There are two main types of coffee bean: arabica and robusta. Arabica is grown on hillsides in Central and South America, Indonesia, Africa and India. It has wonderful flavour, style and character, influenced by where it is grown and in what conditions.

But although you'll have to pay more for a taste of these coffees, which are a blend of instant and ground coffee, it's worth considering the trade-up if you're after a high-end home brew. We tried: Nescafé Azera Americano, Nescafé Azera Intenso, Kenco Millicano Americano Instant Coffee, Sainsbury's Americano Microground, Lavazza Prontissmo Intenso You don't need to wait ages, or buy a fancy multi-temperature kettle for the best results. Instead, just wait 10 seconds or so after boiling before you pour. When our coffee expert tried this out, he found this amount of time gives a rich, smooth style – but warns against waiting too much longer as you could end up with a thin taste. 2. Choose the right milkGiles says: 'Full cream is the richest option and creates a heavier, creamy note, while semi-skimmed milk is good as it's smooth and doesn't dominate the coffee.' 3. Store your coffee properly

Sainsbury’s Americano microground went down reasonably well too, so there’s no need to rule out slightly cheaper own-label options.Store all types of coffee in an airtight container, in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight. This will help to prevent the flavourful essential oils from evaporating. We enlisted the help of our long-time coffee expert Giles Hilton to bring you unrivalled insight into what's on the shelf. Our coffee expert was impressed by this corner of the coffee aisle, describing the microgrounds as ‘a great creation. The blend works very well, increasing the coffee character and flavours. The fineness of the ground coffee prevents any gritty effect, and they all brew easily and cleanly'. Single-origin coffee comes from one specific region and has a distinct flavour unique to the area it’s grown in. That flavour can be influenced by various factors such as soil, climate and altitude.