Home-Barista.com

La Marzocco Swift Mini Grinder Review

In a commercial cafe setting, La Marzocco has offered the Swift grinder for many years as a solution to simple operation and improved consistency. But it's huge. What about the home barista who would like an idiot-proof espresso prep workflow? Introducing the La Marzocco Swift Mini, which grinds, doses, and tamps with the push of a button. The review will include an overview of usage, side-by-side comparisons with other popular grinders, and taste tests in a group setting. More…

Lelit MaraX Review

There are three kinds of espresso machines: those where variables have a control setting, those with control contortion, and those with no control or hope of a good espresso. Now there is the MaraX— the espresso machine you thought you would get before you know anything about espresso machines —no contortions, no settings, but the variables are controlled. There's a hidden switch for setting temperature, but the MaraX makes good espresso with an absolute minimum of fuss. More…

BPlus Apollo Manual Grinder Review

Let's get your first question out of the way: Why use a hand grinder at all? With a plethora of electric grinders of all shapes, sizes, and prices, why would one consider buying and using a hand grinder? Judging by the popularity of hand grinders among HB members, these small, non-electric grinders have their niche. And when comparing grind quality, a modern hand grinder is typically hundreds cheaper than any electric counterparts sporting the same burrset. They excel in other areas, too: Portability, function without electricity, quiet operation, and a certain "zen" experience. More…

Lelit Bianca Review

After the first week of using the Lelit Bianca, the show tune "anything you can do, I can do easier; I can do everything easier than you" comes to mind. Since the Lelit Bianca has been reviewed on other sites, we'll focus on its performance, comparing it to lever and other profiling espresso machines. We will also cover the experience of using it, both for beginning and more advanced hobbyists. Interested in having full manual control of flow and pressure? If so, the Lelit Bianca is worth close consideration. More…

Favorite Espresso Blends

Evaluations will be blind and reviewers will not know what espresso is being evaluated until they post their commentary. Members are invited to join in by peeking under the 'spoiler'. More…

Quotable Quotes

The site announcements contain "quotable quotes" nominated by Team HB and the membership. This article collects these nuggets of wisdom and quips about the art of espresso. More…

Home-Barista's Guide to Espresso

New to espresso and not sure where to start? This introduction by Jim Schulman shares his passion for good coffee and expertise in home espresso. It covers a lot of ground and demystifies the key elements of espresso preparation. It is not just about techniques and equipment you'll need to understand, but also about the reasons behind them. More…

Newbie Introduction to Espresso [videos]

This series of videos was created specifically for those new to making espresso at home. Between these videos and the site's Recommended Reading outlined in the FAQs and Favorites Digest, practically every problem and every question you'll encounter in the first three months as a home barista are addressed. More…

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…

Commercial Espresso Grinders

Espresso professionals and aficionados alike agree that a quality grinder is key to exceptional espresso. The Mazzer Super Jolly is a solid 64mm flat burr grinder used in cafes worldwide and in Starbucks until they switched to super-automatics. Most grinder manufacturers offer a grinder using 64mm burrs, however information on them is scant. In addition to the Mazzer, this review covers two other representative models, the Ceado E7 and Quamar M80. More…