A Complete Guide to Brewing Espresso at Home

Using automatic and manual coffee machines is really about one core skill: getting a good espresso, then turning it into drinks you love. NPR has put together an exhaustive guide for coffee lovers, coffee drinkers and families on using their coffee machines effortlessly and regularly. Explore espresso methods, roast profiles and simple techniques for creating café‑quality shots and latte art at home on modern De’Longhi and Breville machines.

Popular espresso brewing methods

At home, “espresso” can mean different workflows depending on your machine:

Using a manual espresso with steam wand

Machines like the De’Longhi Dedica Duo are compact manual machines with a 15‑bar pump, thermoblock heating and a My LatteArt steam wand for manual milk texturing. You get three preset recipes- Espresso, Double Espresso, Cold Brew which provide instant access to expertly created beverages, handy on busy mornings!

The commercial-style wand lets you create perfectly textured milk for cappuccinos and lattes.

How to use a manual espresso machine with steam wand:

• Grind and dose coffee into a portafilter.
• Tamp, lock in and start the shot.
• Use the steam wand to texture milk to your desired microfoam (if having a milk coffee)

How to use a semi‑automatic coffee machine with built‑in grinder and guidance

If you have a compact kitchen and want a machine that guides you through coffee preparation, this Breville Barista Touch Impress is definitely a strong contender. The Breville Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine is a bean‑to‑cup machine with a built-in conical burr grinder, ThermoJet heating, touchscreen interface and Barista Guidance. It offers around 13 café presets, plus cold brew and cold espresso options, and can create and save up to 6 custom drinks.

You still grind, dose and tamp, but the machine assists with:

• Intelligent dosing and assisted tamping via the Impress™ Puck System.
• Shot timing, temperature control and extraction feedback.
• Auto MilQ™ hands‑free microfoam with alternative milk

Using an automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine

Models like De’Longhi Rivelia Fully Automatic Coffee Machine and De’Longhi Eletta Ultra lean more into fully automatic operation: built‑in grinders, bean-adapt technology, extensive recipe banks and automated milk systems.

These machines are best for families and households who want convenience, variety and ease of use. The Eletta Ultra has an intuitive colour touchscreen and clearly labelled drink options that let you scroll through and work well on busy mornings when you want your favourite coffee with minimal fuss.

You mostly:

• Fill the hopper with beans and add milk in the carafe.
• Select a drink from a touchscreen.
• Let the machine handle grinding, dosing, extraction and milk, then tweak recipes over time.

Machines like the Breville Oracle Jet Espresso Machine sit between. They blend automation with hands-on control. Features such as grinding, dosing, and tamping are automated, but you can control shot and steam naturally. This takes care of the initial prep and measurements while you can focus on the creative part. It has an Auto MilQ™ steam wand that textures milk to your preferred level.

Best coffee machines for brewing espresso

• De’Longhi Dedica Duo– The Dedica Duo is best for compact, hands‑on espresso and milk texturing, plus cold brew.
• Breville Barista Touch Impress Espresso Machine– For beginners and aspiring baristas who want to experiment with coffee, the Barista Touch is a great option. It works best as a guided manual espresso experience with touchscreen workflows and cold-brew presets.
• De’Longhi Rivelia Fully Automatic Coffee Machine– If you want something easy but with high-quality milk foam, the De’Longhi Rivelia is for you. Great option for home offices, families, and coffee enthusiasts who want the convenience of a fully automatic machine. It also works for households where family members have different tastes; you can save customised drinks and create profiles for quick access on busy mornings.
• De’Longhi Eletta Ultra– If you have a busy family and need to make coffee fast, the Eletta Ultra is your go-to machine. Suitable for families and coffee enthusiasts who want convenience, variety, and use their coffee machines frequently every day.
• Breville Oracle Jet Espresso Machine – If you have 10 minutes and love the craft of making coffee, go for the Breville Oracle. For coffee enthusiasts and aspiring baristas, it’s the best of both worlds with café control and automated grind/tamp.

NPR Guide to coffee roast profiles

Understanding coffee roast profiles helps you pick the right beans for different brewing styles.

Before we look at different roast profiles, let us discuss what exactly are coffee roast profiles. It is a specific reference for the degree and strength of the coffee. These two things indicate the intensity and duration of the roast process. Coffee roast profiles are generally grouped into three main categories: light, medium, and dark.

If a bag of coffee has no indicator of the roast, it is usually a light to medium roast. For specialty coffee, however, this isn’t the case. Specialty coffee roasters do not indicate roast profiles but will suggest what profile suits which coffee best, for example, ‘roasted for espresso’. They will also describe the coffee’s flavour.

Step‑by‑step espresso shot technique

Here is our step-by-step espresso shot technique to get barista-style coffee at home.

Whether you’re using a manual Dedica Duo, a Breville Barista Touch Impress, an Oracle‑style machine or a De’Longhi super‑automatic, the basics of espresso extraction matter:

1. Dose and grind

• For manual/semiauto: weigh your beans (often 16–18 g for a double), grind to a fine espresso setting.
• On machines with built‑in grinders (Breville, De’Longhi), start with factory suggestions, then adjust grind steps if shots run too fast/slow.

1. Distribute and tamp

• Ensure grounds are level in the basket, then tamp firmly and evenly (manual portafilter) or let the Impress™ Puck System assist on the Barista Touch Impress.

1. Extract

• Aim for around 25–30 seconds for a standard double shot (varies by recipe and roast).
• Watch for a steady, honey‑like flow and crema forming on top.

1. Taste and adjust

• Sour: grind finer or lengthen extraction.
• Bitter: grind coarser or shorten extraction.

On super‑automatic coffee machines, you mostly adjust settings and let the machine handle timing, but paying attention to taste still guides your tweaks.

Cold brew and iced espresso at home

You can make Cold brew and iced espresso easily on modern machines:

• De’Longhi Dedica Duo offers a dedicated cold brew function using De’Longhi’s Cold Extraction Technology, delivering cold brew in under 5 minutes.
• Breville Barista Touch Impress adds Cold Brew and Cold Espresso presets, extracting at lower temperatures to reduce acidity and create smooth iced recipes in just a few minutes.

Use these modes for:

• Smooth iced lattes with light roasts.
• Espresso martinis, shakeratos and other café‑style cold drinks at home.

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How to clean your coffee machine

Your coffee machine is one of the most premium and complicated appliances in your kitchen. Do you need to clean your coffee machine? The answer is yes. You’re going to be drinking the liquid that comes out of the machine so cleaning your coffee machine regularly is great for health reasons. Cleaning your coffee machine also removes bitter rancid coffee oils, clears out hard mineral scale, and stops bacteria and mould from growing. Maintaining it regularly can ensure that it lasts longer and you get the most out of its price tag. Use our coffee machine cleaning checklist to keep your appliance working smoothly and giving you the coffee you like every day.

Experimenting with espresso methods, exploring profiles and roasting methods is the fastest way to get the most out of your machine and get barista-style coffee at home. De’Longhi and Breville have some of the best espresso machines, and they can give you everything from classic espresso to latte art and cold brew.

If you want café‑style coffee and latte art at home, pick a machine that matches your preferred level of control, choose roast profiles that suit your taste, and practise consistent shot extraction and milk texturing.