As a nation, we've embraced coffee shop culture as a major part of our lives over the last few years. The extortionate costs of that daily macchiato on the commute, or the lunchtime latte soon add up however. The great news is that you don't have to stop one of life's little pleasure; simply become your own barista with the help of summitmedicalphysics! Not only will you save a small fortune, but you'll also be able to choose from over 100 varieties from around the globe, and experience freshly roasted coffee beans in either whole bean form to be ground at home, or pre-ground to your requirements.

We've put together this handy guide to help you brew your favourite coffee like a pro. By following a few simple tips and techniques, you can put those Starbrews and Costly Coffee baristas to shame!

General Tips for a Good Espresso Shot

• Firstly make sure your machine is up to the correct pressure of 1 bar and that the pump pressure is at 9 bar.
• Always leave the portafilter in the grouphead so that it is hot.
• Make sure all equipment is clean and that the grouphead is regularly backwashed with cleaner.
• Having the correct grind for your machine is absolutely critical. If the grind is wrong you will never make a great cup of coffee.
• If possible, always use freshly ground coffee.
• Make sure that you are using the correct weight of coffee for the size of portafilter you are using - approx. 7 gm for a single and 14 gm for a double (this can vary with different sized baskets).
• Always remember to tamp the coffee in the portafilter.
• Check that when you make an espresso it takes between 18-23 seconds to brew the shot. Then check that you have a good crema and that it is neither too pale or too dark in colour. A single shot of espresso is about 1 1/2 fluid ounces. If the coffee brews too quickly then the grind needs to be slightly finer, too slow and the grind is too fine. Adjust the grinder accordingly then brew another shot of espresso to check how it pours. Ultimately the flavour of the espresso is more important than having an exact brew time. If it looks right and tastes right then it is right!
• If you can make a good shot of espresso then you are half way to making a great cup of coffee.

Cappuccino

This is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 hot milk, 1/3 foam.

Having the correct amount of milk in the frothing jug is very important. Too much and it will spill over the top when frothing, too little and it will get too hot too fast and you will not be able to control what is happening to the milk. Use a good quality stainless steel jug which is smaller at the top than the bottom. only add enough milk to fill about 1/4 of the jug.

Froth the milk first and then make the shot of espresso. To froth the milk first purge any water from the steam arm. Tilt the jug at a 45 degree angle and then introduce the steam arm into the milk keeping the holes just under the surface of the milk, now open the steam arm so that the steam enters the milk. The milk will start to get hot and swirl around in the jug. As the milk rises up in the jug the jug should be lowered to ensure the holes of the steam arm are always only just under the surface of the milk. Keep one hand on the side of the jug whilst heating the milk to check how hot the milk is getting. Once you have at least doubled the volume of milk and the jug is too hot to keep your hand on it, move the end of the steam arm into the base of the jug and swirl the jug around a few times then turn off the steam. You should now have equal quantities of foam on top and hot milk underneath. Now brew your espresso shot(s) and carefully add hot milk and foam in the proportions previously mentioned to make the drink.

Chocolate sprinkles may be added if required. You can use a thermometer to measure the milk temperature if you like.

Latte

Use the same quantity of coffee as in a cappuccino but then add lots of hot milk and a little bit of foam. You start with the same amount of milk in the jug and tilt at 45 degrees but this time start with the holes of the steam arm at the bottom of the milk. Open the steam arm and keep the holes at the bottom of the milk until the jug is too hot to hold then at the last minute bring the holes to the surface of the milk to create some foam. With the holes at the bottom of, the milk you will not create any foam instead you will just be heating the milk.

Now make your shot of espresso and put into a tall latte glass, add the hot milk almost to the top of the glass then finish with a small layer of foam.

Americano

This is a black coffee usually made with a double shot of espresso and hot water. Always add the hot water to the cup first and then brew the espresso shots into the water, this way you will retain some of the crema from the espresso.

Macchiato

This is a shot of espresso "marked" with a small amount of foamed milk and served in an espresso cup.

