How to make great coffee at home with Degraves Espresso
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How to Make Great Coffee at Home with Degraves Espresso’s City Lights Blend:
A Melbourne Barista’s Guide
There is something unmistakable about a great Melbourne coffee: the aroma of freshly ground beans, the richness of a properly extracted espresso and milk textured until it is smooth and silky.
At Degraves Espresso, coffee has always been about more than simply starting the day. From our home in one of Melbourne’s most iconic laneways, we have spent decades serving locals and visitors who appreciate coffee made with care.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a professional barista to make an excellent cup at home. You need fresh coffee, a reliable recipe and an understanding of the few variables that have the greatest effect on flavour.
This guide gives you practical starting recipes for espresso, plunger, pour-over, stovetop and cold brew coffee.
Home-Brewing Recipe Guide
Use these recipes as your starting point. Your equipment, grinder and personal taste may require small adjustments.
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Brewing method Coffee Water or yield Grind Brewing time Plunger/French press 30g 500ml water Coarse 4 minutes Pour-over 15g 250ml water Medium 2:45–3:15 Stovetop/Moka pot Fill basket level Water below safety valve Medium-fine Approximately 4–6 minutes Cold brew 100g 1 litre water Coarse 12–16 hours For consistent results, use a digital scale and change only one variable at a time. |
For consistent results, use a digital scale and change only one variable at a time.
1. Begin With Fresh, Quality Coffee - Degraves "City Lights" blend is our original in house favourite served for over 30 years.
Your equipment can only work with what you put into it. Fresh, well-roasted coffee beans will give you greater aroma, sweetness and depth than coffee that has been sitting open for an extended period.
Whole beans are preferable because grinding releases the coffee’s aromatic compounds. Grind only the amount you need immediately before brewing whenever possible.
If you don’t own a quality burr coffee grinder, choose coffee ground specifically for your brewing method. Espresso, plunger and stovetop coffee each require a different grind size.
2. Match the Grind to Your Brewing Method
Grind size controls how quickly water moves through the coffee and how much flavour it extracts.
Fine: Espresso machine
Medium-fine: Stovetop or Moka pot
Medium: Pour-over
Coarse: Plunger and cold brew
If espresso runs too quickly and tastes sour or thin, make the grind finer. If it runs too slowly and tastes bitter or dry, make the grind coarser.
Make small adjustments. A minor change to the grinder can make a noticeable difference in the cup.
3. How to Make Espresso at Home
A dependable espresso recipe that accounts for variations in Beans, Machine & Grinder:
18g of freshly ground coffee
36–40g of espresso in the cup
25–30-second extraction
Water temperature of approximately 92–95°C
Make sure the filter basket is clean and dry. Distribute the ground coffee evenly and tamp it level before starting the extraction.
The espresso should initially flow slowly before settling into a steady, narrow stream.
If the shot reaches 36–40g in less than 25 seconds, adjust the grinder finer. If it takes longer than approximately 30–35 seconds, adjust it slightly coarser.
Taste should always guide the final adjustment.
4. How to Make Plunger Coffee
Plunger coffee produces a full-bodied, comforting cup and requires very little equipment.
For a 500ml plunger:
Add 30g of coarsely ground coffee.
Pour in 500ml of filtered water at approximately 93–96°C.
Stir gently to ensure all the coffee is wet.
Place the lid on without pressing the plunger.
Allow the coffee to brew for four minutes.
Press slowly and pour immediately.
Avoid leaving the brewed coffee sitting on the grounds, as it can continue extracting and become bitter.
5. How to Make Pour-Over Coffee
Pour-over brewing produces a cleaner, lighter cup and can reveal more of the coffee’s natural acidity and aroma.
For one cup:
Place a filter in your brewer and rinse it with hot water.
Add 15g of medium-ground coffee.
Pour approximately 40g of water over the coffee and allow it to bloom for 30–40 seconds.
Continue pouring slowly in controlled circles until you reach 250g of water.
Aim for a total brewing time of approximately three minutes.
If the water runs through too quickly, use a finer grind. If it drains too slowly, use a coarser grind.
6. How to Make Stovetop Coffee
A stovetop or Moka pot is an excellent way to make strong, rich coffee without an espresso machine.
Fill the lower chamber with water to just below the safety valve.
Fill the filter basket level with medium-fine coffee.
Do not tamp or compress the coffee.
Assemble the pot and place it over medium-to-low heat.
Remove it from the heat when the coffee begins flowing steadily and before it starts spluttering aggressively.
Using moderate heat produces a smoother result and helps prevent burnt or overly bitter flavours.
