Australian cafes make some of the best coffees in the world. As far as barista Craig Simon is concerned, at-home coffee can be made to the same standard – all you need is a quality machine and a few pro tips. For the best cup made in the comfort of your home, it starts with the beans.

“Australians have traditionally opted for the heavier flavours of a dark roast, which is perfect for the kind of milk coffee a lot of us have as part of our daily routine,” Simon says. “But over the past 20 years or so, we’ve also become interested in lighter roasts as we explore the rainbow of flavours unique to each country and varietal.” 

Once you’ve chosen your beans, you can find the perfect grind level to match, with a little bit of trial and error at the extraction stage. To get the best flavour each shot will be about 25-35mls, which should roughly half-fill an espresso cup, in roughly 20 to 30 seconds.

“If it’s pouring too quickly, adjust the grind finer, and if it’s pouring too slowly, adjust it coarser. And don’t forget – ultimately, flavour is going to help you decide,” says Simon. 

When it comes to steaming the milk, Simon says you’re aiming to increase the volume by gently adding fine bubbles. 

“It should look like pouring cream when you’ve finished, not foamy,” he says. “If you’d like to get fancy, and pour some latte art, first start with the spout of the jug about five centimetres above the crema layer and pour slowly. Bring the spout down as close as you can and the texture will float. Sometimes it’s even so close that it touches the crema layer. A great starting point is an apple or heart shape, and once you’ve mastered that you can move on to the more advanced patterns, like the tulip and the swan.”