Home Barista Course

Home Barista Course

A series of lessons on how to make good coffee at home

This course arose from a frustration: people buy good equipment, good coffee, but they can't make a coffee they want to repeat. There are five or six simple rules missing. We've gathered them here, explained them one by one, with recipes we also use in our roastery.

It's free. Read it when you have time. Try it with your own equipment. If you want to do it hands-on with us, you'll find a form at the end to let us know — we'll organize a physical session when there's enough interest.

Table of Contents

  1. Where the taste comes from
  2. Basic equipment
  3. Water, grind, ratio
  4. V60 — the first step in pour-over
  5. AeroPress — flexibility on the table
  6. Chemex — maximum clarity
  7. French Press — correct immersion
  8. Cold Brew — patience rewarded
  9. Moka Pot — the rediscovered classic
  10. Home Espresso — basics
  11. Quick home cupping
  12. Cleaning & maintenance
  13. Equipment recommendations
  14. Physical course — let me know

Module 1 — Where the taste comes from

Specialty coffee tastes like many specific things: peach, caramel, chocolate, lemon, grapes. Not generic "good coffee." These notes come from three sources:

1. Origin — soil, altitude, coffee variety (Bourbon, Caturra, Heirloom, etc.). Ethiopian coffees tend towards floral and citrus. Brazilian ones towards nuts and chocolate. This is geography + genetics.

2. Processing method — after harvesting, the coffee cherry can be processed Washed, Natural, or Pulped Natural / Honey. Each process leaves a different set of aromas in the bean.

3. Roasting — Our Diedrich applies a temperature curve that develops the aromas in the bean. Too light = acidic, grassy. Too dark = bitter, flat. Specialty = a profile where the origin notes are still recognizable.

What this means for you at home:

  • Check what's written on the package: origin, process, variety, tasting notes.
  • Coffee with floral-citrus notes is more suitable for V60 or fine filter (clarity).
  • Coffee with sweet-chocolate notes works well for AeroPress, French Press, or espresso.
  • There is no "best" universal method. There is the right method for the coffee you have.

Module 2 — Basic equipment

For any of the methods below, you need a minimum. Without it, the rest doesn't matter:

1. A grinder with adjustable grind settings. This is the most important investment. Coffee ground last week has lost 50% of its aroma. A good hand grinder (Comandante, 1Zpresso, Timemore) starts around 600 RON and lasts a lifetime. A blade grinder (rotary knife) does NOT count — inconsistent grind, significant loss of quality.

2. A 0.1g scale. Or, if necessary, 1g. Coffee is weighed, not measured with a spoon. A simple kitchen scale costs 80-150 RON.

3. A thermometer or a kettle with temperature setting. Boiling water (100°C) is NOT good for filter coffee. You want 90-95°C.

4. Good water. Bottled still water or properly filtered water. Direct tap water leads to bland coffee or coffee with chemicals.

Module 3 — Water, grind, ratio

Three variables you adjust at home. The rest are fixed (coffee, equipment).

Water

  • Temperature: 90-95°C for filter. Espresso between 92-94°C.
  • Mineralization: ideally between 50-150 ppm TDS. Aqua Carpatica water is too mineralized (~700 ppm). Dorna water is closer (~300). BWT or Brita filters filter to the appropriate level.
  • DO NOT use boiled demineralized water (distilled) — it does not extract correctly.

Grind

  • Finer = stronger, slower extraction. Risk: bitter, too concentrated.
  • Coarser = weaker, faster extraction. Risk: acidic, bland.
  • Typical starting point: V60 fine-medium | AeroPress medium | Chemex coarse | French Press very coarse | Cold Brew coarsest | Espresso very fine.

Ratio

How many kg of coffee to how many kg of water. Specialty convention:

  • Filter (V60, Chemex, AeroPress): 1:15 to 1:17 (e.g., 15g coffee : 250g water = ratio 1:16.7)
  • French Press: 1:14 to 1:17
  • Cold Brew: 1:8 to 1:12 (concentrate, diluted when serving)
  • Espresso: 1:2 (18g coffee → 36g coffee in cup)

Use the Incognito calculator for personalized recipes.

Module 4 — V60: the first step in pour-over

The V60 is the most widespread pour-over in specialty coffee. Learn V60 = learn the principles of pour-over.

Incognito Classic Recipe

For 1 cup (~250 ml): 15g freshly ground coffee (fine-medium), 250g water at 92°C, total time 3:00 minutes.

Steps

  1. Pre-infusion (bloom). Place the filter in the V60. Rinse it with hot water (removes paper taste + preheats the vessel). Discard the water from underneath.
  2. Add the coffee. Level it with a finger.
  3. Pour the first 30g of water, in a spiral from the center outwards. Time: 10 sec. Wait 30 sec — the coffee will "bloom."
  4. Pour up to 150g. Time: up to 1:15 minutes total. Circular spirals, without touching the filter with water.
  5. Pour up to 250g. Time: up to 2:00 minutes total.
  6. Let the water drain. The drip should finish around 3:00 minutes.

