People are always asking me about my home coffee setup so I thought it would be fun to share my current coffee setup.

The centerpiece is a La Marzocco Mini. We used to have a Breville Espresso machine and it was great, but it only had a single boiler and you could not pull a shot and steam milk at the same time nor go back and forth for more than 1-2 coffees in a timely fashion. The upgrade to a La Marzocco is no small investment, but having essentially the same tool that coffee shops use at home is amazing.

Ordering the machine was an experience. We waited to order it because the stainless steel model was not available due to supply chain issues. Once you order the machine delivery takes a few weeks and it arrives via a freight provider. It was wild to have an entire delivery truck show up just to drop off the machine.

Once you got it dialed in, the shots are just as good as most cafes. There is a steep learning curve even coming from a Breville machine. Cleaning and maintaining the machine have been very easy. I use paper filters in the espresso basket to aid in keeping the machine clean. I add one before I grind coffee into it and one on top after tamping the shot. Doing this has drastically reduced the effort needed to keep the machine clean. Every 2-3 weeks I go through a deep cleaning where I take everything apart and clean and soak parts in the cleaning product provided by La Marzocco.

Dialing in is all about finding the sweet spot for pulling a great shot of espresso, and it is a bit of an art form. There are even competitions. It involves tweaking the grind size, dose, and extraction time until the shot tastes balanced—not too bitter, not too sour.

A typical formula for a shot with 17g of coffee in and 34g out is called a 1:2 ratio (coffee to espresso). This is a common ratio for a “normale” or standard espresso shot. Here is how it breaks down:

• Input: 17g of ground coffee (your dose).
• Output: 34g of liquid espresso (your yield).

Brew Time: Typically 25-30 seconds, though this can vary depending on the beans and your taste preference.

This is my go-to ratio for a shot that is sweet and balanced. If you want to experiment, you can adjust the grind size or timing to fine-tune the flavor.

I currently get my beans from Cafe Grumpy in New York. We have local roasters in San Francisco, but until recently one of our favorites (Andytown) did not offer bulk espresso beans and it was actually cheaper to order them and have them shipped across the country.

I also have a custom stamp from Etsy. I use it on paper cups and sleeves when I make coffee for friends and family. We usually keep milk and non-dairy milk on hand, so we can make most types of drinks for everyone to enjoy.

# Additional Equipment

Grinder: Settle 270 (recommended by a local barista who has been to many competitions)

Scale: Acaia Lunar (it was the best at the time, but now there is an option that pairs with the La Marzocco Mini and has a brew-by-weight setting, allowing the machine to automatically turn off based on your desired yield. Brew By Weight Scale)

If you are ever visiting I’d love to share a shot of espresso or a latte from Cafe Duffy and show you the setup in action.