I always remove the wheel and pads, and gently pump the lever to expose the pistons.
I give em a clean with ear-buds/Dot fluid to make sure no crap will cause them to stick, and to lubricate the seals.
Best method is to use a wide flat object (cone spanner etc) to hold one side's pistons in, to increase the distance the other side will become exposed. Be careful not too pop them out though!
Not the end of the world if pistons pop out as they can pop back in – but DOT will p!$$ everywhere
I always wedge the freshly cleaned/DOT-lubed pistons in place with a lump of wood – but anything will do, as long as they as set right back into the caliper body, and cannot budge!
I always use the soft grip on a tool to repeatedly knock/tap the caliper, hose length and lever to make sure any air is mobile, and likely to be bled out.
As mentioned above, the Hope vid clips are extremely useful – especially the piston centering trick. That one always has the most impact in lever feel : )