Our Favorite Coffee Accessories

Whether you're searching for an inexpensive addition to your brewing setup or you're ready to make an investment on a professional piece of equipment to elevate your everyday coffee, we have just the recommendations for you. Including mentions of everything from Fellow's secret video game to the endless possibilities of the humble spoon, this article focuses on common accessories that our team members have personally fallen in love with enough to add to their own coffee gear collections. Read on below to check out our team's recommended, but not always completely necessary, coffee accessories!

Featured Partners Team Members

Cary W. | Director of Coffee

Sam K. | Green Coffee Buyer & Head Roaster

Rachel G. | Customer Experience Associate

 

Filters

Filters are a key component of some of the most popular coffee brewing methods, including automatic drip and pour overs. While there are mesh and fabric reusable filter options available, we find the best flavor and overall result tends to be brewed while utilizing a traditional paper filter.

“When it comes to filters, I prefer bleached over natural. I find that natural filters often leave more of a papery taste in the cup. CAFEC offers a variety of filters, including ones designed for different roast levels and flow rates, giving you the flexibility to experiment with recipes and dial in the perfect cup.” (Cary W.)

 

Kettles

Kettles are a major tool in the world of brewing - from instant coffee to pour overs to matcha, and everything in-between. Fellow's Stagg EKG Kettle or any other electric, variable temperature kettle (like Bonavita) is a great way to elevate your brew.

"Fellow consistently nails the balance between design and function, and the Stagg EKG is no exception with customizable temperature settings, a secret game known as Wormy (if you know, you know), and a sleek appearance available in a variety of color and materials. The Stagg’s user interface is intuitive, and the flow restrictor ensures a consistent and relatively slow and stable pour rate, helping to achieve an even brew bed every time." (Cary W.)

 

Scales

Utilizing a scale is one of the simplest ways to immediately improve your brewing experience, allowing for greater understanding and control of your coffee. While most popularly used for pour over and espresso brewing, scales are recommended for use on any and every brew method - if for nothing other than weighing the initial coffee beans or coffee grounds being used. A scale, even just an inexpensive kitchen scale, will improve your brew with greater accuracy and attention to detail every step of the way.

"Any scale that can measure grams is better than no scale at all, especially if it has a resolution of 1/10th of a gram. Acaia is known for creating products built for everyday bar use, and the Pearl is hands down one of the best scales for brewing coffee. Hario’s scale is also a great option that is very durable and relatively inexpensive." (Sam K.)

“As someone who appreciates good design, I think the Acaia Pearl is one of the sleekest-looking scales on the market. Plus, it’s packed with features like flow rate tracking and precision timing, making it an essential tool for dialing in your brew.” (Cary W.)

 

Tamper

Tamping is an important step when brewing espresso. This process involves pressing ground coffee within a portafilter to compress the grounds further into each other, creating a "puck". An enjoyable espresso can be brewed with an inexpensive tamper, as all tampers are designed to create a level bed of coffee, but a higher-grade tamper can improve the user's experience and create a premium feel when considering the weight and functional design, as well as allowing for a greater ease of use.

“The Barista Hustle Tamper will always be my favorite - it was my personal tamper when I worked the bar. I love its lightweight feel and the replaceable base, which means you don’t have to worry about everyday wear and tear. It’s built to last.” (Cary W.)

 

Redistribution Tool

Redistribution tools are used in various types of brewing to disperse ground coffee more evenly within a filter or portafilter. The redistribution of coffee aids in providing a more level bed and breaking up potential clumps of ground coffee, allowing for even water distribution and extraction. 

"The Moonraker from Weber Workshop is easily one of the best distribution tools you can get. It helps create a consistently even coffee bed, reducing channeling and improving overall extraction." (Cary W.)

 

Pitchers

A great steaming pitcher is key to creating detailed latte art. This is primarily due to the shape of the pitcher's spout, with the highest quality pitchers striking the perfect balance between a rounded and pointed shape. Pitchers specifically crafted for milk steaming and use for latte art will be great accessories to add to your brewing setup, especially considering that milk pitchers are available in an endless array of colors and styles.

"WPM makes a range of milk pitchers suited for both everyday bar use and serious latte artists. The ergonomics of these pitchers create a pour that feels natural and the weight of the pitcher gives you great control, making it easier to create intricate latte art designs." (Cary W.)

 

Cleaning

Cleaning may be one of the least enjoyable aspects of a barista's life, but it's also one of the most important. Proper cleaning will help to ensure that your equipment is prepped for years to come and ready to brew countless cups of coffee.

“Cafiza is my top recommendation when it comes to coffee equipment cleaning. My coffee gear at home is sparkling, and clean gear makes better coffee. A Cafiza soak is the only way I'll ever clean travel mug lids, as regular dish soap will live in the silicone until the end of time.” (Sam K.)

 

Utensils

A spoon can be so much more than just a spoon, especially when it comes to the world of coffee.

“A cupping spoon is a great tool to keep on hand. Brand doesn't matter here, but I like W. Wright. It can be a bullion spoon. It can be any spoon. You may own a spoon already - use that one if you must. Stir your coffee with it after brewing any format of drip coffee, especially if you have a machine. Coffee stratifies as it brews, which creates agony rather than a delicious, balanced extraction.” (Sam K.)

 

Storage

The ideal spot for coffee beans is somewhere cool, dark, and dry - like a cupboard that’s away from heat sources and strong-smelling foods. A sealed bag with a one-way valve, just like the one it came in from the roaster, often works great. A dedicated canister or even a clean mason jar can also do the trick.

“I really enjoy the Airscape Coffee Canister. It’s sleek, well-designed, and easy to clean. The Airscape storage container even comes with a cotton bag that is designed to be repurposed as a bulk-restock option for coffee beans but can also be utilized as anything from a makeup bag to a plastic bag replacement when visiting the grocery story. The MiiR Coffee Canister is another great coffee storage solution - a bit bulkier than the Airscape but I like the screw on top for a secure fit.” (Rachel G.)

 

Knock Box

The knock box is a must-have for baristas in a busy cafe, as these are utilized to discard espresso "pucks" after brewing and are specifically designed as a temporary storage solution for coffee waste wherein the portafilter is meticulously, and occasionally very loudly, knocked against a knock box. This process allows the used coffee grounds to be removed from the portafilter in the most efficient way possible, without damaging the equipment. There are a variety of high-quality and custom knock boxes available, with different sizing options scaled down for at-home use or scaled up for traditional bar flow.

"As a former barista, a part of the espresso brewing process I always missed when brewing at home was hitting the portafilter against the knock box - until I bought one for at-home use. Something about seeing a perfectly shaped espresso puck feels like a job well done. The knock box I currently use at-home use is Breville's Knock Box 10. I like this size since it doesn't take up to much space and blends perfectly with the branding and style of stainless steel appliances, and not to mention any of Breville's espresso machines. This option is also easy to clean and holds more discarded espresso pucks than I could possibly create on a daily basis" (Rachel G.)

Questions? Need brewing assistance? Check out our FAQ page or send us an email at help@partnerscoffee.com!