There’s nothing better than starting your day with a perfectly made coffee — rich espresso, silky milk, and that café-quality taste you usually only find at your favourite coffee shop.

The good news? With a few simple techniques and a little practice, you can create barista-style coffee at home that tastes just as good as the cafés you love.

The foundation of every great coffee is a well-extracted espresso. If you want true café-style coffee from your machine, using a double basket is essential.

At Bun Coffee, we recommend this simple café recipe:

• 16 grams of coffee
• 25–30 second extraction time
• 32 grams of espresso output
• A classic 2:1 brew ratio

1. Insert your portafilter into the grinder and grind 16 grams of fresh coffee.
2. Distribute the coffee evenly in the basket.
3. Tamp firmly — but don’t overdo it.
4. Lock the portafilter into the group head.
5. Start your shot and watch the extraction.

If your espresso pours too quickly, your grind may be too coarse. If it drips too slowly, the grind may be too fine. Once dialled in correctly, you’ll have the perfect base for a flat white, cappuccino, latte, or a beautiful straight espresso.

Milk texturing is often the biggest challenge for home baristas — but it’s also what transforms a good coffee into a great one.

Professional baristas make hundreds of coffees every day, so don’t worry if it takes some practice. The payoff is absolutely worth it.

Using a Breville machine or similar home espresso machine:

1. Turn on the steam wand and allow it to build pressure.
2. Fill your milk jug to just below the spout.
3. Position the steam tip just below the surface of the milk.
4. Angle the jug slightly to create a gentle whirlpool effect.

As the milk begins to warm:

• Keep the milk spinning smoothly
• Lower the steam wand slightly deeper into the milk
• Stop introducing air once the milk reaches roughly body temperature

At this point, you’re simply texturing the milk to create smooth, glossy microfoam.

Ideal Milk Temperature

For perfectly textured milk, aim for:

• 55°C to 60°C

This temperature creates milk that is sweet, silky, and ideal for pouring latte art.

Making café-quality coffee at home is part technique, part consistency, and part patience. With the right coffee beans, proper espresso extraction, and well-textured milk, you’ll be surprised how quickly your home coffees start tasting like they came from your favourite café.

And once you master the basics? You might even start pouring your own latte art.

At Bun Coffee, we believe great coffee should be enjoyed everywhere — including your own kitchen.

So grab your favourite beans, fire up your machine, and start brewing.