There are so many ways to make coffee at home. Whether you use a pour-over, French press, Aeropress, single-serve brewers such as Keurig and Nespresso, home espresso machines, coffee pot brewers, or stovetop espresso makers. Of course, cold versions for cold brew coffee.

I have many of the aforementioned at home. My go-to for my daily ritual latte is the Breville Barista Express with a burr grinder. See the TIPS Blog on coffee grinders.

We have strict cleanliness and maintenance schedules for our equipment at our cafes. However, my at-home equipment is where I fall short. Like everyone, I get caught up in busy weeks until I have that first sip of my morning at-home latte and realize the taste is off.

Then, it dawns on me. When was the last time I cleaned my espresso machine and grinder? Regardless of the way you make your coffee, at-home cleanliness is critical to the taste of the coffee.

It is a misnomer that a buildup of coffee from previous cups or pots makes the coffee better. It is actually the opposite. Coffee is sensitive to any residual coffee. It will turn the fresh-made coffee bitter or mute the flavor.

If you haven’t cleaned the parts of your machines or equipment since you pulled them out of the box, it is time to give them a thorough cleaning. Depending on your equipment, you may have to go back to the how-to guide that came with the box. Look it up online, if you can’t find the manual.

Follow the specifics for cleaning. I promise a little elbow grease will go a long way to your enjoyment of that next cup of coffee. Because fresh-roasted, fresh-ground coffee can’t make up for dirty equipment.