There's a big difference between a coffee lover and a coffee snob. As an ex-barista, I accept that I fall into the latter category. I've made my peace with it. But if you're more of an any-and-every-coffee drinker, then you don't need to listen to the coffee snobs of the world.
Forget dual boilers — Breville espresso machines are fine. Forget WDT tools — a fork or nothing is fine. Forget portafilter collars — just make a mess. Forget bean dosers — you have fingers. Forget auto tampers — your espresso machine came with one. You only need two coffee accessories.
You need a coffee grinder
Owning one of the best coffee grinders is the quickest route to barista-quality coffee. One of the most common beginner mistakes is using an incorrect grind size.
Different brewing methods require a different grind size. Espresso requires a fine grind, whereas cold brew demands a coarse grind. This can be difficult to visualize for beginners, but a finely ground coffee will resemble baker's sugar or superfine table salt. Coarsely ground coffee looks more like kosher salt (think Maldon).
If you've got an espresso machine, you'll need finely ground coffee. Most grocery store pre-ground coffee tends to be ground for French press or drip. As a result, I'd recommend buying whole beans and grinding them at home, or asking your local coffee shop to grind them for you.
If you use French press/drip ground coffee in your espresso machine, your espresso will taste bad. It will be too watery and weak. Espresso machines require pressure to create the fluffy, intense, rich flavor you associate with espresso drinks. If the coffee is too coarse, the water doesn't have as much resistance when passing over the grounds, and there is no pressure. During extraction, you want your espresso to look like honey.
If you want to grind your beans at home, I have a few recommendations.
You also need a coffee scale
Coffee scales are a must if you want high-quality coffee at home. Whether you're brewing espresso, pour-over, drip, whatever — you need one of the best coffee scales. Would you bake a cake without a scale? Would you fill up your gas tank without looking at how much you're filling? Would you take a photo without looking at the viewfinder?
You get the picture. If you want the best coffee possible, you need to know how much coffee and water you're using. When you start using a coffee scale, you'll notice a difference immediately. Coffee scales have timers to measure extraction time.
Each brewing method has a different ideal ratio, and then your personal preference will come into play. Espresso usually follows a 1:2 ratio — so 18g coffee for 36g espresso, for example — and pour-over hovers between 1:15/1:18. You can obviously adjust this ratio based on what you like.
If you want a weaker coffee, just up the amount of water. For a more intense flavor, use less water.
But how will you do this without a coffee scale? Well, it's a whole lotta guesswork, which means you'll get inconsistent results. I always recommend getting a coffee scale, and here are my favorites.
And that's it! You don't need anything else to make delicious coffee at home. If you grab the Maestri House Mini and the Breville Dose Control Pro, you're only spending $198, which is considerably cheap for this level of tech.
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