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.

There are some videos on YouTube about how to 'dial in' an espresso.

There is, what's considered to be, the perfect ratio of ground coffee to water. If you keep pushing water through the ground coffee, it impairs the taste.

You're better off making a decent espresso and then adding water from the kettle, rather than adding the weak dregs.

Fresh, correctly ground coffee is key. The grinder is the #1 thing that makes the difference. Look for a good single dose grinder (Niche Zero or DF64) which is £300-400.

After that you can use an aeropress which is about £30. If you really wanted to be fancy you could look into an espresso machine but an aero press plus Dualit frother would get you there.

@DistractMe ok this is all useful, clearly I've had the wrong grind for the moka pot. Not sure a smaller one would balance on my gas hob. And I fear you are right it will never make what I'm after.

@ThisOldThang interesting. I'm up for a career chance maybe I should take a barista course

Change! Not chance

Also, James Hoffman on YouTube has loads of useful videos for coffee beginners if you want to look into it more.

@Porridgeislife bloody hell £300 for a grinder. Ok! It's on my list...

I used to make a pretty decent latte/flat white style coffee using a French press - I would make it using a small amount of hot water to get that espresso style essence.

BUT my Sage coffee machine has been a game changer. It was a present and I use it every day. Not cheap but I look after it and it will hopefully last me a long time.

Keep an eye on Facebook marketplace for a second hand one. There’s still lots of Covid era regret purchases being sold on!

So what's the difference between the expensive grinder and the cheap one I use to grind pumpkin seeds for my porridge?

Italian and coffee lover here. You will never get a very good one with a moka, def not if you want to add milk to the coffee.
You will need an espresso machine and a grinder (sometimes the grinder is integrated into the coffee machine). Grounded coffee is ok but freshly grounded coffee is FAR superior.
I think with £300 is a decent budget to get a good one.
Then you will need to experiment a little with the beans, find which one is the best for you trying also to adjust the grinding. It might take some few times to get the right type and adjust your machine, but then you will have superior coffee.

Also how do you know if the home grinding is suitable for an espresso machine/ press/ cafetière?

<sceptical face>

You can get a decent espresso machine for < £100 (with milk frother for tea lattes :) )

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/salter-espresso-pro-ek4623-coffee-machine-black-and-stainless-steel-10231911.html

I've got a little hand grinder that was £40 - lovely little piece of kit. Fits perfectly over the espresso basket ready for tamping (you need to get your own tamper and knock box ....)

For reference, I have a Sage espresso machine and a Sage grinder.
I am not sure what's the difference between a cheap and expensive grinder, but make sure you can change the settings. The grind size changes accordingly to your taste, the beans you put in, the use (you need to have them coarser for a french press then for an espresso for instance).

My experience is that it is - perfect every time.

Of course the next rabbit hole is how coarse/fine you grind ....

Totally agree it is the grind which is critical
I (only drink black) use an Aeropress & get my beans ground at the merchant to the grade I request. I always ask for Aeropress grind, which is finer than for cafetiere. My merchant will do mail order - but I prefer 10 mins in the shop while it is ground on request & I can inhale the aroma!
Also a game changer has been a smart kettle which heats to different temperatures. Never getting burnt coffee which occasionally happened before.
Aeropress ~ 30, Smart kettle ~95.
A side effect is the significant reduction in electricity from not boiling the last 5° to 100°!

Ok. Thanks all. Any comments on this and why it's much cheaper than an entry level sage bean to cup? https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/da4470/dualit-da4470--coffee-machine?utm_campaign=531573_ShopForward+CSS&utm_medium=affiliate&refsource=awin&awc=74734_1711906918_e14d17732ce56593313660fc1cdc9ae0

We are big coffee people here.

DH drinks regular coffee I drink decaf.

We use a Gaggia classic (post 2019 model, which replaced our pre 2014 model - the middle years were not good).

Also, aeropress for the office. And sometimes a stove top.

For me, it's a combo of the grind and the coffee.

I rate Pact coffee for a good creme both decaf and full cafe, though the decaf flavours are quite boring after a while.

DH grinds his beans, I buy ready ground. I use the absolute finest grind I can get. If supermarket, Illy is the best fine grind I can get.

I also go to our local bakery who sell local beans which I can get ground to espresso standard.

I can't use a cafetiere. Dreadful. The grinds end up in your cup every time.

You’re using pre-ground coffee?

You’re never going to get a decent cup of coffee using that.

@FormerlyPathologicallyHappy Ok, so I need to grind my own. So, good beans, £300 grinder, then what?

people who get their beans ground in a shop, is this better than a fresh pack of already ground Monmouth? Or do I literally need to grind every time I make coffee

Ideally you need to be grinding every time you make coffee.

Yes, grind every time you make coffee.

There is a thing you can buy to balance a small pan or mokka on a gas hob, shaped wire for it to balance on

Thing is @GeorgeTheFirst now I'm listening to people say a moka pot will never get you a proper espresso and I'm thinking they are right and this is where I've been going wrong, along with not grinding my own and using a cafetière grind in a moka pot. Also most of the time using a cafetière. Apparently everything I've been doing was wrong haha