Home Barista Guide

The Coffee 

It all starts here!

Possibly, the most important factor, selecting the right coffee will impact the final result. As with all methods of coffee brewing, whether it’s with an espresso machine, percolator, fresh press or pour over, it’s important to select the right coffee for that specific application – reusable coffee pods are no exception to this rule.

Generally, for reusable coffee pods, a medium/dark or dark roast (if you like your coffee a little more intense in flavour) is preferable. When is comes to grind size, you will want to use a medium/fine grind or what is typically referred to as a stovetop or moka pot grind – which is similar in consistency to caster sugar or table salt. Avoid an espresso grind as this is generally too fine and will prevent water from flowing through the pod properly.

Ideally, the coffee you choose would match the intensity of the coffee you would usually have in single-use pods. The intensity scale is generally somewhere between 1-10 – and can normally be found somewhere on the packaging. As mentioned above, the darker the roast the more intense the flavour. However, intensity does not necessarily mean stronger, i.e. more caffeine content.

Freshness is key!

This is an important one and will have the biggest impact on the quality, strength and taste of your espresso. As is the case with most things edible (think fresh bread vs day old bread), freshly roasted beans will always achieve the best result. 

When buying whole beans, try and find some with a roast date as close to today’s date as possible. Coffee beans are at their best generally within 2-3 weeks of roasting. Like all perishables, coffee will go stale, loosing much of its flavour, aroma and caffeine content. This degradation process will continue the older the beans are.

That’s not to say you can’t get a decent cup of coffee from older beans, it just won’t be as full bodied and flavoursome as fresh beans.

Buying whole beans, in most cases, also works out much cheaper than pre-ground coffee. So really, you’re winning all round!

Pre-ground coffee

Pre-ground beans are also completely fine. Just keep in mind, some pre-ground coffee can already be a few months old when you buy them. By this point, they will have lost some of its natural aroma and flavour. This can result in a mild tasting coffee with reduced caffeine content. If you’re finding this is the case, you might want to upgrade to grinding your own coffee.

Don’t just take our word for it, check out this article by Fox Coffee (link below) or just Google “pre-ground coffee vs whole beans”. This topic has been widely discussed amongst coffee lovers the world over!

https://www.foxcoffee.com.au/blogs/blog/pre-ground-coffee-is-it-that-bad

The other downside with pre-ground coffee is, you’re stuck with a single grind size, which may not be the ideal size for the pod! (Read more about grind size below).

Nonetheless, pre-ground coffee is super convenient, so don’t feel discouraged to give it a go. Admittedly, we’re a little bit crazy about our coffee! It’s still absolutely possible to get a good shot of espresso from pre-ground coffee. For some, pre-ground will be more than adequate.

If you’re going down this route, be sure to buy a good quality brand like Sacred Grounds or St. ALI – or even better, get it ground fresh at your local coffee roaster or cafe.. Stay away from brands like Vittoria, etc – these are mostly rubbish!

If possible, we suggest purchasing a few options in the smallest size and experimenting until you find one that suits your preference/yields the best result.

The bold and the beautiful

If you like your coffee strong and intense with an extra caffeine hit, you probably want to look for an Arabica and Robusta blend. Arabica accounts for approximately 80% of the worlds of coffee production volume and is by far the most popular and widely consumed bean. Robusta on the other hand, is far less common and there is a lot of misconception around it, namely being of lower quality. However, this is not entirely true. The addition of robusta to arabica will produce a stronger, more full bodied coffee, with more of a caffeine hit – robusta beans have almost twice the caffeine content compared to arabica.

The Grind

For maximum flavour and freshness, we recommend grinding your own coffee. Once coffee beans have been ground, they will start to loose their flavour and aroma in as little as 30 minutes. So it’s important to grind your beans right before you intend to use them. 

Control is key

You will have a greater chance of brewing an exceptional cup of coffee if you have greater control over the brewing process. This means that grinding your own beans gives you greater control over the grind size. Thus, allowing you to find the grind size that yields the best results.

Grind size alone can dramatically change the taste of your espresso. Grind size and consistency can be the difference between a delicious full bodied brew or a watery undrinkable mess! Even the smallest of changes in grind size can drastically affect the taste of your final cup of coffee. 

Fine vs Coarse

Generally speaking, finer grinds will produce a more full bodied espresso as it increases surface area, allowing the hot water to come in contact with more of the coffee, thus increasing the rate and efficiency of extraction. Too coarse, and your espresso will be watery and lacklustre.

It’s all about finding the right balance

To achieve proper extraction, the right amount of pressure needs to build up inside the pod. If your coffee grinds are too coarse, water will flow through too easily and won’t soak up any of the coffee goodness we all know and love!

Too fine, on the other hand, will block the pod and prevent water from flowing through at all.

When it’s just right, the coffee should flow out of your machine like pouring honey, very thick and slow. If it flows fast, then your grinds are most likely too course.

The Tamp

By tamping the coffee grinds, you are ensuring the grinds are compressed and evenly distributed. During the extraction process – when hot water is forced through the coffee grinds at high pressure – the water will always seek out the path of least resistance, so it’s important to ensure that the grounds are tamped well and tamped evenly to achieve a proper extraction.

If the coffee is too loose, water will flow through too easily, resulting in a watery brew!

The Pull

This refers to extraction time (the length of time your machine starts dispensing coffee/water, to the time it stops). Reusable coffee pods work best with a short extraction time. 

Less is more

For our smaller pods like Nespresso Original and Lavazza we recommend approx. 15-20ml per pod, using 2 pods per cup (or more if you like your coffee strong). That’s approx. 1/2 to 2/3 through the smallest cup setting – trying stopping the machine here. But, you can experiment with this (more or less) to suit your preference.

If you look closely as the coffee comes out, you will see it change to a watery/opaque colour – you want to try stop it at this point. Do the same for both pods.

Once you’ve found a “sweet spot”, most machines should allow you to reprogram how much water comes out per cup setting. So, to save time you can reprogram it to only dispense the right amount of water.

For our larger pods like Dolce Gusto and Vertuo, this will vary depending on your preference. But if you’re finding the espresso is too watery, as above, reduce the extraction time.

Two is Better than One

For some of our smaller pods like Nespresso Original and Lavazza (or if you just like you coffee super strong) we recommend using a minimum 2 pods per cup.

Lastly and most importantly, just have fun! Making espresso should be as much about the process as it is about the coffee. If you’re still having problems, we’re here to help – so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.