Tips for Espresso:

Many espresso machines may look like the ones you see in you cafe, but in many instances they do not work on the same principle and, in my opinion, don't give the same results.

It's best to buy one with a pump to drive the water through the coffee, which unlike steam, will be below the boiling point of water. This is great for extracting flavour and avoids "scorching" the coffee.

Use a grinder on a fine setting and tap the ground beans down well. After about 20-25 seconds you should have a fantastic cup of coffee with a lovely crema on top. Remember to warm your cup up first with the steam wand!

If your coffee comes out too quickly try a finer grind or, if it hardly comes out at all, try a slightly courser grind. On my home machine I tend to set it a few notches off the minimum, but this will vary from machine to machine.

You'll know when you have it right as your cup will have a lovely layer of crema on the top, which like a good pint of Guinness, will stay with you until you have enjoyed the last drop.

Tips for French Press (Cafetiere):

The cunning French came up with this "plunger" in the mid 1800s, although we have the Italians to thank for making it the popular way of brewing coffee we know today.

Like when making a pot of tea, it's best to warm the cafetiere first with a little hot water before you add your medium-to-course-ground coffee. Use approximately one rounded desert spoon for every cup. (2 for a mug).

Allow boiling water to cool a little before pouring onto the coffee and leave for 3 or more minutes, depending how strong you like it.

Tips for Filter:

Pop your filter paper into the cone-shaped holder and add your coffee (medium/fine grind). Then, either pour on the near-boiling water or switch on the machine, depending on the type of filter.

Either way you should get a sediment-free and flavoursome cup of coffee. But don’t be surprised if it tastes like mud if you leave it on the hot plate for too long!