It wasn't that long ago, when people started realizing that they didn't have to go out to experience cafe quality espressos and cappuccinos. In fact, there are still plenty of people that pay premium at the local coffee shop, while they could easily make a great cup of coffee right at home. With the domestic coffee market having matured rapidly, homemade baristas are becoming the norm.

Whether you want to take the more traditional approach, and use a separate grinder and lever machine combo, or if you simply want a one-touch full automatic coffee machine - there's something available for us all. The quality of todays appliances is on par with anything you can find in cafes or restaurants.

It's amazing how rapidly people's knowledge of coffee has grown in the past few years. Just think for a second, and tell me how many types of coffee can you name, or have even tried? I bet there's more than just an espresso and cappuccino. And besides the types, can you remember how many different blends you have tasted? Arabica or Robusta? Strong or decaf? Here's an example:

Jacksy's

Yahava

Vittoria

Segafredo

Espresso Italia

Robert Timms

I'm sure we've all had the pleasure of experiencing one of these famous coffee blends. If not, I strongly recommend you go out and try them. You won't be disappointed. Mainly because of the semi-pro barista culture that has evolved in the past decade, coffee lovers know what's for sale and what's good. This means the coffee suppliers need to meet that demand with a high quality bean.

Obviously a fresh produce will have a much better body and flavor than coffee that's gone stale. When you are shopping for fresh beans, try to get your hands on something locally roasted. Having said that, almost all roasted coffee beans will get packaged in airtight bags, so they will last somewhat longer. Rule of thumb is to make sure the coffee has not been packaged any more than 3 months, just to make sure you will get the best possible taste.

Grinders and coffee machines are just as important as your coffee beans. You will need to have the perfect ground coffee from your grinder, in order to extract the maximum flavour and arome from your beans. The coffee machine itself will have to provide enough pressure to push the water through the ground coffee, in order to achieve the best possible result.

Even though you can buy the best coffee maker and grinder on the market, a big factor in the end result is hw ell you can handle your coffee brewing equipment. Do yourself a favour and before you buy anything, go to a shop and see if you can give it a try on a demo machine. Do some grinder, tamping, frothing, and pouring, and then decide if you want to be the home barista with the fancy setup, or if you're a 1-button automatic coffee person.

Like any other kitchen appliance, if you take good care of your coffee machine, but regularly cleaning and descaling it, the machine will provide you with great coffee for years to come. Think of all the money you will be saving by not having to go out to a coffee shop for a $5 cup of coffee every day.

It's easy to get lost with all the information available about coffee. If you would like to get some friendly and professional coffee advice, come talk to the coffee experts at bunbury coffee. They'd love to help you find your perfect blend.