Module 5 — AeroPress: flexibility on the table

AeroPress is probably the most versatile filter device. Immersion + light pressure = quick control over extraction.

Classic Recipe (Invert Method)

For 1 cup (~220 ml): 15g ground coffee (medium, like white sugar), 220g water at 88°C, total time 2:00 min.

Steps

  1. Place AeroPress upside down (plunger down, chamber up).
  2. Add coffee to the chamber.
  3. Pour 60g of water quickly. Stir briefly with the paddle (10 times, gently).
  4. Wait 30 seconds (bloom + initial infusion).
  5. Pour the remaining 160g of water (up to 220g total).
  6. Let it infuse for another 1:00 minute. Total now: 1:30.
  7. Place the filter in the cap, screw the cap onto the chamber.
  8. Turn the AeroPress onto the cup/server. Wait for it to settle (5 sec).
  9. Press the plunger slowly, for 30 seconds. Stop before you hear "hiss."

Module 6 — Chemex: maximum clarity

Chemex has a thick filter (2-3 times thicker than V60). It retains more oils = coffee with a lighter body, cleaner aroma. Good for 2-4 cup quantities.

Recipe

For 2 cups (~500 ml): 30g coffee (coarse), 500g water at 93°C, total time 4:30 min.

Module 7 — French Press: correct immersion

French Press has a reputation for "muddy" coffee. This is because most people do it wrong. Done well, it's clean and full-bodied.

Recipe

For 1 large cup (~300 ml): 18g coffee (very coarse — like ground pepper), 300g water at 95°C, total time 4:00 min.

At exactly 4:00, press the plunger down slowly, to the base of the visible rim. DO NOT continue to the bottom — you'll leave the sediment down. Pour immediately into the cup.

Module 8 — Cold Brew: patience rewarded

Cold Brew is coffee made cold, 12-18 hours. Concentrate (diluted when serving). Low acidity, very high natural sweetness.

Recipe

For 1 liter concentrate: 80g coffee (coarsest grind), 1,000g water at room temperature, infusion time 18 hours.

Module 9 — Moka Pot: the rediscovered classic

Moka Pot (Bialetti, etc.) produces coffee under low pressure (~2 bar) — it's not espresso (9 bar), but it's more concentrated than filter coffee.

Recipe

For 1 coffee (~100 ml): 15g coffee (fine-medium), 100g water, medium heat on stovetop.

Module 10 — Home Espresso (basics)

Home espresso is a world apart. Here we only provide the fundamentals.

Standard Recipe

  • 18g very finely ground coffee (powder, but not dust)
  • 36g coffee in cup
  • 25-30 seconds extraction
  • 9 bar pressure, 92-94°C temperature

Module 11 — Quick home cupping

Cupping = the standard method for tasting coffee. We do it daily at the roastery. At home, you can do it in 10 minutes, without special equipment.

  1. Grind 8g of coffee coarsely (like French Press).
  2. Place it in an empty cup (~180ml capacity).
  3. Smell the dry grounds. Note the primary aromas.
  4. Pour 150g of water at 95°C over the ground coffee.
  5. Wait 4:00 minutes. A "crust" will form on top.
  6. Break the crust with a spoon. Smell the steam that rises.
  7. Let it cool for 2-3 minutes.
  8. Taste with the spoon. Slurp strongly.

Module 12 — Cleaning & maintenance

Dirty equipment leads to dirty coffee.

Daily

  • V60, Chemex, AeroPress: rinse with hot water immediately after use.
  • French Press: disassemble the screen, wash everything. DO NOT leave coffee overnight.
    • Espresso Machine: purge the group head after each shot.
  • Grinder: empty the chamber of remaining beans.

Bonus — Equipment Recommendations

This list is not sponsored — these are products we have used or seen working for our customers.

Manual Grinders

  • Comandante C40 (~1,500 RON) — industry reference, durable
  • 1Zpresso K-Max or JX-Pro (~1,000-1,300 RON) — more accessible alternative
  • Timemore C2 (~500 RON) — entry-level, good quality

Gooseneck Kettles

  • Brewista Smart Pour 2 (~600 RON)
  • Stagg EKG (~1,000 RON)
  • Hario Buono (~250 RON) — entry-level

Physical Course — Let Me Know

If you've read this far, you're serious enough to go further. What comes next:

  • Home Barista physical course at Incognito roastery — 6 hours, small group, everyone hands-on with all the methods above. Coffee included, a more relaxed atmosphere than text can describe.

There's no fixed schedule yet. We organize the physical course when we have 6 people who want it — that way we ensure we don't waste anyone's time.

Write to us at [email protected] with "Home Barista" in the subject.

The course was written by the Incognito Coffee team, at the roastery on Str. Institutul Medico-Militar 22, Sector 1, Bucharest. The freshly roasted coffee we use as an example in this course: you can find it at /collections/all.