It is always interesting to watch a barista press the ground coffee, adjust the coffee machine and make milk froth. Most do it so skillfully and easily, so it may seem the easiest task in the world. However, the truth is that advanced baristas have been learning this for years, and the very process of making good coffee can rightfully be called an art. Not every cup of coffee is truly tasty, even if you drink it.
One can compare coffee to wine because its taste directly depends on the place where it grew. For example, Brazilian coffee beans have a fruity acidity, while Kenyan beans have aromas of herbs and dried fruits. Besides, the water quality, the cleanliness of the equipment, and many other factors also affect the taste of the coffee. So, even if you buy one of the best single serve coffee makers, it doesn’t guarantee that you will get ideal coffee. It is time to get gear essentials and learn to make perfect coffee at home.
Cezve
Experienced coffee admirers know how to make truly delicious coffee at home. If you are not ready to spend a pretty penny on a high-quality coffee machine, a cezve can become a great option. This method is already thousands of years old, and the cezve design has not undergone any significant changes. You can make rich, aromatic coffee with the addition of spices and other ingredients. To achieve an ideal result, you should pay attention to the choice of a suitable blend and the design of the cezve itself.
The taste of the drink largely depends on the shape and proportions of the cezve. The vessel should have the shape of a truncated cone, a wide, thick bottom, and a narrow neck for uniform heating of the mixture. The slower the cezve heats up, the more complete the extraction of nutrients from the ground coffee is. Heating slows down if the cezve has thick walls. It is especially important for vessels made of copper, which has a high thermal conductivity. Therefore, the best copper cezves have a wall thickness of at least 1,5 mm. So, forget about reading a cheap coffee makers review, but look for a high-quality cezve.
Coffee grinder
Some people believe that it is a whim to grind coffee beans every time you want to make a cup of coffee. However, if you want to get an aroma drink, you have to release essential oils from inside coffee beans. If you ground coffee beans back in the day, you would not get a rich smell. Thus, freshly ground coffee beans are the best solution. You can use any grind when using a cezve, but the taste may differ. For instance, if you use finely ground beans, coffee will be stronger.
There are two types of coffee grinders: electric and manual. If you attach importance to design when choosing kitchen essentials, and the ritual of making coffee is not limited in time, then a manual coffee grinder is an excellent option. Electrical devices are faster, more efficient but dependent on the availability of electricity. If you make coffee in a cezve, an inexpensive rotary grinder is enough.
Scale
If you want to make the perfect coffee, then you will not do without a scale. Even though coffee can be considered an art, it turns into science when measuring the required amount of coffee beans. People often don’t get the desired result because they overdo it with coffee or, on the contrary, use too little to the amount of water they add to brew. Thus, a scale can become your magic wand that will help make an ideal cup of coffee. If you still doubt its necessity, then you should know that even a difference of 1,5 grams of ground coffee can greatly affect the taste of the drink. And bear in mind that different types of brewing require a different amount of coffee. The optimal proportion for a cezve is 1 part of ground coffee for 10 parts of water, so if you use 100 ml of water, you will need 10 gr of coffee. However, you should decide for yourself how much strong coffee you like.
The professional barista scale is equipped with a timer that allows you to keep track of the brewing time. On average, this is 2,5 to 4,5 minutes. The more accurately you control the entire process of making coffee, the better result will be.
Cappuccino maker
If you don’t like coffee straight but usually add milk or cream, it is worth getting a cappuccino maker. Experienced baristas write almost scientific treatises on how to get soft elastic foam that gives a special charm to cappuccino and other coffee drinks with milk. The modern market offers several types of cappuccino makers for home. A handheld electric whisk works on batteries and resembles a small mixer. Before frothing milk, be sure to heat it up and whip for at least one minute. Another great device is aeroccino, which is used in Nespresso capsule coffee machines. It resembles a conventional electric kettle. Milk is poured into it and placed on a stand, which is connected to the power network. It can work in three modes when it whips milk with simultaneous heating, whips milk without heating, and just heats milk without whipping. When choosing aeroccino, you should pay attention to its drive. Thus, magnetic devices are more reliable, quieter, and easier to clean.
