The Coffee Lab: What will get the Tamp of Approval?

Latest about The Coffee Lab

a photo of a latte with a the coffee lab badge on top

I'm an ex-barista but I'm not great at latte art — and this is my cheat code to perfect art every time

By Erin Bashford Published

For the eighth episode of The Coffee Lab, I teach you how to get perfect latte art every time, very little skill required.

Coffee Makers
ninja 12 cup coffee maker

I love my Moccamaster, but $370 is a lot for drip coffee — this Ninja brewer is the best alternative (and it's under $90!)

By Erin Bashford Published

For the seventh episode of The Coffee Lab, I'm turning my focus to the best budget coffee maker: the Ninja 12-Cup Brewer.

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Coffee Makers
the nespresso citiz & milk with the coffee lab logo in front

Nespresso gets a bad rap in the coffee world — but here's why I think it's perfect for some people (from a coffee snob)

By Erin Bashford Published

For the sixth episode of The Coffee Lab, I talk about why I used to be a Nespresso hater, and why I now admit I'm wrong.

Coffee Makers
the aeropress clear color in pink in use with the coffee lab logo

AeroPress is so much easier to use than you think — here's why it's my favorite manual coffee maker

By Erin Bashford Published

On the fifth episode of The Coffee Lab, I'm focusing on my favorite manual coffee maker: the AeroPress!

Coffee Makers
the technivorm moccamaster kgbv select in pink with the coffee lab logo

I've reviewed 44 coffee makers, but the Moccamaster is the only drip brewer I'd buy — here's why

By Erin Bashford Published

On the fourth episode of The Coffee Lab, I discuss why the Moccamaster is my favorite drip brewer.

Coffee Makers
the mazzer philos coffee grinder photographed on a blue tom's guide background with the coffee lab logo in the bottom left corner

Your espresso machine is the least important part of your coffee setup — here's why it's all about the grinder

By Erin Bashford Published

In the third episode of The Coffee Lab, I teach you why coffee grinders are so important and what will happen if you use a low-quality blade grinder.

Coffee Makers
a composite image of a breville bambino, comandante c40 mk4, and wacaco exagram pro

You don't have to spend $1k on espresso — my pro setup is under $650 (trust me, I'm an ex-barista)

By Erin Bashford Last updated

You don't need to spend $1k on a home coffee setup. My complete coffee station is $648, and I can make barista-quality coffee at home.

Coffee Makers
the breville bambino espresso machine on a blue tom's guide background with the coffee lab logo and the coffee lab tamp of approval sticker

You don’t need a $1,000 espresso machine: This $299 'budget' model makes barista-quality coffee at home

By Erin Bashford Published

For the first episode of The Coffee Lab, I review the Breville Bambino and share why it's the best cheap espresso machine on the market.

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Coffee Makers
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