

7 Tips to Become a Better at Home Barista

- Use a Scale
Having a small kitchen scale is critical to establishing a baseline for the accuracy of your drinks. Sometimes you will want to have a stronger or weaker coffee, and the best way to know this is by using a scale and consistent ratios.
- Prioritize Cleanliness
Make an effort to clean all your coffee equipment upon use. You will prevent stale coffee smell and aroma that persists in older and less well-kept coffee equipment. You will also feel good knowing that your coffee will end up tasting better than most cafes and restaurants, given that some neglect their commitment to keep their equipment clean on a consistent basis.
- Air Seal
Oxygen is the enemy for freshness of coffee. For that reason we ship all of our coffee with air-sealed bags, and recommend that you take as much air as possible before sealing your bags.
- Never Freeze Coffee
Coffee beans will be dehydrated when frozen. Air seal, never freeze your coffee, and keep away from light, are some of the factors to abide by to keep your coffee as fresh as possible.
- Experiment
Our founder, Ron Cortez, has one key lesson for every apprentice he mentors. There is no ‘best’ way to prepare coffee. He urges all coffee drinkers and roasters to find their preferred way to drink coffee. There is simply no correct answer besides how the drinker prefers their drink.
- Use a Notebook or Spread Sheet
This one sounds nerdy, but having record of your trials and experiments is a true mark of someone committed to experiencing better tasting coffee at home. Your notes will serve as a reminder of ideal ratios for different coffees, as well as a record of the variables used in each drink.
- Use Good Quality Beans
There is simply no way around the fact that good quality fresh coffee will taste better than lower quality stale coffee at the store. Think of the production value and the prices. Big Brand coffee beans will not taste as good as micro-lot coffee with a higher price tag. Upgrade your coffee beans to fit your desired palate.