Coffee Beginners on a Budget: How to Choose Cost-Effective and Practical Coffee Equipment

Today's coffee equipment is dazzlingly diverse, which is not an easy task for coffee beginners. Looking at a pile of coffee equipment that you want to buy, but not knowing how to choose or use it—I believe every coffee novice has felt this way. In this situation, what we need to do is:

"Don't choose expensive ones, don't choose fancy ones, only choose practical ones"

For coffee beginners, the coffee equipment we select doesn't need too many complex functions. Just choose conventional, ordinary, and practical ones. There are various coffee extraction methods, but in reality, there are only two common and easy-to-operate types: pressure extraction (espresso machines, moka pots) and drip extraction (pour-over coffee, drip coffee machines).

Choosing an Espresso Machine

Under normal circumstances, FrontStreet Coffee does not recommend beginners to purchase an espresso machine right away. People think about buying espresso machines for several reasons: one is that they look simple to operate and extract quickly; another is that the coffee taste is rich enough, allowing you to add dairy/water/other beverages according to your taste; and another is wanting to learn coffee latte art.

Currently, there are many small and cute espresso machines on the market, but most of these machines cannot reach 9bar of extraction pressure. The final extracted taste is thin, and the coffee liquid has a watery feel, making it difficult to achieve the richness and golden crema found in coffee shop products.

In past feedback from coffee enthusiasts, the steam wands included with these machines tend to be a bit short, and the steam is insufficient to create light and delicate milk foam. Usually, after frothing, the foam is thick and coarse, making it impossible to create beautiful latte art. Finally, many espresso machines end up gathering dust in a corner because they cannot produce satisfactory foam and due to cleaning troubles.

Whether purchasing an integrated semi-automatic espresso machine (with built-in grinder function) or a semi-automatic machine plus an espresso grinder, you typically need a budget of over seven thousand yuan to buy a product that works well and isn't problematic.

Choosing a Moka Pot

If you want to drink rich-style coffee, a moka pot is quite suitable for friends with limited budgets. It's small and convenient—as long as you have a heat source, you can heat and extract. The coffee after extraction can also be adjusted by adding other ingredients according to your taste preferences.

For moka pot brand selection, FrontStreet Coffee suggests choosing Bialetti. The quality and craftsmanship of this old brand are trustworthy. Although the price is a bit expensive, as long as you pay attention to daily cleaning, drying, and storage, it's no exaggeration to say one pot can last for three generations.

Currently, there are single-valve and dual-valve moka pots on the market. The biggest difference between the two lies in the liquid outlet of the moka pot. Single-valve moka pots have no restrictions, while dual-valve moka pots have a pressure boost valve at the liquid outlet that requires greater pressure to push open the valve before liquid can flow out, making the produced espresso more rich and full-bodied.

However, beginners are advised to choose a single-valve moka pot. Dual-valve moka pots are more difficult to use properly, requiring more attention to detail and more precise parameters. Without understanding the extraction principles, beginners can easily fail when using dual-valve moka pots.

Choosing Pour-over Coffee Equipment

Grinder

When on a tight budget, recommend choosing a hand grinder from well-known domestic brands.

There are many types of hand grinders on the market. To be honest, you get what you pay for. If you want something durable, choose one priced above 700-800 yuan; if you don't use it frequently, you can choose one in the 500-600 yuan range. Some grinders between 100-400 yuan are not really recommended, as they don't work well and frequent replacements will cost more.

Coffee Dripper

One Hairo resin V60 will suffice. It's light, inexpensive, not easily breakable, highly versatile, and offers great freedom! Size 1 is for 1-2 servings of coffee, Size 2 is for 2-3 servings.

Its 60-degree angle conical design extends the contact time between water and coffee, while the bottom large-diameter filter hole design allows everyone to control the coffee flavor extraction time by changing the pour size, making it very friendly for beginners!

Pour-over Kettle

Choose a 500-600ml capacity, lidded gooseneck spout kettle. No need for temperature control—just a regular one will do~ You can also buy a quick-display thermometer to measure water temperature.

The capacity of the pour-over kettle determines the center of gravity during brewing, and the center of gravity also determines the stability of the poured water flow. A pour-over kettle with too small capacity will lack center of gravity, making pouring unstable.

Coffee Filter Paper

When buying filter paper, look at the filter model, then choose the same model. FrontStreet Coffee suggests prioritizing white ones.

Today's well-known brands (such as Hario, Kono) use advanced enzyme bleaching for their coffee filter papers, which is different from traditional chemical bleaching. Enzyme bleaching uses biologically active enzymes for bleaching, without strange odors or paper taste, and is widely used in the medical field.

Electronic Scale

A regular household kitchen electronic scale will work, then use your phone for timing~ If you find it troublesome, you can also choose a quick-display electronic scale with timing functionality—no need to choose too expensive ones.

Coffee Server

When choosing a server, check if the pot itself is heat-resistant and can withstand large temperature differences! Some poor-quality servers have low heat resistance points when brewing coffee and can easily crack; or when making iced pour-over coffee, the contrast between cold and hot can easily lead to cracking.

Choosing a Coffee Drip Machine

If you want to drink stable, clean-tasting coffee, choosing a coffee drip machine is very convenient! You don't need to worry that pouring technique or water temperature will affect the coffee's flavor performance. American-style drip coffee machines work by brewing coffee grounds with hot water and then filtering, which is very similar to pour-over coffee—just that the machine replaces the hand, so the dripped coffee looks very similar to pour-over coffee.

However, unlike pour-over coffee, American drip machines don't pay much attention to dripping method—it's completely set by the manufacturer's drip mode, so there's less versatility, but it's truly very convenient. Many well-known major brands have launched coffee drip machines, and price differences won't be too significant, so everyone can choose with confidence.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473