Why We Use a Bottomless Portafilter (and What It Shows You)
What a bottomless (naked) portafilter is, why it shows channeling and uneven extraction, how it changes cleanup, and what to...
Espresso, lattes & brewing at home
Coffee
Step-by-step coffee guides photographed on the espresso machine and drip brewer we use every morning, plus the gear reviews behind them.
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What's on Our Espresso Counter: The Accessories We Actually Use
The espresso accessories we use every day with our Breville Oracle: a small scale, a bottomless portafilter, a knock box, a...
The Espresso Machine Cleaning Routine We Do After Every Shot
A simple daily espresso machine cleaning routine: knocking out the puck, rinsing the basket, flushing the group head, wiping...
Espresso Ratio Explained: 18 Grams In, 36 to 40 Grams Out
What an espresso brew ratio is, why 1:2 is the standard starting point, how to weigh the dose and the shot, and how changing...
Espresso Terms Explained: Portafilter, Puck, Crema, Channeling, and More
A plain-English espresso glossary with photos: portafilter, basket, puck, group head, crema, dose, yield, ratio,...
Espresso Troubleshooting: Why Your Shot Is Sour, Bitter, Too Fast, Too Slow, or Has No Crema
A symptom-by-symptom guide to fixing espresso: sour or thin shots, bitter or harsh shots, shots that run too fast or too...
Espresso vs. Drip Coffee: Why We Keep Both Machines on the Counter
Espresso vs. drip coffee compared: concentration, caffeine, taste, time, cost, and cleanup, based on years of using a...
How to Dial In Espresso: Fix Fast Shots, Slow Shots, and Sour or Bitter Coffee
How to dial in espresso with one variable: fix the dose and ratio, then adjust the grind finer for fast, sour shots and...
How to Make a Latte at Home, Hot or Iced
How to make a latte at home step by step: dose and grind, tamp, pull the espresso onto a scale, then steam milk for a hot...
How to Make an Iced Latte That Does Not Taste Watery
How to make an iced latte at home: fill the glass with ice, add cold milk, pull a double shot onto a scale, and pour it on...
How to Make Espresso at Home: A Beginner's Walkthrough
How to make espresso at home step by step: weigh 18 grams, grind fine, tamp level, flush and lock in, pull 36 to 40 grams in...
How to Tamp Espresso: Level First, Then Press Straight Down
How to tamp espresso step by step: level the grounds, press straight down with steady pressure, check the puck, and avoid the...
How to Use a Moccamaster: Brewing a Pot Step by Step
How to use a Moccamaster KBGV Select: which filter fits, how much coffee and water, what the half and full carafe switch...
How to Use the Breville Oracle: Step-by-Step From Beans to Cup
How to use the Breville Oracle BES980XL step by step: heat up, load the hopper, grind and tamp in the cradle, lock in, pull...
What Is a Latte? Ratio, Milk, Hot vs. Iced, and How It Compares
What a latte is, the espresso-to-milk ratio, which milk works, hot vs. iced, and how a latte differs from a cappuccino, flat...
Single Dosing Espresso: Why We Weigh Every Shot Instead of Filling the Hopper
What single dosing espresso means, why weighing beans per shot keeps coffee fresher and the dose consistent, and how we do it...
Breville Oracle BES980XL Review: Still Going Strong After More Than Two Years
Our Breville Oracle BES980XL review after more than two years of ownership: coffee taste, automatic grinding and tamping,...
Moccamaster KBGV Select Review After 4+ Years
My Moccamaster KBGV Select review after 4+ years of use: coffee taste, half vs. full pot switch, filters, hotplate,...
The Best Espresso Machines for Every Budget
A working barista picks the best home espresso machines at every budget. Our #1 pick is the Breville Oracle, plus the...