A home coffee maker will let you make professional-quality filter, espresso, and even cold-brew coffee at home – but only if you do it right. Even if you're aware of the fundamentals of making a decent cup of coffee, there are some common mistakes that might stop it tasting quite as good as it could.
We spoke to Christine Yip, head of coffee at OddKin Coffee Roasters in Bristol, UK, to discover the most common mistakes people make when brewing coffee at home. OddKin sells its own coffee, and runs courses in barista skills, latte art, and specialty filter brewing for home coffee makers.
She identified three issues that could affect the taste of your coffee, and suggests simple solutions to ensure you end up with tastier, more consistent results every day.
Grinder vs coffee maker
First of all, Yip stresses the importance of having a good-quality coffee grinder. A lot of people focus on the coffee machine, without realising that the grinder is the first point of contact for all the flavour in the coffee,
"The coffee machine can only do so much with what it's given. So a decent grinder should absolutely be first and foremost in my opinion when considering a good at-home setup," she says.
"The number of times we mention the words 'consistency is key' in this roastery is enough to give us all a headache; and a good grinder will ensure your coffee grinds are of a consistent size to achieve a delicious cup of coffee time and time again. And we all need that cup in the morning to be foolproof."
Proper cleaning
When it comes to home coffee machines, Yip says that cleaning is often overlooked and under-practiced.
"Although you won't be making coffees as furiously as your favourite cafe barista, it takes only a few hours for all of those dried-on coffee oils and milk to make a home in your equipment," she explains.
Although baristas with good habits will regularly purge their group heads (the part of the machine that brings water to the grounds) and steam wands, that only does so much.
"You need to be cleaning your equipment with a cleaning solution at the end of every day to keep your setup in its best condition – and your coffee tasting its best," says Yip. "You wouldn't cook in a dirty pan, so you should be treating your coffee equipment in the same manner. And don't let old-school thinkers let you believe that you have to 'season' your equipment and let the coffee oils bake on. That's a big no-no."
Our guide how to clean a coffee maker will show you how to descale and maintain your machine for the best results.
Fresh coffee
While not a huge mistake, a lot of people wonder why that pre-ground coffee they've bought doesn't deliver the same punch as freshly ground bean, according to Yip.
"The aromas and flavours of coffee start to dissipate pretty much soon after you break the bean apart," she says. "In the specialty industry, coffee is ground to be used within five minutes at most; after this point, the flavor starts to deteriorate."
Not everyone has the luxury of being able to grind their own coffee at home, but if you're wondering why the flavor is somewhat lacking, then now you know why.
