Freelance barista trainer Michaela Jamieson (AKA Kayla The Coffee Coach) travels the UK transforming newbie coffee brewers into skilled baristas. She shares five coffee brewing techniques and tips to elevate your brew skills to coffee-shop standard
1. Invest in good brewing kit
Make sure you have the essentials: scales, milk jug, grinder, espresso or filter equipment and even some decent tea towels (you can find excellent barista-style microfibre cloths online). Having the right kit will help you get the most from your beans and make the process as smooth as possible. When looking for specialist equipment it can be difficult to know where to start as there’s so much to choose from. I’d recommend paying a visit to your local speciality coffee shop as most have a retail section and will be able to advise on the best kit for your home set-up.
2. Stick with it
Once you’re happy with your brewing set-up, stick with it. The more you use the same equipment, the more familiar and confident you’ll become. Constantly changing your kit makes maintaining consistency challenging. When I visit cafes to coach baristas, I always ensure they use their own kit rather than mine as that’s what they have to use every day on the job.
3. Keep it clean
Never neglect cleanliness, whether you use an espresso machine, cafetiere or V60. Clean your brewing equipment every day as not doing so will have a massive effect on the taste of your coffee. Coffee oils build up quickly and that’s no good for flavour – or the longevity of your equipment. The same goes for cleaning your grinder; I’d recommend doing it after every use.
4. Back to school
Rather than watching YouTube after YouTube video, constantly replaying and stressing out because you can’t replicate what the expert is doing, book in for a masterclass to hone your coffee brewing techniques. There are classes devoted to specific areas of coffee, such as latte art, where you’ll learn milk techniques first-hand. Pouring milk to craft latte art is so much easier once you understand how milk texturises, and that’s best learnt from a pro in a hands-on workshop.
5. Fresh press
It’s tempting to pour a whole bag of fresh beans into the hopper of your grinder to save time in the future but that means the beans won’t maintain their freshness. Store beans in an airtight container and use only what you need each time. I don’t recommend keeping beans in the fridge as they absorb moisture and can be tainted by the odours of other items in the fridge.
