A coffee shop owner has revealed the four most common mistakes that ruin a home-brewed coffee. Nikola Sasal, who runs Brew Bear Coffee House in Evesham, West Midlands, says many people fail to achieve the perfect cup because they ignore the fundamentals.
According to Sasal, the top errors are burning milk by over-steaming it, using low-quality coffee beans, under- or over-extracting espresso (resulting in bitterness or no taste), and adding too much cold milk. She emphasised that getting the right ratio of ingredients is crucial for a successful brew.
For a flat white, her personal favourite, Sasal recommends 4-5 oz of well-steamed hot milk. She also stresses the importance of freshly roasted beans: “It has to be freshly roasting or else the beans go stale and taste more bitter.”
Beyond brewing tips, Sasal has noticed a growing trend of coffee shops being used for first dates. She suggests that after the lunchtime rush is the ideal time for a coffee date, advising couples to find a quiet corner. This observation aligns with a survey by SumUp, which found that one in four British adults now prefer a coffee shop for an initial romantic meeting.
