10 Things You’re Doing That Annoy Baristas

If you’re part of the growing group of people trying to cut down on food and beverage costs — daily coffee shop runs included — we see you. These days, investing in the right coffee tools is a smart upfront cost that will save you a decent chunk of change in the long run, especially with coffee prices recently hitting a record high. 

But if you’ve ever tried to recreate your go-to coffee order at home and noticed that it just wasn’t as good, you’re not alone. Without proper barista training, it can be hard to nail down all the right techniques to create expert-level beverages at home. (Even I, a former barista, can find myself struggling to get the best results.)

So, we consulted longtime baristas and coffee experts about their 10 top coffee-making pet peeves. They also shared the best coffee gear they recommend for fixing these common mistakes, including a Baratza coffee grinder, Fellow’s airtight electric coffee canister, and more tools for the perfect brew. 

Barista-Recommended Tools for Fixing Bad Coffee Habits

• Escali Arti Food Scale, $28, originally $37
• Baratza Encore Burr Coffee Grinder, $150
• Fellow Atmos Electric Vacuum Canister, $75, originally $85
• KT Thermo Instant Read 2-Inch Dial Thermometer, $10, originally $11
• Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 2, $86, originally $130
• Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle, $70
• Bodum Bistro Barista Electric Milk Frother, $60, originally $83
• IcePure Carbon Sediment Water Filter Cartridges, $27, originally $32
• Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder, $17
• Likarva Stainless Steel Coffee Tamper, $117

Winging Your Coffee Measurements

Escali Arti Food Scale

Laila Ghambari has been working in specialty coffee for 20 years, and, by far, the biggest mistake she notices people make is not correctly measuring their coffee before brewing. 

“Using a recipe is important for [both] wanting a specific quantity of brewed coffee and a specific strength of flavor,” explains Ghambari. “Using 1 part coffee to between 15 and 17 parts water is a good range.”

But using a scoop (or eyeballing) won't cut it here. To get the best results, precision is key. That’s where a food scale comes in; like baking, measuring by weight is much more accurate than volume. “By using a scale,” Ghambari says, “you can guarantee your recipe will be spot on each time, resulting in a consistent brew, just the way you like it.”

The sleek Escali Arti is recommended by Heather Perry, 2-time U.S. Barista Champion and CEO of Klatch Coffee, for its proven precision and intuitive control panel. 

Ignoring the Importance of Grind Quality

Baratza Encore Burr Coffee Grinder

It’s tempting to grab a bag of pre-ground coffee from the grocery store for the quickest and most convenient brewing experience. But if you’re noticing that your home brews don’t have the same flavor profile as coffee shops, this could be why. Coffee beans are sensitive to oxidation. Once they’re ground, the aromatic oils start to degrade, resulting in a much less flavorful cup. 

But cheap blade grinders aren’t necessarily the answer here, according to Dave Lanning, owner of Dave’s Coffee. “Blade grinders don't grind your beans. They chop them into uneven pieces, resulting in inconsistent over- and under-extraction,” Lanning explains. “This creates a cup of bitter and weak coffee, making it impossible to fully appreciate the flavors.”

Instead, he recommends investing in a burr grinder, like the barista-approved Baratza Encore, which is designed to deliver a more uniform grind size throughout the batch for a better-tasting cup. Not ready to invest in a burr grinder quite yet? Lanning has another suggestion. “Have the coffee [beans] ground at your local coffee shop, and immediately store them in an airtight container when you get home.” (More on this next.)

Storing Your Coffee in the Bag It Comes In

Fellow Atmos Electric Vacuum Canister

Whether you’re storing freshly ground or whole beans, where you store them matters. This is, again, because coffee is sensitive to environmental factors like oxidation and light, which can impact its flavor over time. 

“Storing coffee beans in their original bag after opening can lead to stale, flavorless coffee,” says Lanning. “Once exposed to oxygen, the clock starts ticking — beans begin to lose their freshness, and the quality of your brew will noticeably decline over time.”

Baristas and coffee roasters alike say it’s well worth investing in an airtight, vacuum-sealed coffee canister like the newest Fellow Atmos, an electric upgrade to the best one our editors have tested. It’s made of durable stainless steel and features an electric button that vacuum seals the canister after closing, electrically pumping out the air and keeping it out for up to a week — no need to manually reseal every few days (like with the previous model).

Under-Frothing or Burning Milk

KT Thermo Instant Read 2-Inch Dial Thermometer

Most baristas you’ll find behind the counter have a breadth of coffee gadgets at their fingertips, and that typically includes stainless steel pitchers with milk thermometers inside. That’s because milk needs to be frothed at a specific temperature to achieve the best results.

“Frothing milk can be a challenge — it really is all about technique and practice,” Kat McCarthy, a Professional Level Barista at Lavazza, explains. When using a steam wand, she advises adjusting your milk jug until you achieve a vortex or whirlpool, and then heating it until it reaches between 140°F and 160°F. 

“Just be careful not to go any hotter, or you’ll end up scalding the milk and the taste will suffer,” she warns. “A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t touch the side of your steaming pitcher with your palm, then it’s too hot!” (An easier way to know you’re at the right temp? A good milk thermometer like the KT Thermo, which offers a wide, easy-to-read dial and a built-in clip for convenient pitcher attachment.)

