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If you have recently purchased your own home espresso machine, you might be looking for accessories for it. There are some basic “must haves” and there are some really fun add-ons as well. Pick a few from this list to get you off on the right brewing foot.

Let’s start with the espresso grinder and the espresso tamper. The most important accessory to your espresso machine is your coffee grinder. A poor grinder can actually burn your coffee prior to brewing so a good grinder can actually improve the taste of your coffee. The better quality grinders are burr grinders. Don’t skimp on your grinder.

An espresso tamper is a necessity and you probably got one with your espresso machine. A new tamper can be a nice upgrade if yours is a poorly made model (most that come with espresso machine are poor quality). Make sure the new tamper you are getting fits the opening well and beyond that get one that feels good to you.

A steamer or frothing pitcher makes you look like you know what you are doing. Many espresso drinks (lattes, mochas, cappuccinos, etc) call for either steamed or frothed milk so this will be a required item. You don’t need to get a giant pitcher; one the size of a can of soda pop is good enough for home use.

Now we come to espresso and latte cups. There is a huge variety of designs and styles to choose from. One of my favorites is the simple espresso shot glass. These are made with special heat resistant glass and double walled construction to retain as much heat as possible. The other really cool avenue to explore with espresso cups are the porcelain designer cups. These are short production run cups with unique art from known designers (famous artists, architects, etc). These espresso cups can become very collectable once they are out of production.

Along with the espresso cups you will want to add espresso spoons. Just like with espresso cups versus latte cups, there are latte spoons to match to your cups. Some of these spoons can be quite elaborate in their construction while others are plain.

An espresso recipe book will keep you brewing for a long time. Some of the more popular recipe books have over 200 coffee recipes! Here are a couple of recipes to get you started. A latte is espresso with steamed milk. A mocha is a latte with chocolate syrup and a cappuccino is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 frothed milk.

Once you have the basic espresso drinks mastered you can start adding flavored syrups. There are dozens of flavors and even some that are seasonal (example: pumpkin). You can easily get carried away with too many choices so try them out at your local coffee shop before you buy a multi-year supply in a 750ml bottle.

With some many options it is sometimes hard to know where to start. The best place to begin is with the basics (coffee grinder, espresso cups) and move on to the next options when you need them. Espresso brewing is a surprisingly deep hobby and with a few of the right add-ons you will have fun learning new recipes and improving your skill for a long time to come.