Coffee simply tastes better at a cafe – and if you have found yourself using this sentiment to justify dropping $10 on a latte each morning, you are not alone.
It does not have to be this way. To help you upgrade your at-home coffee game, we interviewed baristas, tested 10 milk frothers, tried every model of the AeroPress coffee maker and conducted our own blind taste test pitting instant against drip.
Here are six of our favorite upgrades.
Bialetti Moka Express Italian Stovetop Espresso Maker
Bialetti
Moka Express Espresso Maker (six cup)
from $41.52
Illy Instant Coffee
Illy
Intenso instant coffee
from $12.99
Coffee snobs, you might want to sit down for this.
Instant blends are not as bad as you have made them out to be. In fact, this unassuming packet of instant coffee beat out every bag of drip that we tried in our taste test in partnership with the Drexel Food Lab.
Whether you are looking for something better than the watery sludge served on most flights or want a convenient option for early morning wake-ups, Illy’s instant coffee isn’t the crime against coffee that you may think.
Read the story: Instant coffee v drip: our blind taste test may unravel your assumptions
Illy
Intenso instant coffee
from $12.99
Aeropress Clear and Clear Colors
Aeropress
Clear and Colors 3-in-1 Coffee Press
from $49.95
Travel frequently? Ditch the hotel coffee for the strong cup you can make in an Aeropress.
It is “easy to use, easy to clean and the coffee it makes is the perfect middle ground between drip’s reliability and French press richness”, writes our resident coffee expert, Joe Ray.
After testing all of AeroPress’ models, he deemed Clear and Colors as the very best. Ray has used his for years, enjoying the aesthetic upgrade from the original that he likens to the “grayed-over eyes of a dead fish”.
Read the story: Is an AeroPress coffee maker worth it? I tested every model – here’s the good and surprisingly bad
Aeropress
Clear and Colors 3-in-1 Coffee Press
from $49.95
Counter Culture Coffee Beans
Counter Culture
Coffee Beans
$35
Instead of upgrading your coffee maker, try leveling up your beans. Put down the Maxwell House and Folgers, and try a specialty coffee brand for a brew with notes far more complex than “coffee” and “burnt”.
Recently, I tried Counter Culture, an independent coffee brand, sharing the limited edition and year-round options that have kept me energized for the past few months. You can purchase them per bag, or opt for a subscription, which sends two bags of beans to your home for under $40.
Read the story: I tried 11 coffees from Counter Culture, the accessible small-batch roaster converting coffee slobs to snobs
Counter Culture
Coffee Beans
$35
Coffee water mineral packs
Coffee Water
Mineral Packs
$19.95
Does your drip coffee maker produce watery coffee that sends you straight to a mobile order on your Starbucks app every morning? Your water may be to blame.
In our guide to brewing better drip, Morgan Eckroth, a former US Barista champion, emphasized the importance of water quality, which she says “plays a huge part in coffee flavor”. For an upgrade, she suggests using remineralized water to improve your coffee’s taste.
Read the story: Four ways to brew better drip coffee
Coffee Water
Mineral Packs
$19.95
Burr Coffee Grinder
KINGrinder
K6 Manual coffee Grinder
$109
Another expert recommendation for leveling up your drip coffee? Freshly grinding your beans. According to head barista of % Arabica USA, Emma Carrero, this extra step “preserves aroma and flavor much better than pre-ground coffee”.
Ekcroth, a former US Barista champion, agrees, recommending a stainless steel burr grinder. Our Filter UK colleagues recommend this one, which they note is particularly great for travel or smaller portions.
KINGrinder
K6 Manual coffee Grinder
$109
Nespresso
Aeroccino 4
from $119
Bonus:
Owala Stainless Steel SmoothSip Coffee Mug
Owala
Stainless Steel SmoothSip Coffee Mug (20 oz)
from $29.97
Other pieces you might enjoy from the Filter, the Guardian’s guide to buying fewer, better things:
