Welcome to Brew at Home — Your Café-Style Coffee Guide!

If you’ve ever dreamed of making café-style coffee in your own kitchen, you’re in the right place.

Today, we’ll start with the basics — how to make a smooth, rich cup of espresso at home using a simple machine. In the next posts, I’ll explore different coffee beans, brewing methods, milk textures, and flavor experiments. Step by step, we’ll turn everyday coffee into a small ritual that feels like your favorite café morning.

Before we dive into all those details, let’s start simple with a basic recipe that captures the heart of every good coffee.

Café-Style Coffee Recipe

Ingredients

• 18g freshly ground coffee
• Filtered water
• Milk (optional)

Steps

1. Grind your beans fresh.
2. Pull a double shot in 25–30 seconds.
3. Froth milk and pour gently.

Home coffee should be simple, balanced, and enjoyable.

Step 1. Choose Your Beans and Grind Fresh

For your first tries, go with a medium roast that feels balanced and smooth — you don’t need anything fancy yet. We’ll explore different bean types and grinds in future posts, but if you’d like to get a head start, you can check out this complete guide to coffee grind sizes to understand how grind size affects flavor and brewing time.

Step 2. Prepare Your Machine and Tools

Before you start brewing, make sure your machine and tools are ready. Fill the water tank with filtered water, preheat the machine and portafilter, and warm your cup with hot water.

I use a DeLonghi espresso machine at home — it’s small, quick to heat up, and easy to clean, which matters when you have a busy kitchen! You can use any beginner-friendly espresso machine you like; most home models do a great job once you get the grind and timing right.

Step 3. Dose, Tamp, and Extract

Use about 18 grams of coffee for a double shot. Level the grounds, then tamp with firm, even pressure. Lock in and start extraction.
Stop around 25 to 30 seconds or when the shot looks like warm honey.
If it tastes sour, grind finer; if it’s bitter, grind coarser.

Getting the right dose and extraction takes a bit of practice, but once you nail it, the flavor difference is huge. If you’d like to go deeper into timing, pressure, and consistency, check out my post on How to Perfect Your Espresso Shot.

Step 4. Froth the Milk (Optional)

Purge the steam wand, then froth cold milk. Keep the tip just below the surface until you hear a soft paper-tearing sound, then sink it slightly to roll the milk.
Stop near 60–65°C. Tap and swirl to make it glossy and smooth.

Step 5. Build and Serve

And that’s it, this is the foundation of making café-style coffee at home.
It might seem simple, but every small detail matters: the grind, the water temperature, and even the way you pour the milk.

Making good coffee isn’t about expensive tools — it’s about patience, curiosity, and a bit of practice.
This post is just the beginning.
In the next ones, I’ll share the little secrets I’ve learned over time — from choosing the right beans to mastering flavor balance.
So grab your cup, stay curious, and let’s keep brewing together!