How to make barista-quality coffee without leaving your house

A good cup of coffee doesn’t have to come from a machine or a cafe. In fact, you won’t believe how easy it is to elevate your morning cuppa from the comfort of your own home.

Holly Gerrard

2 min read

February 27, 2024 - 5:00AM

My morning coffee just got an upgrade.

As a self-proclaimed coffee snob, the transition from my parents’ high-end coffee machine to the world of instant coffee that defined my early adulthood was a difficult one. Fortunately, this helped me come up with some of the best ways to make coffee at home. I’ll let you know what my favourite appliances to use ground coffee with are, and, as far as instant coffee goes, I’ve got all the hacks to turn an underwhelming cup of joe into a beverage that will brighten your morning.

Frothing your milk aerates it and adds a creamy, foamy taste and feel to your coffee.

Why make coffee at home?

Well, even though we all love our pre-work coffee runs, we don’t love paying anywhere from $5-$10 (yep, I’ve paid that much before but, admittedly, I have an excessive coffee order). So, when money is a bit tight, making coffee at home is an appealing option. So many of us are turned off from the idea because of the bad reputation that instant coffee has, but a couple of cheap appliances and some great hacks will keep your wallet and your tastebuds happy.

My two favourite ways to make coffee are using a French press or a stovetop espresso maker (also called a Moka pot). I rate them so highly because they’re so simple to use and they’re fairly cheap as well. Moka pots are slightly more expensive but a cheap one is equivalent to about 5 pricey cafe coffees! Investing in one of these appliances is perfect for espresso drinkers – just make sure you get good quality ground coffee and pay attention to which type works best with each appliance! (Hint: coarsely ground coffee is best for the French press while finely ground coffee should be used in the stovetop espresso pot).

Two good ways to make coffee are using a French press or a stovetop espresso maker (also called a Moka pot).

How do I make instant coffee taste good?

For those who enjoy their coffee with milk (sorry espresso elitists!), a great appliance to have on hand is a hand-held milk frother. Frothing your milk aerates it and adds a creamy, foamy taste and feel to your coffee.

Another easy addition to your morning coffee is adding flavoured syrups. A pump of syrup in your instant coffee adds a delicious sweetness. What’s more, for all those sweet tooths, I’ve found that adding Lindt balls to my brew creates a mouthwatering coffee (it’s not something I enjoy every day, even though I want to). If you want to try those out, we have three recipes to choose from: a Lindt ball hazelnut espresso, a Lindt ball white chocolate latte, and a Lindt ball salted caramel cappuccino.

When money is a bit tight, making coffee at home is an appealing option.

The best coffee machines

If you’re feeling ready to invest in a new coffee pod machine or want to upgrade an old one, our experts have done all the research for you. Discover our round-up of the best coffee pod machines in Australia here, looking at value for money, best features and more.