Level Up Your At-Home Coffee Game

Waking up every morning to a great cup of coffee is a daily ritual many people would be hard-pressed to give up. Some will visit their favourite local coffee shop to get their fix, while others prefer to make their cup of joe at home. 

Whatever your preference, venturing out of your house because you feel quality and taste at a cafe is better shouldn’t be a deciding factor. In fact, with some easy tips, you can have cafe-level quality coffee from the comfort of your kitchen. 

Keep reading to learn how to level up your at-home coffee game.

Invest in Good Quality Beans

Just like with most things, if the raw material isn’t high quality, neither will the end result. The fresher the bean, the more it impacts the flavour. Plus, knowing your bean origin, processing style, and roast will also clue you in about overall quality.  

At Bean Around the World, we roast in small batches with ethically harvested beans by local hands around the world. This way, we make sure we’re upholding the integrity and quality of the process, offering coffee that always tastes top-notch. Here are some fan-favourites:

• Rainforest Organic: Dark roast washed and dried in the sun made with Guatemalan and Mexican beans 
• Black Mountain: Dark roast made with Sumatran beans (wet-hulled and sun-dried) blended with Panamanian beans (fermented, washed, and dried in the sun and mechanical driers).
• Espresso Blend: Our premium espresso roast.

Grind Your Own Beans

One of the secrets to amazing freshness and flavour? Grinding your own beans! The moment you grind your beans, they immediately start losing essential oils and aroma. But, by grinding just before brewing, you can keep things fresher, ensuring a richer, more aromatic cup. Plus, being able to customize grind size lets you tailor your coffee to different brewing methods.

Using a quality grinder like this Hario Skerton Grinder helps with consistent grinds, letting you experiment and refine your coffee to perfection so you can create a truly personalized coffee experience every time.

Proper Storage is Essential

Storing coffee beans the right way is key to preserving flavor and freshness. Keep beans airtight in a cool, dark place away from moisture. Something like this Fellow Atoms Vacuum Canister can be a great choice. 

Thinking of popping them in the fridge? We’d recommend avoiding it since coffee easily absorbs odours and moisture. You might be thinking, ‘Ok, what about freezing them?’ While freezing can slow down staleness, it's still a divisive topic among experts. Most say for optimal freshness, you should just buy in small quantities, use within two weeks, and savour the full, unaltered taste of your coffee. 

Clean Your Equipment

Regular cleaning of your coffee equipment is important for both taste and machine longevity. Dirty coffee makers can give you bitter or off-flavour coffee because of the buildup of oils and residue. 

Got a coffee maker? Run vinegar through a brew cycle, then water. More of a French press kind of person? Scrub it thoroughly after every use. Prefer using a pour-over? Rinse it with hot water every time you use it. 

Make your own Syrup

Making your own syrup can open a world of flavour possibilities. If you’ve never made it before, it’s as easy as combining equal parts water and sugar, then adding vanilla extract for a tried and true classic. If you find vanilla isn’t your thing, other popular flavors include caramel, hazelnut, and cinnamon. 

Homemade syrups means using natural ingredients and avoiding artificial additives found in store-bought versions. Plus, making your own lets you tailor sweetness levels. Here are two customizable options:

• Caramel: Melt ½ cup sugar in a pan until golden. Add 1 cup water and stir until smooth. 
• Cinnamon: Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 3-4 cinnamon sticks in a saucepan, simmer until infused, then strain.

Try Other Milk Options

Switching up your milk choices for options like almond, soy, and oat can also help tailor flavour and texture profiles.

• Almond milk: Light and nutty and blends really well but may curdle if temperatures are too high. 
• Soy milk: Creamy and soft but might taste beany. 
• Oat milk: Sweet, creamy, and froths beautifully, but can overpower subtle coffees.

Expert tip: Whichever you choose, finishing your cup off by using a quality milk frother will offer that extra touch you need to get cafe-level froth and texture right at home. 

How’s it Tasting Now?

With these easy tips and tricks to help you level up your at-home coffee game, there’s no more need to hit your local coffee shop bright and early — unless your favourite barista is on duty!

Remember, the journey to the perfect cup is all about experimentation and learning. Keep trying new techniques, beans, and recipes because every discovery brings you closer to your ideal brew. 

Have any extra tips we didn’t mention? Let us know!