To home brew or not to home brew
Coffee lovers and professionals weigh in on home coffee bar culture
Are you drinking drip coffee? Is a single shot of espresso more your taste? Maybe a macchiato? Are you home or soaking up some caffeine at your favourite café? No, wait. You’re idling in a drive-thru at Tim Hortons or Starbucks, perhaps? No matter where and how, Canadians drink a lot of coffee.
The Coffee Association of Canada (CAC) reveals that in July 2023, 71 percent of Canadians drank a coffee every day while 67 percent drank tap water. On average, Canadians spend $35.21 per month on coffee and drink 2.7 cups of it a day. Despite Tim Hortons and Starbucks being the most numerous coffee shops across Canada, seven out of 10 coffees are consumed at home.
It’s no wonder home coffee bar culture is on the rise.
A Google search for “home coffee bar” could suck you into a caffeinated click hole. Hundreds of Pinterest photos, a truckload of Amazon products, and an endless scroll of headlines like “20 Coffee Bar Ideas to Get You Buzzing” and “35 Coffee Bar Ideas to Streamline Your Morning Routine” offer myriad ways to design your ideal coffee bar.
Personal taste, budget, and available space are three key factors. Some people stick with a classic multi-cup drip machine, some spring for a single-serve brewer and coffee pods, and others invest in espresso machines and specialty coffee beans with different origins, roast levels, and flavour profiles. Of course, espresso machines and French presses demand a coffee grinder.
Then there’s the list of accessories — a tamper, knock box, milk frother for latté and cappuccino lovers, and a scale for precision brewing.
If you’re a novice planning to up your home coffee bar game, it might be wise to speak with professionals who can help you craft a functional and cozy space to enjoy the perfect cup of home coffee bar brew.
FOR THE LOVE OF IT
Charlotte Rice is a St. John’sbased barista who worked at Jumping Bean, Rocket Bakery, and more recently at Levain Bakery on Harvey Road. Her love of coffee began at a young age while aiming to emulate her father, who was and is a heavy coffee drinker.
“Then I discovered specialty coffee, and it was a game changer,” Rice said. “Once I got my first barista job and started learning more about the whole process — different beans and their origins and roasts and all the techniques for steaming milk — I’ve been hooked ever since.”
A chance encounter with a Paderno espresso machine on sale at Canadian Tire a few years ago was also a game changer.
“Me and my partner drink a lot of coffee, so having our own espresso machine saves us a lot of money and time by being able to make our beverages of choice at home,” Rice said. “I don’t have a lot of counter space, so some things like my Moka pot and pour over are tucked away.
“I’d like to expand and get a better grinder. The one I have is pretty good, but you get a more consistent grind with burr grinders, which is important for espresso, and that’s what I drink the most.”
Rice urges people to do their research and only invest in what’s necessary.
“If you don’t drink lattés or cappuccinos, don’t splurge on a huge machine,” Rice said. “If you only drink drip coffee or French presses, a burr grinder isn’t an absolute necessity. Most importantly, take the time to clean your machines and grinders regularly and properly so they last longer and you get the best drink every time.
“Don’t ignore your local coffee shops. Being a home barista can be a great way to save money, but your favourite baristas can be a great resource, and most are more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Plus, it’s important to treat yourself every now and then!”
LIVING ON COFFEE
Robert Salsman is a former IT professional who lived on coffee during nights and weekends. His appreciation for coffee began to grow when he decided to open The Battery Café in St. John’s, a small business Salsman says is best known for its coffee.
“We’ve been fortunate to maintain a relationship with Detour Coffee Roasters in Hamilton, Ontario, who source their beans from families and small farms around the world and have been reliably consistent for us since we first opened in 2016,” Salsman said. “This is my first venture as an entrepreneur and learning about coffee has also been learning about business for me.”
Although Salsman has a crew of top-notch baristas to brew him a perfect cup of coffee, he also enjoys his home coffee bar.
“Every morning, I grind the latest Detour beans in my Baratza grinder to make a French press, which gets me through till noon,” Salsman said. “If I need a single cup in the afternoon, I will break out the Aeropress, which makes a clean and delicious cup quickly. And I also keep the cafe’s back-up espresso machine at home — a Rocket single group head — but since it takes twenty minutes to warm up, I usually only fire it up for visitors.”
Hai Nugyen is a long-time coffee lover and the owneroperator of The Shed Coffee in Charlottetown. She decided to turn her passion into a business when she and her family immigrated to Prince Edward Island from Vietnam. In 2023, Nugyen’s dedication to raising the bar for specialty coffee and supporting her community was recognized with a Faces of Fusion Award.
Nugyen’s home coffee bar has a full set of espresso machines, a grinder, hand brew tools, and a collection of coffee beans from fellow roasters across Canada, but she also enjoys coffee excursions to her garden, local beaches and campgrounds.
“There is no right or wrong way to enjoy and make coffee at home,” Nugyen said. “Do what you think is perfect for you. Enjoy the journey of exploring the art of home brewing. The most important thing is to have great fresh coffee beans that you love and having somebody to enjoy a cup of coffee with every morning.
“You can simply start with a traditional French Press or a clever dripper to achieve consistency and simplicity. Then have fun upgrading your bar. Talking with your local baristas and roasters is beneficial to learn about and explore the coffee world.”
AN ACQUIRED TASTE
When Charlotte Ashley was a teenager, her mother owned a coffee shop. She still remembers the aroma of her mother’s signature coffee. When Ashley started drinking coffee, she discovered her taste for specialty coffee beans overpowered more commercial offerings. A former bookseller in Toronto, Ashley now owns Trident Booksellers & Cafe in Halifax.
“At home, I have an Aeropress and I drink Trident’s inhouse espresso blend,” Ashley said. “No plans to expand. Quite the opposite, I don’t really need it anymore, because I can come to Trident and get one of my amazing baristas to do a way better job of it than I would do!”
Ashley recommends investing in some brewing equipment that will last and paying attention to the quality of coffee beans and the evenness of the grind. If you don’t have a good grinder, ask your bean provider to grind it for you.
“There’s a 400-year history in Western society of congregating in coffee houses,” Ashley said. “This is where great books were written, where revolutions were fomented, where fated meetings happened. Coffee is obviously a wonderful home drink, but there’s something to going out and spending hours talking or thinking or meditating over coffee that has a special social cachet. That place of meeting and exchange has a huge value all on its own, and I think it is irreplaceable.”