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I drink coffee because I enjoy it.

I also drink coffee because apparently six kids, a house, pets, work, and whatever else decides to break that week aren’t interested in whether I’ve had eight hours of sleep.

What I don’t understand is when making good coffee at home became a hobby requiring $2,700 worth of equipment and a working knowledge of fluid dynamics.

You really don’t need all that.

A few inexpensive changes can make the coffee you already drink noticeably better. And if you’re regularly handing a coffee shop $6 or $7 for something involving espresso, milk, and three pumps of happiness, making some of those drinks at home can save a surprising amount of money.

So here’s the Dad Approved approach.

Spend money where you’ll actually notice it. Skip the stuff you won’t.

1. Before You Buy Anything, Clean Your Coffee Maker

Let’s start with the free upgrade.

Clean the coffee maker.

Seriously.

If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned it, I’m going to assume the answer is somewhere between “a while ago” and “I didn’t know I was supposed to do that.”

Coffee oils, residue, and mineral buildup accumulate over time. Wash the removable pieces and follow your machine’s instructions for cleaning and descaling.

Before deciding your coffee maker is garbage and replacing it, give the poor thing a bath.

You might be surprised.

And congratulations, you’ve completed your first home coffee upgrade for approximately $0.

That’s my kind of upgrade.

2. Try Grinding Your Own Beans

If you’ve always bought pre-ground coffee, grinding whole beans closer to the time you brew them is one of the easiest changes to try.

You don’t need to become the guy who discusses extraction percentages at neighborhood cookouts.

Just grind some beans.

There are two basic types of grinders you’ll commonly see.

Blade grinders use a spinning blade to chop the beans. They’re inexpensive, simple, and perfectly reasonable if you just want an easy step up from buying everything pre-ground.

Burr grinders crush the beans between burrs and generally produce a more consistent grind. They’re the better choice if you eventually want more control over your coffee.

But we’re trying to make better coffee without spending a fortune, remember?

The Cuisinart Grind Central Coffee Grinder is a straightforward blade grinder and an inexpensive way to start grinding whole beans at home.

If you eventually become deeply invested in coffee, upgrade to a good burr grinder.

Until then, nobody is coming to inspect your kitchen.

3. Your Water Matters More Than You Think

Coffee is mostly water.

So if your tap water tastes like something you’d reluctantly drink only after mowing the lawn in August, maybe don’t use it to brew expensive coffee.

Try filtered water.

That’s it.

No artisanal spring water.

No imported bottle harvested from an untouched Scandinavian mountain.

Just water that tastes good.

Better-tasting water can make better-tasting coffee, and paying attention to water and regular descaling can also help keep mineral buildup from turning the inside of your coffee maker into a geology exhibit.

4. Stop Making a Different Recipe Every Morning

I’m guilty of this.

Scoop.

Another scoop.

That one looked small.

Little more.

Perfect.

Except tomorrow’s coffee will be completely different because apparently we’re measuring ingredients based on vibes.

Consistency helps.

You can use a cheap digital kitchen scale if you want more precision, but you don’t have to.

The important thing is finding an amount of coffee and water you like and then doing roughly the same thing again tomorrow.

Too weak?

Use more coffee.

Too strong?

Use less.

There. We just completed Coffee Science 101.

Your certificate is in the mail.

5. Pick a Brewing Method That Fits Your Actual Life

There’s no universally correct way to make coffee.

There is, however, probably a correct way for your morning.

Drip Coffee Maker

Still king of practicality.

Coffee. Water. Button.

Done.

If several people in your house drink coffee or you drink multiple cups, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a normal drip machine.

Sometimes boring appliances are fantastic.

Single-Cup Brewer

Fast, easy, and useful when everyone wants something different.

Is it the preferred brewing method of the guy who owns a $400 coffee scale?

Probably not.

Will it give you coffee in about a minute while you’re trying to get everyone out the door?

Yep.

French Press

Simple, inexpensive, and makes a fuller-bodied cup.

It’s also a nice way to experiment with better coffee without buying another appliance that needs counter space and an electrical outlet.

Pour-Over

Pour-over gives you a lot of control for very little money.

The downside is that you are now the coffee machine.

Some mornings I find that relaxing.

Other mornings someone can’t find a shoe, the dog is barking at absolutely nothing, and somebody has informed me about a school project that was apparently assigned during the previous presidential administration.

On those mornings, I want a button.

Espresso

And here we enter the deep end.

If you regularly buy lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, or other espresso drinks, making them at home starts to make financial sense.

If you just want a giant mug of regular coffee, you do not need an espresso machine.

Save your money.

But if espresso drinks are your thing, the CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine gives you a compact home machine with a steam wand so you can make espresso and milk-based drinks without jumping immediately into four-figure equipment.

Just know yourself.

If you’re going to use it three times and then let it become a decorative kitchen appliance, keep the drip machine.

6. A Milk Frother Might Be the Best Cheap Upgrade Here

This is one of those little gadgets that sounds unnecessary until you actually own one.

