Making decent coffee at home

[Jukeboxtardis]

How much do I need to spend to be able to make a really good (strong) oat latte at home? I can't seem to get it right with my current range of stove top espresso thingy, cafetière, dualit milk frother. I buy Monmouth coffee so I don't think it's the coffee that's at fault. It always either tastes too weak or too wet.

Stovetop espresso thingy... A mokka pot?

The coffee brand is unimportant. It your Monmouth coffee the right grind for the mokka? Because that, a saucepan for the milk and your milk frother should be all you need.

Yes a moka pot, I either use that or a cafetière.

Use your moka pot but put slightly less water in the lower chamber (i.e. about 2cm below the fill line). If you like it strong, use two level scoops of ground coffee.

I have to ask, how is coffee ever too wet?????
intrigued

Ok will try that. I normally completely fill the coffee bit in an effort to make it strong

@Hoglet70 it tastes of water! Too watery?

You'll never make true espresso with a moka.

Suspect it’s the grinder that makes the difference.

Actually run out of coffee right now plus it's too late to try today! Will go in search of coffee in the morning. Might try some beans instead of ground, as I have a grinder (normally use it for pumpkin seeds 😂)

@SerendipityJane what do I need for a true espresso?

Sage espresso machine with milk frother is the closest to a coffee shop coffee I have experienced, bought last month and already saved a fortune

I completely understand the op, sometimes coffee is, well, too wet 😂.

And sometimes it is too separate, as in I can taste the water and the coffee and the milk but it is as if they haven't been mixed together.

Apologies if this has already been said. Not had chance to trft.
Aeropress, barista oat milk and lavazza. I can't talk in the morning until I've had a good, strong coffee.

French press thingy every time!

You can experiment with qty until you get the perfect coffee.

A friend has an aeropress. I'm not sure I think it's any better than the moka pot tbh

It’s as close as you’ll get without an actual espresso machine - and much closer than with a cafetiere!

Monmouth do special beans which they grind specifically for espresso- are you using those?

Ah ok, I would have said it was too weak. I get it now though.

@MugLove nope I think I was using a cafetière grind (mostly in a cafetière to be fair)

What's your budget?

Melitta TS Smart makes nice espresso and does decent froth for lattes.

@Hoglet70 its different from too weak. Sometimes I get a coffee when out that I'd describe as too weak, but because it's made with proper espresso it's not too wet. I think it's to do with literally how much water is in the cup, but if I use less water it does end up too weak (but not as wet)

As PP have said, you won't ever get a proper espresso from a Mokka pot, but you should be able to make a really good, strong coffee. It needs quite a fine grind, so normal ground coffee sold for cafetieres won't do the job. Try espresso ground coffee or grind your own.

Fill the coffee chamber by all means, but don't tamp it down. The water pressure won't be high enough to get through a solid wall of coffee, so it will slow things down and your coffee will be bitter.

Also I always pre-boil the water, as that seems to make a fresher tasting brew.

Also what size pot are you using? If it's just for you, it might be worth trying a smaller one, to reduce the "wetness".

@ThisOldThang i don't have a budget right now as I'm saving up for a new bathroom but I want to know what I need so I can then save up for a coffee machine or whatever I need after that. So maybe up to £300??

I work in central London so usually have a pret subscription however I think their coffee has got worse in the last year and the subscription cost has gone up a lot

Close .... but no cigar.