Welcome to Home-Barista.com™, a site dedicated to the home
espresso and coffee 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 coffee!
Just need a quick answer? Check our FAQs and Favorites for solutions to common coffee and espresso-related problems.
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Just need a quick answer? Check our FAQs and Favorites for solutions to common coffee and espresso-related problems.
Welcome to Home-Barista.com™, a site dedicated to the home espresso and coffee 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 coffee! 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 coffee.
IKAWA Home Roasting System
IKAWA sample roasters have been a staple of coffee professionals starting with their introduction in 2013. However,
the IKAWA Home System is not a profiling sample roaster—it adapts the technologies developed for professionals for home use.
Each unique coffee comes with pre-programmed roasting recipes to eliminate much trial and error.
In this review, Team HB looks at the IKAWA Home Roasting System from both the beginner and experienced viewpoint.
Buying Advice
"Which espresso machine should I buy?", "What's the best coffee grinder?",
"I have a budget of $500, what is the best espresso machine?"
"There are so many choices of espresso equipment! What general advice to you offer?"
Visitors to this site ask these types of questions
every day. The article How to choose an espresso machine and grinder at the right price
offers the community wisdom gleaned from hands-on experience, presented in question/answer format.
La Marzocco Linea Micra Review
La Marzocco is best known for their commercial espresso equipment, but since the introduction of the home-friendly Linea Mini, they've had a special place in the hearts and minds of this site's members.
That's why we're particularly excited about a new entry into La Marzocco's home lineup, the Linea Micra.
As the name suggests, it's really, really small. But the Micra isn't just a scaled down version of its slightly bigger cousin.
Under the hood are unique innovations that we'll explore in a multi-reviewer evaluation.
Lucca Atom 75 Espresso Grinder Review
The Lucca Atom 75 is the Eureka Atom 75 customized for Clive Coffee.
The Lucca customization includes an improved burr set and a sensor-based grind adjustment system with TrueGrind smartphone app that
is completely repeatable. The grinder and TrueGrind app are Wi-fi connected via an online database for storing the grind settings
and dosing of your different coffees and prep methods. Clive Coffee says the Lucca is a grinder that can dial itself in.
With two evaluation grinders, we'll test this claim.
Profitec Pro 800 Review (Revisited)
We reviewed the Profitec Pro 800 in 2016. ECM, the parent company, has updated it with several cosmetic upgrades and a couple maintenance upgrades.
This gave us a welcome excuse to return to a favorite lever espresso machine. It's worth recalling that
owners of pump-driven espresso machines may be guilty of promoting the myth that lever espresso machines
are difficult to use. Thanks to the classic design of the huge brass group on the Profitec Pro 800,
it's the epitomy of no-fuss operation.
ECM Puristika Review
Classic. Forgiving. Attractive. Ubiquitous. These are just a small sample of the descriptions that fans of the E61 espresso machine
have used in the more than 60 years since its introduction. One word that is rarely suggested? Diminutive.
No surprise, since its heavy, saucer shaped grouphead is a beefy chunk of chromed, polished brass.
That's why its refreshing to see an E61 variant that's stripped to the bare essentials,
dedicated to the espresso purist—the ECM Puristika.
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.
Newbie Introduction to Espresso [videos]
![Newibe Introduction to Espresso [videos]](frontPage_files/newbie_intro_sm.png)
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.
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.
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.
