No offence, but I find coffee instructions pointless. Who needs a guide for making a coffee? It’s like looking up a manual before taking a shower or asking for instructions on how to change a light bulb? Anyone can make a cup of coffee, no?
Wrong. I drink flat whites all over — cafés, hotels, even those dodgy motorway stops. And let me tell you: no two are the same. When it’s good, it’s great — bold espresso, silky milk, sweet but punchy.
But too often, it’s drowned in thin burnt milk, bland and beige. All comfort, no character.
So no, I’m not here to dish out over-complicated brew “recipes.” I’m here to talk principles. Simple ideas that help steer you clear of sad, flavourless cups — and nudge you toward the kind of brew that actually makes your day better.
It’s all about contrast
Coffee shines when things are in balance.
Love a milky drink? Brilliant — but you need a coffee that stands up to it. Something with depth, chocolate, nuts, maybe a bit of fruit. Let the espresso sing through the milk, not get muffled by it.
Drinking it black? Then you want clarity — a coffee with character. Bright, juicy, full-bodied. Something that doesn’t disappear after the first sip.
And iced coffee? Go bold or go home. Cold dulls flavour, so brew with intensity. You want richness and funk, not watery disappointment.
And a good brew takes intention
It’s not just about the coffee. It’s about how you approach it.
Ask yourself:
– What do I want from this cup?
– Am I rushing out the door or settling in?
– Do I need something soft and familiar, or bold and surprising?
Pick your brew method like you’d pick your footwear for a walk — based on the journey ahead, not what’s nearest the front door.
We’re not here to boss you about. We’re here to guide.
Yes, we’ve got brewing guides. But they’re not rules. They’re more like trail markers — useful signposts to help you get where you’re going, but the path is yours to walk.
Brewing coffee isn’t about perfection. It’s about paying attention. Tweaking. Tasting. Finding what works for you.
So in this series, we’re breaking down cups — starting with espresso — and showing you how to make each one the best it can be. Not with rigid rules, but with honest, practical advice from folks who love a proper brew.
Anyone can make an espresso, right?
A splash of water through some ground coffee. What’s so tricky?
Well. Let’s just say espresso is the kind of thing that looks simple — until you taste one that’s been made properly.
Done well, espresso is small but mighty. It’s bold, balanced, full of character. A little hit of liquid joy. But get it wrong — and it’s all bitterness, sharp corners, or worse… bland.
So, instead of overcomplicating things with jargon and calculators, let’s just break it down. If you love espresso, or want to make one that actually tastes like something worth drinking, these are the mistakes to dodge — and the principles to brew by.
1. Use fresh coffee — not something that’s seen two general elections
Old coffee is the silent assassin of flavour. If it was roasted over 6 months ago, chances are it’s lost the best of itself. The bright notes fade, the sweetness dulls, and what you’re left with is flat, bitter, and boring.
And while freshness matters, too fresh can be a problem for espresso. You don’t want to be using coffee that’s less than 7–10 days off roast — it needs a short rest to degas and settle before it’s ready to brew at its best.
You wouldn’t eat a croissant that’d been sat on the side for half a year. Don’t do it with coffee.
Rule of thumb? Use coffee within 2–4 weeks of roast for espresso, stored somewhere cool and dry — no fridge faff, just a proper airtight tin will do.
2. Don’t let your grind clump up like week-old porridge
Espresso is all about even extraction — that means water flowing through the coffee consistently, not in little rivers and gullies like a flooded footpath.
A clumpy grind leads to channeling — where some of the water races through parts of the puck, while other bits just sulk and do nothing. Result? You get a mix of under and over-extracted flavours — sour one second, burnt the next.
Sort it: Use a decent burr grinder, give the grounds a quick distribution (a little wiggle or whisk, depending how nerdy you want to get), and tamp flat and level — no leaning Tower of Pisa pucks.
3. Tamp like you mean it — and mean it evenly
Uneven tamping is like putting a crooked roof on your house — everything underneath suffers. If one side’s packed tighter than the other, water will take the path of least resistance. That’s channeling again, and we don’t want it.
A firm, flat tamp with intention will set you up right. No need to Hulk-smash it, just solid pressure and a level surface.
4. Don’t leave your puck to stew in the heat
This one’s a silent killer. You’ve ground, dosed, tamped… and then left the portafilter in the group head while you faff about.
Trouble is, most machines keep that metal group head toasty — so if your coffee’s sat there waiting, it’s getting cooked before you’ve even hit the button. That leads to burnt, dry flavours that not even the fanciest beans can save.
Simple fix: Pull your shot immediately after locking in. No dilly-dallying. (If you have a High Tech new machine its likely its so fancy that it will prevent the group head getting so hot so you're in luck and can ignore this!)
5. Milk matters (and screaming milk is a red flag)
Now, if you’re making a milk-based drink — cappuccino, flat white, cortado — the espresso is only half the job.
Let’s talk milk.
There is nothing that makes me walk out of a café faster than hearing a milk jug scream like a kettle on the boil. That noise? That’s burnt milk. That’s a barista doing violence to dairy. You wouldn’t shout at your dog and expect a cuddle. Same goes for milk.
Dairy? Full-fat’s your pal. Rich in proteins, easy to texture. You want a gentle stretch — a little air at the start, then steam it up to around 65°C. Silky, glossy, velvety. No bubbles. No screaming.
Non-dairy milk? Bit trickier, but just as lovely. Add a touch more air, don’t overheat, and treat it kindly. Think of your milk jug like your car — if it’s making weird noises, something’s wrong.
A good espresso takes care, not wizardry
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about care. Fresh beans, thoughtful technique, a bit of practice. Brew with intention and your espresso will repay you in kind — whether you’re drinking it neat or dressing it up with milk.
And if you do get it wrong? That’s alright. Every dodgy cup is one closer to a cracker.