If you like lattes, cappuccinos, cold foam, or flavored coffee drinks, a handheld frother gives you a surprising amount of mileage for not much money.

The handheld milk frother I picked is exactly the kind of coffee accessory I like.

Small.

Cheap.

Easy to use.

Doesn’t require watching a 47-minute YouTube tutorial.

Heat some milk, froth it, add it to strong coffee, and suddenly you’ve made something that arrives in a coffee shop with a $6.75 price tag.

You can also use it for hot chocolate, protein drinks, powdered drinks, and other things that need mixing.

Which helps justify buying another gadget.

That’s important.

7. Stop Leaving Your Coffee Bag Rolled Up With a Clothespin

You know who you are.

Once coffee is opened, air, moisture, heat, and light aren’t exactly doing it favors.

Keep your coffee sealed somewhere cool and dry.

This coffee storage container is a simple option for keeping beans or grounds stored properly without turning coffee storage into another expensive hobby.

And don’t automatically buy the biggest bag of coffee available because the price per ounce is cheaper.

If it takes you six months to finish it, you haven’t discovered a financial loophole.

Buy what you’ll actually use.

8. Make a Coffee Station That Makes Mornings Easier

I’m completely on board with the coffee-station idea.

I just don’t think you need to remodel a section of your kitchen to have one.

Put the stuff you use together.

That’s the revolutionary concept.

Your coffee station might have:

• Coffee maker
• Coffee
• Grinder
• Filters
• Mugs
• Sweetener
• Frother

Done.

If you like flavored syrups, add those too.

If you’ve purchased a separate piece of furniture to display 19 bottles of coffee syrup arranged by color, we’ve gone beyond “coffee station.”

You now operate a small beverage franchise.

Dad Approved Coffee Picks

If I were putting together a simple home coffee setup, these are the four products I’d start with depending on what you’re trying to improve.

☕ Start Grinding Whole Beans

Cuisinart Grind Central Coffee Grinder

This is the inexpensive entry point. It’s a blade grinder, not a burr grinder, but if you’re currently buying pre-ground coffee and just want to start grinding fresh beans, it’ll get you there without spending much.

🥛 Make Better Coffee Drinks

Handheld Milk Frother

Probably the easiest impulse buy of the bunch. If you like milk-based coffee drinks, you’ll actually use it.

And that’s my main requirement for kitchen gadgets.

🫘 Store Your Coffee

Coffee Storage Container

Nothing glamorous here.

It holds coffee.

It keeps it stored properly.

It does its job.

I appreciate products with realistic career aspirations.

☕ Bring the Coffee Shop Home

CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine

This is the bigger purchase, and I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone.

But if you’re regularly buying espresso drinks, this is the category where making them yourself can start paying off.

If I Had $50-ish to Improve My Coffee Setup

This is probably where most people should start.

First: Buy some good whole-bean coffee.

Second: Get a basic grinder.

Third: Add a handheld frother if you like coffee-shop-style drinks.

Fourth: Store your beans properly.

Keep your current coffee maker.

Seriously.

You don’t have to replace a perfectly functional appliance because someone on the internet owns a machine with more gauges than your car.

Use what you have and improve the parts around it.

What I Wouldn’t Buy Yet

Coffee is one of those hobbies where there’s always another level of equipment available.

That doesn’t mean you need it.

A $1,000+ Espresso Machine

If espresso has become a legitimate hobby and you know exactly why you want one, fine.

If you’re thinking, “Maybe this will make my Folgers taste better,” put the credit card down.

Twelve Bottles of Coffee Syrup

Buy one.

See if you actually use it.

Then proceed.

Otherwise you’re going to discover three years from now that apparently you once had very ambitious plans involving toasted marshmallow.

A Fancy Coffee Scale

A normal inexpensive digital kitchen scale is plenty for most people.

The coffee will not know how much you paid for the scale.

Every Brewing Method

You do not need a drip machine, French press, AeroPress, pour-over setup, moka pot, cold brew system, single-cup brewer, and espresso machine.

Unless collecting coffee equipment is the hobby.

In which case, carry on. I’ve seen garages full of fishing rods. I’m in no position to judge.

Better Coffee Doesn’t Have to Become a Second Mortgage

There’s a massive coffee industry waiting to convince you that the reason your morning coffee isn’t perfect is because you’re missing another piece of equipment.

Sometimes they’re right.

Usually you just need to fix the basics.

Use coffee you actually like.

Try grinding it fresh.

Use decent-tasting water.

Measure somewhat consistently.

Clean your equipment.

Then add the conveniences you’ll genuinely use.

That’s the Dad Approved approach to coffee.

Buy the stuff that makes your morning better. Skip the stuff that just makes your counter more crowded.

And if your new setup saves you from buying even a few $7 coffees every week?

Now we’re talking.

That’s money that can be spent on something responsible.

Like tools.

Or fishing gear.

Obviously.

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