When you go into a café or coffee shop and order your coffee, you watch as the barista smoothly moves around the bar, puts the portafilter under the grinder, and grinds directly into it - often while doing a couple of other things at the same time. Consequently, it’s only natural that when you make an espresso at home, you want to replicate the same technique. Only… it’s probably not helping you get the best out of your coffee.

Choosing your coffee grinder is one of the main stepping stones to building the perfect home coffee bar. More than getting an espresso machine or discovering beans you love, it’s when you move to using a top-quality grinder that you really feel you’re there.

There’s a taste for every type of coffee drinker - and a lot of what influences that taste comes from the coffee roaster. What makes a good roaster, and who are some of the roasters we recommend? Let's explore how coffee roasting defines our final cup.