions:
- Extract espresso, set aside.
- Scoop ice-cream into glass.
- Pour espresso directly over ice-cream.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios or grated chocolate optional.
