Be Your Own Barista: The Secret To Making Quality Craft Coffee Slideshow

Ready to give home craft coffee brewing a shot? Channel your inner barista and get brewing. 

Once the farmers and roasters have done their thing, and you have brought their finished product home, it is time to start working on yours. Are you using the right brew method for your beans? And about those beans... did you know that you should really be grinding them yourself? Choose a grinder that takes the guesswork out of it for you. KitchenAid's new Burr Grinder offers 15 selectable grinds for a wide variety of coffee beverages. Two precision, flat-cutting burrs grind beans to superb consistency every time. 

Pour-over coffee is taking over the craft coffee scene one filter at a time. Unsure about how steady your pouring hand actually is, but want to give this artful method a try? Automated pour-over technology in the Pour Over Coffee Brewer by KitchenAid does the work for you. The machine precisely heats and pulses the flow of water, so grounds are allowed to bloom, revealing a clean, full, bright-flavored coffee that isn't over-soaked or diluted. Plus, you can select medium or dark roast to match your favorite flavor profile. 

The sleek design of the Precision Press Coffee Brewer from KitchenAid is perfect for the minimalist coffee lover. Stainless-steel construction and an integrated scale and timer make it easy to measure the coffee-to-water ratio within the carafe. The timer steeps to perfection and the stainless-steel carafe keeps coffee at the right temperature. There is no guesswork involved.  

If you like a good show in the morning, the Siphon Coffee Brewer by KitchenAid is for you. It delivers the theatrical beauty and precision of traditional full immersion vacuum brewing, but is super simple to use. You can actually watch the entire brew process as the grinds (nestled in a bulb like chamber at the top) become fully immersed. Next, a vacuum pulls the finished coffee through the filter into the awaiting bottom carafe. 

Can't shake the shakes unless you have your espresso fix? Choose a machine that provides precise temperature monitoring and water distribution. The result will be a short coffee finished with a rich crema. The Pro Line Series Espresso Maker from KitchenAid has dual independent boilers to easily switch from brewing to frothing so you can create lattes and cappuccinos easily. Did you know the barista at that chain coffee shop isn't actually doing anything except pushing a button? Yup, those machines are considered pseudo-espresso machines because they actually steam the milk to the proper temperature without any consideration for customer request or taste.

Ditch the paper cup. If you are committing to a good cup of coffee and have gone the distance by sourcing beans, grinding them properly, and brewing them in a quality craft coffee brewer, don't finish off with paper. Consider the whole coffee equation and use a cup made of ceramic that will retain heat without compromising flavor like some stainless-steel, paper, Styrofoam, and plastic cups do.