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Coffee & Drinks tips

37 free skill tips with unique step photos — plus long-form guides with FAQ and trusted sources. Every tip links to a full photographed course.

Coffee & Drinks tips

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 1/5

Weigh 18 grams in

Weigh 18 grams in — step 1 of 5 in Espresso at Home. Grind 18 g of beans into a dry, wiped basket. Level with a finger. If the pile looks fluffy and uneven, stir with a needle or toothpick…

From course: Espresso at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 2/5

Tamp like a table

Tamp like a table — step 2 of 5 in Espresso at Home. Press straight down until the puck is level and firm — about 15 kg of pressure is plenty. Don't corkscrew.

From course: Espresso at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 3/5

36 grams out in 25–30 seconds

36 grams out in 25–30 seconds — step 3 of 5 in Espresso at Home. Start the pump. Put the scale under the cup. Stop around 36 g liquid. If it gushes in 15 seconds, grind finer next time.

From course: Espresso at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 4/5

Sour, bitter, or sweet

Sour, bitter, or sweet — step 4 of 5 in Espresso at Home. Sour and thin: finer grind. Bitter and drying: coarser. Sweet with a bit of acidity is the win. Write grind setting and time in a note.

From course: Espresso at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 5/5

Straight or with milk

Straight or with milk — step 5 of 5 in Espresso at Home. Drink the shot within a minute. For a small latte, steam milk to ~60–65°C, glossy paint, not foam volcano. Pour soon.

From course: Espresso at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 1/8

One double, one small pitcher

One double, one small pitcher — step 1 of 8 in Café Latte at Home. Target: 36 g espresso in the cup, then 150–180 ml milk. A 250–300 ml cup is the right size.

From course: Café Latte at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 2/8

Milk that will shine

Milk that will shine — step 2 of 8 in Café Latte at Home. Whole dairy is the training-wheels milk: fat makes it sweet and the foam holds.

From course: Café Latte at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 3/8

36 g out, then wait for milk — not the other way

36 g out, then wait for milk — not the other way — step 3 of 8 in Café Latte at Home. Dose 18 g, tamp, pull to ~36 g in 25–30 seconds into the serving cup. If the shot gushes or drips, fix grind tomorrow.

From course: Café Latte at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 4/8

Purge the wand, tip just under the surface

Purge the wand, tip just under the surface — step 4 of 8 in Café Latte at Home. Open the wand into the drip tray for a second so water spits out, not into the milk.

From course: Café Latte at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 5/8

Bury and spin to 55–65°C

Bury and spin to 55–65°C — step 5 of 8 in Café Latte at Home. After the milk has risen about 20–30%, plunge the tip deeper so it stops taking air and starts spinning.

From course: Café Latte at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 6/8

Tap, swirl, look for paint

Tap, swirl, look for paint — step 6 of 8 in Café Latte at Home. If you have a few big bubbles, tap the pitcher on the counter once and swirl.

From course: Café Latte at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 7/8

High to mix, close to finish

High to mix, close to finish — step 7 of 8 in Café Latte at Home. Tilt the cup. Pour from a few centimeters up so the milk dives under the crema and the drink becomes one color.

From course: Café Latte at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 8/8

Taste: sweet milk, espresso still there

Taste: sweet milk, espresso still there — step 8 of 8 in Café Latte at Home. It should taste like coffee and milk, not like hot foam. If it is sour, the shot was under-extracted.

From course: Café Latte at Home

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 1/4

60 ml rum, 30 ml lime, 20 ml syrup

60 ml rum, 30 ml lime, 20 ml syrup — step 1 of 4 in Three Classic Cocktails. Shake hard with ice 12 seconds until the tin frosts. Strain into a chilled coupe.

From course: Three Classic Cocktails

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 2/4

60 ml whiskey, 5 ml syrup, 2 dashes bitters

60 ml whiskey, 5 ml syrup, 2 dashes bitters — step 2 of 4 in Three Classic Cocktails. In a glass: syrup, bitters, whiskey, big ice. Stir 20–30 seconds. Express an orange peel over the top if you have one.

From course: Three Classic Cocktails

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 3/4

60 gin, 30 lemon, 20 syrup

60 gin, 30 lemon, 20 syrup — step 3 of 4 in Three Classic Cocktails. Same skeleton as the daiquiri. Shake with ice, strain. Egg white: dry shake first (no ice) then ice shake if you want foam.

From course: Three Classic Cocktails

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 4/4

Fresh ice, cold glass

Fresh ice, cold glass — step 4 of 4 in Three Classic Cocktails. Old ice tastes like the freezer. Chill the glass. Wipe the bottle necks. Water on the bar is how bottles get sticky. Wipe as you go.

From course: Three Classic Cocktails

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 1/4

Weigh 200 g ice under the cone

Weigh 200 g ice under the cone — step 1 of 4 in Japanese Iced Coffee. Rinse the paper into the sink, not onto the ice (you'll melt your recipe). Set server + ice on the scale, tare, cone on top.

From course: Japanese Iced Coffee

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 2/4

Bloom with 50 g hot water, 30–45 seconds

Bloom with 50 g hot water, 30–45 seconds — step 2 of 4 in Japanese Iced Coffee. Grind, dump in, tare. 50 g water, stir the bed. You have less total hot water so the bloom still needs to wet everything.

From course: Japanese Iced Coffee

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 3/4

To 180 g, then to 300 g by ~1:45

To 180 g, then to 300 g by ~1:45 — step 3 of 4 in Japanese Iced Coffee. Keep the bed wet. Total hot water 300 g. Let it drain onto the ice. If it stalls past 3:30, grind coarser next time.

From course: Japanese Iced Coffee

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 4/4

Stir, taste, add ice only if you melted too fast

Stir, taste, add ice only if you melted too fast — step 4 of 4 in Japanese Iced Coffee. If it's too strong, a splash of cold water. If it's watery, you had too much ice melt from a slow drawdown or you rinsed onto the ice.

From course: Japanese Iced Coffee

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 1/4

Rinse the filter

Rinse the filter — step 1 of 4 in Pour-Over Coffee. Put the paper in the cone. Pour hot water through it into the server, then dump that water.

From course: Pour-Over Coffee

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 2/4

60 g water on the grounds

60 g water on the grounds — step 2 of 4 in Pour-Over Coffee. Start timer. Pour 60 g water, just enough to wet all the grounds. Wait 45 seconds. The bed should rise and bubble if the coffee is fresh.

From course: Pour-Over Coffee

☕ Coffee & Drinks · Step 3/4

Two circles to the line

Two circles to the line — step 3 of 4 in Pour-Over Coffee. Pour to 300 g by 1:15, slow spirals, keep the bed wet. Then to 500 g by ~1:45. Let it draw down. Total time ~2:45–3:30 is a good window.

From course: Pour-Over Coffee