Making a cup of barista-worthy coffee at home is an art. But, it needn't be daunting. With a combination of science and play, crafting a delectable morning brew simply takes a bit of practice. If you've decided that 2026 is the year you level up your coffee game (and stop spending six dollars every single day), we tapped the owner of Clubhouse in Nundah, Brisbane, Josh Prete, to learn how to become an at-home barista. Josh has been working in the coffee industry since 2016 and says it was the "reliability and consistency" of a good cafe that drew him in. "When you visit the same place often enough, you meet people, you hear stories, and you naturally become part of the community. That led me into the science behind making coffee well. I don't think about one perfect cup. I think about making great coffee all day, every day, and teaching people how to do the same." [caption id="attachment_1044092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Clubhouse[/caption] What equipment do I need to make great coffee at home? To make coffee from home, the first thing you're going to need is equipment. Don't worry. You don't have to shell out for a $4000 state-of-the-art espresso machine straight off the bat. If your go-to brew is an espresso-based drink, Josh believes you can get a lot out of entry or mid-level machines. Josh notes the most important three items for barista-worthy coffee are: A good grinder, fresh, quality beans (ideally within 30 days of being roasted), and a simple scale so you can repeat your results. "Most people think the espresso machine is the hero," says Josh. "The grinder is the real engine." For the new coffee aficionado, Josh recommends investing in a 0.1g scale, a gooseneck kettle, an AeroPress, V60 or Chemex, and a good hand grinder. "They can give you an incredible cup, and you get full freedom to experiment. There are so many variables. The fun is discovering how you like your coffee." According to Josh, the pour-over method (i.e. pouring hot water over freshly ground coffee, which then drips into a mug or carafe) is the best method for making barista-style coffee at home. "It teaches you the fundamentals: grind size, flow rate, water temperature, bloom, and timing, and those skills translate into every brewing method, including espresso," Josh shares. "Pour over gives you clarity and consistency. If you learn to control flavour on a V60 or Chemex, you'll understand how coffee actually works, not just how to use a machine." What beans should I start with? Josh recommends looking for beans with a recent roast date, but make sure it's not too recent. "If it was roasted yesterday, it's still going to be degassing. This means that if you brew it too soon, it may taste overly acidic and be prone to channelling." Channelling is when water finds a narrow path through the espresso's coffee puck in a machine, creating an uneven extraction. This can result in an espresso shot that may taste weak, sour or bitter. Not ideal. Josh also recommends looking for coffee beans with clear details on origin, process, and tasting notes. "If there is a recommended brew method, and recipe that's awesome too." If you find your at-home coffee tasting less than desirable, Josh has some tips. Does your brew taste sour? It's under-extracted, meaning you need to grind your beans more finely. To fix a bitter coffee, grind more coarsely because your coffee is over-extracted. If your coffee is too weak or watery, you have to increase the amount of coffee and decrease the water. When adjusting your grind size, be sure not to change any other variables. The dose and yield should stay the same, notes Josh. "If [your shot] ran short or long, just taste it. Learn to understand what over and under-extraction tastes like." What's dialling in? While coffee jargon can be a little intimidating at first, it's simply a science. Dialling in refers to the practice of fine-tuning your coffee's variables, i.e., brew time, grind size, and water quality. "It's simply adjusting the variables to get the flavour you're aiming for," says Josh. For example, when it comes to espresso, a great starting point is a one-to-two ratio—20g of ground coffee yielding 40g of espresso in about 25–30 seconds, and using a medium or medium–dark roast that's roughly ten days post-roast. [caption id="attachment_1060672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Clubhouse[/caption] Simply dose out 20g of coffee, brew the espresso until 40g of liquid espresso flows into a cup (i.e. one-to-two), and then time how long your shot takes to pour. If your shot takes 14 seconds to run through, the grind is too coarse, and you need to make it finer. On the other hand, if your shot takes 46 seconds or longer, the grind is too fine, and you need to make it coarser. "Keep adjusting until you're consistently hitting that 25–30 second window, then taste it," says Josh. "That alone will get you most of the way there." "Espresso is all about accuracy," says Josh. "It's a short, sharp extraction, and it can frustrate you quickly when you're learning. No machine will dial in the coffee for you, so if you buy an espresso setup, you have to take some ownership of the process. Don't blame the beans." How do I heat barista-worthy milk? Often, the difference between a cup of coffee you're willing to trade for a minimum of five dollars and a burnt, foamy brew at home comes down to its silky smooth milk. Josh's tips for creating a barista-worthy flat white or latte are all about the technique. Oh, and don't even think about latte art until you've mastered the texture. "The depth of the wand dictates the amount of air you are letting enter the milk," says Josh. "Too shallow, and you will have too much air and a big mess. Too deep and you will just heat the milk up. You want to start shallow, allowing air in, and then slowly move the wand deeper into the jug. You only need to adjust the depth of the wand. Practice makes perfect." Once you've mastered well-textured milk, you can get started on latte art. Josh's final tips Hopefully, you're feeling a bit less intimidated and more inspired to tackle your goal of crafting a barista-worthy cup of joe at home. Josh's biggest tip, however, is to start simple. "You don't need premium equipment; you just need to understand the basics. Once you get a feel for flavour, you can make incredible coffee with very little—and have a lot of fun doing it." Image credit: Clubhouse