So, you read the headlines about becoming your own barista and clicked “buy now” on a new espresso machine. Congratulations! Welcome to the wonderful world of better coffee. [Editor’s note: That this coffee is “better” is Noah’s opinion.<\/em>]<\/p>\n I get why it took you this long to make the leap. The way espresso is often written about, it seems like you might need a double major in engineering and chemistry to pull a shot. But if you’ve been scared off by blogs discussing micron adjustments to stepless grinders and extraction measured on refractometers, try, for now, to forget you ever read them.<\/p>\n Making good espresso will take a little practice, but you don\u2019t need to lurk in 37-comments-deep threads in r\/espresso to do it. To distill the process to its basic elements: You (your machine, really) pushes water through ground coffee, and that water pulls flavors from the beans as it goes. To get started, you just need to make sure you\u2019re doing a few things to get your coffee ready for that process, like grinding, distributing, and tamping.<\/p>\n \u2713 An espresso machine (yes, I know this seems obvious) While it\u2019s possible<\/em> to produce a cappuccino without everything on this list, what I can tell you, as someone who has gradually acquired all the items here, is they all contribute to making the process easier, cleaner, and more consistent.<\/p>\n Duh.<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t chosen your espresso machine yet, there can be a lot to consider\u2014how much you\u2019re willing to spend, how manual (or not) you want the process to be, how much space you have to store it. You can read about all of that in our in-depth espresso machine review.<\/p>\n But if you just want to be told “get this one,” I have an answer. Breville\u2019s Bambino Plus has been the entry-level, my-first-espresso-maker option I’ve recommended for years. It\u2019s simple to use, fits comfortably in any kitchen, comes with a relatively low price tag (there are espresso machines that cost as much as a used car!), and importantly, can brew good coffee.<\/p>\n Trade Coffee Subscription<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The single most important ingredient in any coffee drink is the coffee itself. You don\u2019t need special espresso beans (there’s really no such thing; \u201cespresso roast\u201d is really just a darker roast, and plenty of people, myself included, like lighter roasts that work just as well with other brewing types), but you do need fresh coffee. Without it, espresso shots will always taste subpar.<\/p>\n A coffee subscription like this one from Trade will help you figure out what kind of coffee you like\u2014what kind of roast, what country of origin\u2014and keep a steady supply appearing at your doorstep.<\/p>\n If you want to explore the wide world of coffee subscriptions more thoroughly we\u2019ve tried most of them and you can read our takes here.<\/p>\n Fellow Opus Conical Burr Grinder<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019ve been using pre-ground coffee or brewing exclusively drip with an inexpensive machine, it\u2019s quite possible you don\u2019t have a coffee grinder capable of grinding finely or precisely enough for espresso.<\/p>\n If those of you brand new to espresso, I’ll explain: A very fine grind is what gives espresso its concentrated flavor and aroma. When there are more, tinier grounds of coffee in the brew basket, there’s more coffee surface area for the water to hit\u2014and extract flavor compounds from\u2014as it runs through. With a coarser grind, the water flows more quickly and won\u2019t pull as much flavor out from the beans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nYour espresso starter kit<\/h2>\n
\u2713 Good coffee beans
\u2713 An espresso-capable grinder
\u2713 An accurate coffee scale
\u2713 A better tamper than whatever your machine came with
\u2713 A distribution tool
\u2713 A silicone mat (for cleanliness!)
\u2713 A knockbox<\/p>\nAn espresso machine<\/h2>\n
![\"Breville](\"https:\/\/assets.bonappetit.com\/photos\/692100aac738ae9f3442fedc\/3:4\/w_748%2Cc_limit\/Breville%2520Bambino%2520Plus.png\"\/)
<\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nGood, fresh coffee beans<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.bonappetit.com\/photos\/61f43af8e4c1e4bf7ae16047\/3:4\/w_748%2Cc_limit\/20220112%2520HR%2520Trade%2520Coffee%2520PD%2520BTTN.jpg\"\/)
<\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nA good, espresso-compatible coffee grinder<\/h2>\n
![\"Fellow](\"https:\/\/assets.bonappetit.com\/photos\/68274adfb886447832479eb9\/3:4\/w_748%2Cc_limit\/fellow%2520opus%2520coffee%2520grinder%2520on%2520white.jpg\"\/)
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