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Not all of us are lucky enough to have or know a barista that can be on call to make coffee for us; that knows the ins and outs of our coffee machine, how it works and how it makes the best coffee. To help all of us less fortunate soles who could be described as the lay coffee machine handlers of this world, here is some advice from someone who knows coffee machines.

Daniel (barista): I’ve been working with coffee and coffee machines since I was in my late teens, around the time I started drinking coffee. Pretty soon, my coffee drinking became much more than a habit – it became a serious pass time, and coffee making – my coffee machine in particular – became the tool of my trade.

Interviewer: So would you say coffee or coffee making is your life passion?

D: Well, you can’t really separate the two. For me they are intricately linked, and to love coffee is to love the art of coffee making and the beauty of coffee machines…

I: Well then, can you tell us the tips that you think would help us most of all with our day to day coffee machine handling and coffee drinking needs?

D: Here are ten of what I call do or don’t brew tips to follow when making your own coffee.

1. Don’t use a pod machine – they are insults to the wonderful history of the coffee machine
2. Use full cream milk – it froths best in your coffee machine and it simply tastes better in coffee
3. If you have an automatic coffee machine make sure your grinder is set correctly – if it grinds your coffee too finely or too coarsely your coffee machine will not make good coffee, no matter how much you paid for the beans
4. Make sure you have all your coffee machine supplies on tap for when you need them
5. Only put the amount of beans that you will need to use in the coffee machine hopper, so that the excess beans don’t go stale sitting there overnight
6. Clean all your coffee machine and coffee making equipment with hot water and a little detergent every time you use it, especially the equipment related to milk frothing
7. If you use a manual coffee machine make sure you don’t pack the coffee too tightly into the group handle
8. Pre-heat your coffee cup by pouring boiling water into your cup and letting it sit for a minute while your coffee machine is warming up. Pour the water out when you are ready pull the coffee
9. If your coffee is boiling hot something is wrong and you may have burnt the coffee
10.  Every time you turn on your coffee machine make an espresso as a test run just to check that everything is the way it should be, and then you can happily start making coffee for your guests

I: Thanks Daniel, for your time and tips. I’m not sure about the readers but it is quite clear to me that you take coffee very seriously. I’m sure your coffee machine is one of the luckiest coffee machines on earth.

D: Certainly is…I shine it every day with a special cloth. It’s always a pleasure to share my coffee brewing knowledge. I’d be happy to be involved in further interviews