Home Barista Guide

Bean to cup machines do a lot automatically — but fresh beans still make the biggest difference. You're not locked out of improvement just because the machine handles the grind.

Things worth doing:

1. Use fresh beans — the built-in grinder can only do so much with stale coffee
2. If your machine lets you adjust grind size or dose, start with the default and move one step at a time
3. Use filtered water where possible — it protects the internal parts and improves flavour
4. Clean the grinder regularly — monthly is a good habit. Check your manual for how
5. Some machines have a bypass for pre-ground coffee — use this only for older beans

Most bean to cup machines reward fresh, medium roast beans. Light roasts can be tricky with automatic settings — start with something in the middle.

The Aeropress is one of the most forgiving brewers out there. Hard to get a bad result if you start with a decent recipe.

Simple starting recipe:

1. Grind medium-fine — finer than filter, coarser than espresso (we can handle this for you. Just choose pre-ground when adding to cart).
2. 12g of coffee into the Aeropress for a stronger brew, or 14g for a smoother cup. Less coffee in water more time to extract full flavour.
3. 200ml of water at around 90–92°C (not full boil)
4. Stir gently, and put the plunger back into the cylinder a little
5. Wait 2 minutes, give everything a gentle swirl to get goffee settling, then wait 30 more seconds
6. Press slowly over 30 seconds.
7. Total brew time: around 3 minutes

The standard method works well. Inverted is popular but harder to manage — stick with standard until you're comfortable. Adjust one variable at a time: grind, temperature, or steep time. If bitter then grind a bit coarser or use cooler water like 88°C. Sour? grind a bit finer or hotter water like 94°C

The traditional plunger method pushes grounds through the mesh and into your cup. This method avoids that completely, by letting the grounds settle and pouring off the top. Cleaner, clearer, and more flavourful.

The method:

1. Grind fresh and medium-coarse (slightly coarser than you might usually use)
2. 15g of coffee with 250ml for one mug, water just off the boil. Double coffee and water for 2x cups
3. Pour all the water in at once. Don't stir.
4. Place the lid on — but don't plunge through the coffee. Wait 4 minutes.
5. At 4 minutes, stir the crust and skim off the foam and floating bits with a spoon
6. Wait another 5–7 minutes for the remaining grounds to settle. This is where the flavour really gets going.
7. Pour slowly and steadily — leave the last bit in the jug

The key is patience. You don't need to plunge all the way. What you get is a surprisingly clean, grit-free cup that tastes much better than most people expect from a plunger.

Pour over rewards a little attention to detail. The result is a bright, clean cup where the coffee really speaks for itself — a great way to explore how different beans actually taste.

Simple starting recipe:

1. Rinse your paper filter with hot water first — removes the papery taste and warms the vessel
2. Grind medium — similar to coarse table salt
3. 12–15g of coffee per 200ml of water at 92–94°C
4. Start with a bloom: pour double the weight of coffee in water (around 25–30ml), wait 30–45 seconds
5. Pour the rest slowly in steady circles, keeping the bed of coffee level
6. Aim for a total brew time of 3–4 minutes

Light roasts shine in a pour over. If your coffee tastes flat or papery, your grind may be too coarse — or you skipped rinsing the filter.