Microwaving Coffee to Warm It Up

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug

We’ve all been guilty of this one at some point: You took too long to finish your coffee and it got cold, so you popped it in the microwave for around 30 seconds. It may seem harmless, but according to Lanning, this can actually alter the coffee’s composition. 

“Even the best cup loses its complexity and becomes flat or bitter after microwaving,” Lanning explains. “The rapid heating process essentially destroys the nuanced characteristics that make coffee delicious.”

Instead, he recommends storing your hot coffee in a temperature-controlled mug or tumbler, like the Ember, to keep it hot for hours. Our editors love this gadget for its ability to keep coffee warm for hours, thanks to its built-in sensors that automatically regulate temperatures for the best sipping experience. “It's a simple way to ensure your coffee remains at its best, even if you can't finish it right away,” he says.

Using a Stovetop Tea Kettle for Pour-Over

Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle

Pour-over coffee is a popular at-home method because it requires minimal equipment to achieve some of the most fragrant and delicious coffee. If you really want to master this technique, though, investing in the right tools is important. 

According to McCarthy, smooth pouring and temperature control are the keys to excellent pour-over coffee — two things that are hard to achieve with a regular stovetop kettle. An electric gooseneck kettle, like this model from Cosori, allows you to select a precise temperature and achieve a consistent pour when saturating grounds.

If that seems like too much of an investment, McCarthy says even a stovetop gooseneck kettle is a step in the right direction. “Certainly the temperature would be harder to moderate, but the control you’ll have over the pour of your water will be vastly improved over a standard kettle spout,” she explains.

Flat, Froth-Free Milk

Bodum Bistro Barista Electric Milk Frother with Automatic Temperature Control

If you don’t have access to a fancy espresso machine with a built-in steam wand — or you haven’t quite gotten the hang of manual frothing techniques — that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with lifeless lattes. There are other ways to achieve warm and frothy milk at home. 

“Investing in an automatic milk frother is good for beginners because it takes the guesswork out and simplifies the process of frothing milk,” says Shonali Paul, founder of Paul John Indian Caffeine Company. 

She recognizes that achieving barista-grade foam can be a challenge. That’s why she recommends automatic milk frothers like one of our favorites, the Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother, a valuable hands-off tool that properly aerates milk, creates microfoam, and heats it to the appropriate temperature. In our tests, it produced “some of the best foam,” both hot and cold. It’s made from stainless steel and has a dishwasher-safe pitcher, so you don’t have to worry about cleaning issues.

Using Low-Quality Water

IcePure Carbon Sediment Water Filter Cartridges, Set of 4

A good cup of coffee starts at the very beginning of the brewing process when you’re pouring water into the machine or kettle. It’s common to just rely on the tap here, but Perry says that could heavily lessen the quality of your coffee.

“Serious cafés make big investments in water filtration and treatment so that their water is consistently high quality,” Perry says. “Coffee is, after all, almost entirely water!” 

If you’re not sure about the quality of water coming from your tap, consider investing in a carbon filter. Compared to run-of-the-mill water filter pitchers, carbon filters are more effective at removing a wider range of contaminants — particularly those that can impact water flavor.

Plus, Perry recommends trying out Third Wave Water; when added to a gallon of distilled water, these mineral packets treat the water to reach strict standards set by the Specialty Coffee Association. “It’s an easy way to know that you’re beginning with the very best water available for your coffee right from the start,” she says. 

Not Cleaning Your Coffee and Espresso Machines

Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder

It’s easy to forget about routine cleaning for your coffee or espresso machines, especially because the descaling process can be time-consuming. But Perry emphasizes the importance of regular cleaning when it comes to the impact on your coffee.

“We don’t want a buildup of scale, coffee oils — or worse, contaminants like mold — to affect flavor or aroma,” Perry says. “Cafiza powder is a popular commercial product compatible with some machines, while a 50:50 solution of vinegar and water can work in others.” She advises that you reference the equipment manual when deciding how often to descale and what solution to use.

Perry also warns you to ensure you don’t forget about accessories beyond the machine — like portafilters and grinders — when deep cleaning. Always thoroughly flush the machine with plain water before brewing coffee after descaling.

Manually Tamping Espresso Portafilters

Likarva Stainless Steel Coffee Tamper

If you already have a stocked espresso corner with all of the elite gadgets, this tool will really take you to pro status.

Perry explains that while manually tamping espresso with a handheld tamper is a useful skill to learn, it can result in long-term issues and inconsistent results. “Manually tamping can lead to repetitive stress injuries over time. For this reason, high-volume cafés often invest in automatic machines that tamp to the perfect pressure, without the manual work,” Perry says. “There’s also another big benefit: The puck is consistently high quality, auto-leveled, and without channels, making it easier to get great espresso.”

This Likarva tamper looks identical to what we had in stock during my barista days. It requires a simple push of the lever to yield consistently even pucks, resulting in reliably high-quality espresso. Plus, it has an attractive stainless steel design that will add a professional look to your coffee corner.