Making espresso and espresso drinks at home can be a hassle. Let’s be honest about it… It takes time, it’s involved, there’s so much to remember, and it’s worse when you’re making more than just one cup.

But we love it; that’s why we do it. Am I right?

My overall experience has improved with these 3 fairly reasonably priced accessories. 

A Switchbot Bot

A Switchbot is a small device that can be attached to appliances with switches so they can be automated. Check it out here for a better explanation: Switchbot

(Note: we have no affiliation with Switchbot, it’s just the option I have and I’m sure there are many other options out there.)

I’ve set mine up over the power button of my Breville Barista Express.

I use it in two ways:

• I have a schedule preset for my early morning brewing - the machine gets switched on while I’m still in bed at 4:00am. It’s preheated and ready to use at 4:15am when I am finally out of bed. 

• While working from home, I’d switch the machine on from my home desk via the Switchbot app, and then it would be preheated when I was ready to start an espresso. Full disclosure, I almost always forget that I’ve switched on the machine and 45 minutes later realize it. So I’ve started setting a timer on my phone for 15 minutes when I switch the machine on during work to remind me to go get that espresso.

How has it improved my Espresso experience?

The machine is preheated for me on busy work mornings, so I’m not wasting time waiting. And it helps me get the machine switched on while I’m working or on a call or can’t leave my desk at that moment so that it is preheated and ready for me when I can get away.

A Weighted Tamper

The Breville Barista comes with a tamper, so I did not initially need to buy one. Still, I found that I was struggling with tamping correctly.

The design of the tamp can affect how you use it, but in my case, I could not apply the required force. The Breville booklet says that the idea tamp force (in weight) is 15 to 20kg. However, if you do a google search, you’ll see recommendations of up to 14kg. 

I’m now contemplating why Breville requires so much force on the tamp (I think I just unlocked a side quest).

So, after an extended period of fast extractions, I started using a weighted tamp to slow the extraction. It worked, in its own right, for what I needed; it was effective, notwithstanding the other issues that I needed to troubleshoot.

By the way, I actually double-tamp. First, I set the bed with the weighted tamper, then follow it up with the Breville tamper. I find the weighted tamp doesn’t finish the bed off at the top well enough; there are loose grounds, so the second pass with the Breville tamper takes care of that. 

Brushes

I bought a small baking brush and a large paintbrush, both with soft bristles. 

Grinding coffee, shaping the grounds, and accidents require cleaning up; a cloth won’t do. So instead, a brush is the most effective tool to sweep up those fallen grounds.

I use the smaller brush to dust off the machine, then follow that with the bigger brush to sweep up the workstation and drop the grounds into the knock box. I find these brushes essential for a clean workstation. There’s nothing worse than pulling espresso on a grimy workstation.

Those are my 3 purchases, and I hope you look into these for your workstation. 

Were you expecting to see a distribution tool on the list? I longingly ogled the distributors I saw online, but the prices were heartbreaking, so I didn’t invest in one. But I’ve worked out a technique for distributing the grounds in the basket without the cost. Check out my technique here… My Espresso Distribution Technique - No Distributor Needed.