Coffee is essential… at least that’s the opinion of half the planet. It’s our morning starter, our work break, our afternoon pick-me-up… but you may still be searching for the real taste of good coffee.

1. The machine: Buying a coffee maker is an investment

What price should we pay for a good pump espresso maker? The more expensive the machine, the better its components, to bring out the best from the coffee.

Mocha coffee maker or pump machine?

• in a mocha coffee maker, the coffee is extracted by steam pressure. It gives a more acrid taste because the coffee is burned and scalded.
• a pump machine for crema – the hot water is pushed through the coffee by means of a pump and produces a richer, less acrid flavor with more body.

2. The coffee mill

To get the most flavor from your coffee, it’s best to grind it at the last minute, but you will need a coffee mill.

Avoid coffee grinders with blades because blades are temperature-sensitive: they overheat with rapid rotation and burn the coffee’s initial flavor. What’s more, the blades have a tendency to pulverize the beans instead of grinding them.

It’s best to choose a conical grinder made from machined hardened steel for better resistance and a perfect fine even grind.

3. Mix (Blend)

Good coffee is expensive, you say… but did you know that you need much less of it? A kilogram of excellent coffee can make 140 to 160 cups!

Coffee beans from Asia, America and Africa offer a palette of different flavors. It’s even sometimes hard to choose: you’ll find Arabica (the name of the plant), Colombian (the name of the country), unknown blends, and so on.

There are numerous coffee-producing countries and crops of varying quality. Its up to the roaster to have a good knowledge of the beans, and to determine the characteristics of each batch in order to combine flavors from the four corners of the earth into a unique and flavorful blend. The choice on the market is vast, even somewhat overwhelming, with roasters each imparting their particular subtleties to a blend that may have the same name. Therefore it’s preferable to buy small amounts of coffee and do your own tasting experiments. A little suggestion in passing: start with milder coffees, gradually moving up to more full-bodied ones in order to be better equipped to evaluate the flavors and nuances.

Arabica is generally more expensive than Robusta and has many advantages: it’s the top of the line. On the other hand, Robusta allows you to obtain a “crema” more easily that has lots of body. But there again, there is a whole range of nuance.

4. Method

After equipping yourself with a good machine, a conical coffee grinder and an excellent blend, the only thing left is to practice your technique: choosing the right amount of coffee and packing the coffee firmly to bring out all its flavor, never forgetting to preheat the machine and cups and familiarizing yourself with all of the tricks of the perfect barista.