Several of my childhood memories have the rich, comforting aroma of freshly roasted coffee. Even now, I fondly recall the pungent clouds snaking through the Allders shopping arcade in 1980s Croydon. So it’s with no small amount of childlike joy that I find myself nearly four decades older, sitting in my basement surrounded by coffee machines I’ve tested for the Filter.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the hundreds of hours I’ve spent spilling espresso, expletives and tears over uncooperative coffee machines, it’s that there’s more to great coffee than a machine. With great essentials – good coffee and a trusty grinder – you can brew great coffee with nothing more than a kettle and a cafetière at your disposal.
‘Good, fresh beans are non-negotiable’
When people find out that I review coffee machines, they sometimes make the mistake of asking how to make better coffee. In the brief window between my beginning to talk and their eyes beginning to glaze over, they probably retain no more than three words: “buy”, “good” and “coffee”. Luckily, these three words are the most important.
A good, freshly roasted bag of beans is non-negotiable. If you can’t afford a grinder, then by all means buy smaller bags from your local roastery and get them to grind it for you. Ground coffee fades fast, though, so I’d counsel anyone to save up for a good grinder.
And whatever you do, be wary of supermarket coffee, no matter how fancy or alluring the packaging. If there isn’t a roasting date on the bag, then you could be buying stale, months-old coffee that’s way past its best. You wouldn’t put up with that for anything else in your shopping trolley. For the best-tasting cup, the sweet spot for flavour and freshness is somewhere between two and four weeks after roasting.
Head to a good coffee roaster – support your local ones if you can – and buy the beans they recommend for your preferred type of brewing, whether that’s filter, cafetière or espresso. Nothing beats going in person and sampling coffee, as then you have an idea of how it’s meant to taste – and which types of coffee you prefer – before you start brewing it at home. You may even glean a few brewing tips from the barista while you’re at it.
As for the rest, from cafetières to cups, head over to my guide to all the kit you need for great coffee, and I’ll show you what you need to get started.
This week’s picks
Editor’s pick
Between all the rain, the sun briefly poured through my windows this week – just long enough to show how dirty they’ve become over the winter. If you obsess over windows with a professional shine or live in a condensation-plagued home, then a window vacuum may be for you. Our expert tester Andy Shaw put seven of the best window vacs through their paces, trying them not only on windows but also on tiles and shower screens to separate the useful from the useless.
Monica Horridge
Deputy editor, the Filter
In case you missed it …
Few things are more comforting – not to mention easier and healthier – than coming home to an almost effortless slow-cooked meal after a long day. We tested the best slow cookers, from simple designs costing under £30 to clever models that saute, steam and feed a crowd.
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