Bill on Becoming a Home Barista (Part 1): Exploring Coffee as Fruit, Flavor, and Experience

Bill: For me, what’s fascinating about coffee is that it’s a fruit, and it should be sweet. If it’s done right—roasted well, grown properly, and processed carefully—it should be naturally sweet. Coffee is a seed from a fruit, and when you taste it as it’s intended, you realize that adding milk or sugar isn’t necessary. You actually taste the fruit.

Bill: For example, in this coffee, I taste banana and berries. They list a blackberry as a taste note. I don’t know exactly how a blackberry tastes, so I trust that the roaster knows. Would you ever pour milk into this? Would you feel the need to add sugar? I don’t think so. That’s the difference. I always drink my coffee black. The only time I ever added milk was probably in high school, because I was drinking terrible diner coffee. At that time, specialty coffee, pour-over methods, and the shops we have today weren’t available.

Bill and I met through mutual friends in the specialty coffee industry. The coffee we’re drinking now is 8 ounces for $25, which is not something you’d typically find in mainstream or local coffee shops unless it’s specialty-based. This is where the terminology like “taste notes” and “roast styles” comes from.

Bill: As this column goes on, we understand that coffee is a staple in Western culture, regardless of how it’s consumed. We want to honor that and explore what coffee really is, because there’s so much to be discovered.

Bill: Right now, I’m looking at this box, and there’s a lot of history in it. Coffee is a fruit, grown in a different country. Why would I put milk in it when there’s so much to appreciate?

What do we have here, Bill?

Bill: We have a very delicious Colombian coffee roasted by Auggies, a roastery based in Texas. This coffee is from a farm called La Palma El Tuan, a well-known farm in Colombia that uses many different growing and processing methods. This particular coffee is flavorful and unique. It’s the first time I’ve ever tasted banana in coffee. Normally, fruit notes are cherry, raspberry, or strawberry. This is legitimately banana, which is wild.

Bill: For anyone listening, when you hear about taste notes, you might not correlate coffee with bananas. Let’s talk a little about taste notes.

Bill: Taste notes are interesting, and sometimes they get lost on people who aren’t as deep into coffee. They can get really specific, which might be a turnoff. One danger of taste notes is that if I say a coffee tastes like tobacco and you dislike tobacco, you’re immediately turned off. I’ve always believed taste notes should be less specific and more generalized. Use words like “fruit” instead of “banana,” because not everyone likes bananas.

Bill: Some people may or may not have stopped listening after that explanation, but I wanted to cover it because it’s important. Taste notes give a general idea of what you’ll sip on. That’s a big difference between an average coffee drinker and someone like me, who wants to know that the coffee will be fruit-forward and light. This doesn’t mean it’s the “correct” way to drink coffee—everyone has their preference. Taste notes indicate the type of experience you’re likely to have.

Who generates these taste notes?

Bill: That’s a good question. Ideally, they come from the farm because they know how the coffee is grown. I wouldn’t be surprised if bananas were grown near the coffee, which could influence the flavor. Roasters also affect taste notes. The roast profile, whether medium or dark, amplifies flavors differently than the farm intended. Roasting isn’t straightforward—you need skill to bring out the best in a coffee.

Bill: This coffee is roasted closer to medium than light, which gives it body. A too-light roast might result in a strange coffee. Medium roasting enhances the natural flavors while providing the weight the coffee needs.

For beginners or inexperienced listeners, let’s unpack taste notes further. What exactly are they? Are we just supposed to decipher flavors like fruit?

Bill: It’s about preference. Some people stop at 7-Eleven or Dunkin’, adding half-and-half and sugar. That’s okay. There’s no wrong way to drink coffee. The difference is that lower-quality coffee is roasted dark and cheap, which is why additives are necessary. A good specialty coffee, like the $25 box we’re drinking, doesn’t need additives because the flavors are naturally present.

Let’s talk about how I make my coffee.

Bill: My normal morning ritual involves a Hario V60 pour-over dripper. It’s a slower, manual brewing method. Using a gooseneck kettle and freshly ground coffee, it takes 3–4 minutes. This method brings out the sweetness, cleanness, and crispness in coffee as it’s intended. The process is similar to wine tasting: letting the coffee bloom, smelling it, pouring it carefully, and letting it sit. It’s an art form and should be savored.

There are other ways to brew at home. Have you tried other methods, and is this your preferred method?

Bill: Pour-over coffee is a broad term with many devices and methods. I prefer the Hario V60 because I’ve used it the longest and know how to use it without referencing recipes. It has one large hole at the bottom, so pouring must be precise. Other devices, like the Kalita 185 or 155, have flat bottoms with multiple small holes, which are easier to use and brew a slightly different cup. Other methods include AeroPress, siphons, and more. It all comes down to preference and comfort.

Money is also a factor. How much do these setups cost compared to a typical home barista investment?

Bill: The most important part of home brewing is a good grinder, preferably a burr grinder. It doesn’t need to be $600—a good $80 grinder works. You also need a gooseneck kettle. That’s really all you need to get started. Specialty coffee often emphasizes expensive gear, but for home brewing, a grinder and kettle are sufficient. A pour-over device costs around $20, filters $10, and a decanter or mug setup completes the basics. Realistically, a full home setup can cost around $300 or less, depending on how thorough you want to be.

Bill: I’m excited because part two of this episode will feature another home barista and their methods. 

Any final tips for listeners?

Bill: Yes. One, don’t ever feel intimidated in a coffee shop—ask any questions. Baristas, including myself, love when people ask questions. The more you ask, the easier it gets. Two, be happy with whatever you’re drinking. Don’t feel guilty. Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t terrible—it’s not specialty coffee, but if it gets you through your day, that’s what matters.