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Welcome to Home-Barista.com™, a site dedicated to the home espresso enthusiast!

Our detailed espresso machine reviews and coffee grinder reviews cover the higher end of home espresso equipment on the market, but make only one assumption about you—a love of espresso! Whether this is the first time you've considered making espresso, cappuccinos, and lattes in your home or you've been drinking coffee for years, you will find tidbits of information to help you get the best out of your home espresso machine.

Just need a quick answer? Then check our FAQs and Favorites for solutions to the most common espresso-related problems.


What's New

mypressi TWIST - Second Look

mypressi TWIST

In the past, espresso aficionados visited their local cafe for an expertly prepared drink on commercial equipment because making a decent espresso at home simply wasn't an option.

Nowadays, the best cafes are as likely to be in the kitchen of a dedicated home barista as down the street, thanks to the availability of lower-cost high-quality gear and access to barista know-how through sites like this one. With the introduction of the mypressi TWIST, mobile espresso lovers have a new option.

Abe Carmeli and Dan Kehn will introduce you to mypressi's to-go kit. The review evaluates the espressos' taste, dosing techniques, usage tips, and technical overview of the TWIST. More...

 

Twitter Tweets

  • People conflate espresso preparation and the drink itself. I once believed espresso was intrinsically superior to brewed coffee. It's not.  10:54 AM Jan 21st
  • Argh! Why do some choose mediocre espresso from super-auto at great expense when exceptional coffee is easily and inexpensively available?  9:46 AM Jan 19th
  • PSA: Haiti relief efforts - several roasters have offered matching donations or proceeds from sales. See www.tinyurl.com/roasters4haiti  5:09 PM Jan 16th
  • RT @NickCho Looking through old bookmarks that I forgot about: "The Physics of Vacuum Pots." Good stuff! www.tinyurl.com/vacpot-physics  2:29 PM Jan 15th
  • Seen on the web... $1199 Rancilio Silvia Limited Edition 2010 in red pleather?!? Next up, fake leopard skin and disco globe shot timer.  7:48 AM Jan 11th

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FAQs and Favorites

Questions? FAQs and Favorites

If you're new to HB, you may be thinking, "I don't know where to begin, there's too much information!" To make it easier for you to get started and to help you navigate to topics that interest you, this article contains links to the best topics all in one place, categorized by forum and subject area. The article also recommends a few must-read introduction and how-tos that form the basic barista knowledge and techniques. More...

 

Olympia Maximatic

Olympia Maximatic

Olympia Express is a small Swiss company manufacturing finely-crafted espresso equipment since 1928; many will recognize their iconic lever espresso machine, the Olympia Cremina. Introducing a new type of review, this Second Look follows the popular blog-style research of the Bench forum. This review considers the Olympia Maximatic from many angles, including comparisons with other popular espresso machines. More...

The Professional Barista's Handbook

The Professional Barista's Handbook

Despite the title, this handbook applies as much to serious home baristas as to pros. It covers the fundamental knowledge that every successful barista must know, and does so in a succinct and thorough manner. This article excerpts the opening chapter on the basics of espresso, tools of the barista, and key techniques. More...

 

Buyer's Guide to the Ponte Vecchio Lusso

Ponte Vecchio Lusso Ponte Vecchio Lusso

Lever espresso machines are known for their compelling simplicity. This Buyer's Guide focuses on a recent entry to the US market, the Ponte Vecchio Lusso. This temperature-stable "newbie friendly" lever espresso machine will be compared and contrasted against better known models like the Olympia Cremina and Elektra Microcasa a Leva. More...


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