7. How to Make Cold Brew
Cold brew is smooth, refreshing and easy to prepare in advance.
Combine 100g of coarsely ground coffee with one litre of cold filtered water.
Stir gently so all the coffee is wet.
Cover and refrigerate for 12–16 hours.
Strain through a fine filter or clean cloth.
Serve over ice, with milk or diluted with water to taste.
Store the finished cold brew covered in the refrigerator and use it while the flavour remains fresh.
8. Use the Right Water
Water makes up most of every cup, so its quality has a direct effect on flavour.
Use fresh, filtered water without a strong chlorine taste or odour. For manual brewing, a temperature between approximately 93°C and 96°C is a reliable starting point.
Water that is excessively hot can emphasise bitterness. Water that is too cool may leave the coffee tasting sour, flat or underdeveloped.
9. Measure Rather Than Guess - Critical Step!
A small digital coffee scale is one of the most valuable tools a home coffee maker can own.
For filter and plunger coffee, a coffee-to-water ratio of approximately 1:16 is a useful starting point. That means one gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water.
Espresso uses a much more concentrated ratio. Start with approximately one part ground coffee to two parts espresso—for example, 18g of coffee producing 36g of espresso.
Measuring allows you to repeat a successful cup and identify exactly what needs to change when the result isn’t right.
10. Texture Milk Without Overheating It
For a flat white or latte, the goal is smooth, glossy milk with very fine bubbles—not a stiff layer of foam.
Start with a good quality high fat content cold milk and introduce air near the surface for the first few seconds. Then position the steam wand to create a gentle whirlpool that folds the milk into a silky texture.
Aim for approximately 60–65°C. Milk that becomes excessively hot can lose its natural sweetness and develop a cooked flavour.
City Lights Blend has enough body to remain present through dairy milk. Its chocolate, hazelnut and malt character also pairs especially well with barista-style oat milk.
11. Troubleshoot the Taste
What you taste Likely cause What to change
Sour, sharp or thin Water passed through too quickly Grind finer
Bitter, dry or harsh Extraction was too slow Grind coarser
Weak or watery Too little coffee or too much water Increase the dose or reduce the final yield
Flat or dull Old coffee, poor water or dirty equipment Use fresh coffee, filtered water and clean equipment
Burnt milk flavour Milk was overheated Stop steaming at approximately 60–65°C
Change only one variable before making the next coffee. This makes it much easier to understand which adjustment improved the result.
12. Keep Your Equipment Clean
Coffee oils collect on filter baskets, group heads, grinders and brewing equipment. Over time, these oils can become stale and introduce bitter or unpleasant flavours.
Rinse equipment after use and follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions for your espresso machine and grinder. Always wipe and purge the steam wand immediately after texturing milk.
Clean equipment allows the character of the coffee—not yesterday’s residue—to come through.
13. Store Coffee Beans Properly
Keep coffee in its original resealable bag or an airtight container, away from direct sunlight, heat (toaster or stove top), moisture and strong odours.
Avoid storing an opened bag in the refrigerator. Coffee readily absorbs moisture and surrounding aromas.
Buy an amount suited to how frequently you brew. A 250g bag is ideal for occasional use or experimentation, while a 1kg bag is better suited to regular household or office coffee making.
14. Milk the Other 50% Of the Equation
Coffee is inherently acidic so in order to balance the acidity we aim to use a high full cream full fat dairy milk like a jersey milk. Anything in the range of 3.9% - 4.2% fat is great. The flavour profile changes drastically giving you a balanced and smooth creamy flavour with glossy milk.
Why City Lights Blend Works at Home
Degraves Espresso City Lights Blend is a premium 100% Arabica, medium-dark roast created to deliver a rich and balanced cup.
Espresso Machine - Brew Profile:
Fine Grind - 22g - 42ml in the cup - 26 - 33 Seconds Extraction - Water Temp (If it is adjustable) 92 Deg Celsius
Its flavour profile includes:
A warm aroma of hazelnut and malt
A smooth chocolate finish
A lively touch of tart green apple
Enough body to cut through dairy and plant-based milk
It is approachable for someone beginning their home-coffee journey while still offering the depth and character experienced coffee drinkers appreciate.
Whether you use an espresso machine, plunger, pour-over or stovetop, the most important ingredients are good coffee, a consistent recipe and a willingness to make small adjustments.
That is how an ordinary morning coffee becomes something worth slowing down for.
Bring a little of Melbourne’s laneway coffee culture home with City Lights Blend 250g, or choose the City Lights Blend 1kg bag for regular home or office brewing.
Written by the Degraves Espresso Barista Team — Degraves Lane, Melbourne.