Flat White

The same amount of milk in the jug as for Cappuccino and Latte but the frothing is different. The steam arm needs to be constantly moved from top to bottom whilst you are heating the milk, this will ensure that you get no separation between hot milk and foam instead you should end up with textured milk which has the pouring consistency of thick cream. This milk can then be added to the espresso shot(s).

We believe if you want to add sugar to your coffee then it should always be white sugar as brown sugar has too much "flavour" of its own. Milk should always be as cold as possible prior to frothing.

So what are you waiting for? Browse through our extensive range and begin your journey to becoming a brilliant barista!

British designer Tom Dixon has produced a copper coffee set that can only be described as stunning. Featuring a French press, espresso cups, milk pan, stovetop brewer and numerous other accessories on top of a beautifully constructed copper serving tray, this high end piece would be the jewel in any coffee connoisseur’s kitchen. 

say it will probably be in the ‘high quality gift’ range rather than being an all out extravagance. Check out Tom’s site for some beautiful lighting, furniture, gifts and accessories, and see more of this stunning coffee set at Fast Company.

When roasting coffee, there are a number of rules and recommendations to follow if you want to get the best flavours, aromas and colours from your beans.

You'll want to be sure that the roasting drum has been brought up to working temperature before you introduce the raw coffee. A good temperature to aim for is around 180°C; at this temperature the coffee will begin to roast straight away after being introduced to the drum, but has less chance of scorching. If the drum is too cold when you add the coffee then it will take too long to roast, which often results in a baked taste that should be avoided. If the drum is too hot then the outside of the beans will be scorched and won't cook evenly, leading to inferior flavours.

In order for the flavour within the coffee beans to be released, they have to be roasted to at least the 'first crack'. The first crack is the temperature threshold, normally around 200°C, that marks the beginning of light roasts in beans. The cracking and fracturing of the beans releases flavours and aromas, so if the coffee is roasted too lightly then the chemical reaction required to create these flavours will not have had enough time to take place. It's in this way that coffee roasting can be compared to microwave cooking; while the food may be "cooked" in a microwave, the true flavours haven't had time to be produced, just as beans that are roasted too quickly do not allow enough time for flavours to develop correctly.

Getting an even roast colour when using raw coffees can be tricky if they have very different moisture contents, partly because cracking occurs once the moisture has been evaporated, and therefore an uneven roast will be produced if the beans are cracking at different times during the roast. At Coffee-Direct we always slow the roasting process down slightly when we get near to the desired colour for a specific batch, which allows us to get an even roast colour across all of the beans.

It's essential that once the desired colour has been achieved the coffee is cooled down quickly to prevent over-roasting. Roasted beans can be cooled down rapidly with forced air, a process that reduces the risk of over-roasting and can be used to get an accurate colour and uniform flavours in the beans. When roasted beans aren't cooled down soon enough they also risking being baked, rather than roasted. Coffee beans that are baked lose their brightness and become flat in flavour and acidity, leading to inferior, insipid coffee.

Knowing what colour to roast a specific coffee to can be a difficult thing to gauge. A medium roast will give you the coffee's true origin flavour, but by roasting it longer you may create a more interesting and unique taste. This can only really be determined by trial and error, which is why we always sample roast to different colours and taste the results before deciding on the final roasting specification – a method that also allows us to experiment and discover great new roasts.

There are many different flavours and body types that can be created by experimenting with roasting times and colours. Light roasts are created shortly after the first crack in the roasting process and produce lighter bodied coffees that showcase the full origin characteristics of the bean, while medium roasts produce medium bodied coffees with some roasted flavours. The various degrees of roast and colours span a wide range of roast types, from the lighter Cinnamon and American roasts, to the dark, heavily roasted Viennese and French roasts that are created after the 'second crack' in the roasting process.

At Coffee-Direct we use a traditional gas fired drum roaster to roast our coffee beans, which utilises direct heat from the furnace onto the roasting drum. The coffee roasts in this drum, which constantly rotates to ensure even cooking and uniform colour, while also ensuring that blended batches get mixed thoroughly.

It's through these rules and methods that we're able to create uniformly roasted coffee beans, which are packed full of delicious flavours and rich, complex aromas, guaranteeing perfect coffees every time.