Dualit launches 'at-home' barista kit with coffee grinder

Dualit has launched a barista kit designed to help you recreate your coffee shop favourites at home.

If you're working from home more these days and missing your morning latte, the home barista kit aims to help you take your coffee making to the next level.

For just under £100, you'll get a premium tamper, a milk frothing jug with thermometer and a specially designed box for tapping out your ground coffee waste.

But what accessories do you really need for pro-level home coffee making? We take a closer look at what's included in the kit and what you'll get for your money.

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Want a machine to do all the hard work for you? - head to our round-up of the best coffee machines

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Barista kit: what's included

Each piece in the kit is available separately, so you can pick and choose which bits you want, but if you buy all three, then opting for the kit will save you around £10.

For an even fresher brew, a Dualit handheld coffee grinder is also available.

Really, this accessory kit will suit those who own a ground coffee machine or are considering getting one.

Not sure what type of coffee machine you want? See our full coffee machine buying guide for more on the different types.

Dualit coffee tamper, £35

For serious coffee makers a good tamper can help get the best results. The reason you use a tamper is so that the coffee is tightly packed, allowing the hot water to flow through evenly and maximise flavour extraction.

Dualit says this spring-loaded stainless-steel tamper will put the perfect amount of pressure on your ground coffee, gently compacting it in the portafilter.

Most ground coffee machines will come with a tamper included. However, on cheaper machines, it will often be made of plastic, and be incorporated on the end of the measuring spoon.

This doesn't necessarily mean you won't get good results, though. See our top-rated ground coffee machines.

Dualit milk-frothing jug and thermometer, £40

This 460ml stainless-steel milk-frothing jug comes with a removable thermometer that indicates when your milk is at frothing temperature. The jug is designed to be easy pour and it's also dishwasher safe, which should make cleaning less hassle.

Many ground coffee machines come with a steam pipe, for frothing milk, but not a jug to go with it, so it could be worth investing in a jug to help prepare perfect foam for your brew.

It can take a bit of time to get the hang of it. If you don't fancy the effort, an automatic milk frothing accessory does the same thing and start from around £35. If you prefer your coffee machine to make a milky drink for you, opt for one with automatic milk frothing built in.

See our guide to the best milk frothers.

Dualit knock box, £35

This may be a piece of kit you never knew you needed. But if you're fed up of knocking out used ground coffee straight into your kitchen compost caddy or your bin, Dualit may have the answer - a knock box.

Never heard of one? It's essentially a dedicated bin for coffee grounds, designed so you can knock against the central bar to dislodge the used coffee grounds and prep your next brew with minimal hassle.

It's big enough to fit 24 double packs of used ground coffee and has a gripped base to stop the box moving around.

Do you really need one? It will take up extra countertop space, but on the plus side you keep your portafilter away from dirty bins or compost caddies.

Dualit coffee grinder, £100

This handheld grinder from Dualit isn't included in the Barista kit, but can be bought separately.

It features 40 different grind settings - from super fine for your espressos to coarse for your cafetiu00e8re. The conical burrs crush your beans, hand-powered by an oak ball handle, which deposits freshly ground coffee into a small collection container.

If you don't have a bean-to-cup coffee machine, a coffee grinder can be a good gadget to add if you're after a fresh brew, but this Dualit version is quite pricey, especially for a manual version.

See our guide to coffee grinders for more advice and our top picks.

Home coffee making accessories: how to pick the right kit for you

Making coffee at home needn't be a lengthy process. A decent coffee machine will be able to brew an espresso quickly and easily regardless of how much effort you want to put in.

If you're after a quick, consistent coffee with minimal effort a pod coffee machine is a good option. Pod costs can mount up, though, and depending on the machine you choose you may be tied into one type of pod, plus the pods need recycling or disposing, which creates waste.

For a cheaper brew, and if you're willing to put a little more effort in, then a ground coffee machine could be the best pick. You'll need to prep the machine and clean up afterwards but you can customise your coffee to how you like it. Plus, most come with a steam wand to create frothy milk for cappuccinos, lattes or other milky drinks.

Picking a bean-to-cup machine will mean the freshest brew as beans are ground on demand. These machines tend to be more expensive, can be large and bulky, plus they require a lot more cleaning and maintenance to keep in the best condition.

But the trade off is a fresh brew, and the coffee-making process is almost fully automated, especially if you choose one with a built-in milk container.

Find out more about picking the best kit in our coffee machine buying guide.

Prices correct as of 13 August 2020