Brew Guides
The Key to Making a Great Cup at Home
Brewing a great cup of coffee at home is simple! As long as you keep these four factors in mind, you can make a consistently awesome cup of coffee.
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Freshness
Coffee should be fresh and ground as close to brewing as possible. You should aim to use your freshly roasted coffee within two weeks of the roast date. While coffee doesn’t “go bad” like say, milk or eggs, it does lose aromatics and can even develop a rancid taste from the natural oils which rise to the surface of the bean once roasted. Contrary to popular belief, freezing or refrigerating does not extend the life of your freshly roasted coffee. Coffee should be stored in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight.
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Proper Grind
Ahh! The smell of freshly ground coffee! Grinding your coffee at home can vastly improve your morning cup. But what kind of grinder should you use? What grind setting should you use?! This is where owner Brant Cosaboom could really “geek out”. Getting the proper grind can be as simple as asking yourself this question “how does it taste?” If your coffee tastes too bitter or acidic it may be your grind is too fine; if your coffee tastes too weak or watery it may be your grind is too coarse. Try adjusting your grinder setting and go from there. We do suggest burr grinders over blade grinders, as burr grinders produce a much more consistent and even grind.
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Brew Ratio
The term brew ratio refers to a simple ratio:
Fluid ounces of water : Weight (ounces) of coffee.
Over the years and through lots of taste tests, we have found the brew ratio that works for us. The tendency at home is to use less coffee than we would in our cafe - but this is where you have the most potential to lose flavor. Generally, we’re looking for a brew ratio of 15:1 – 17:1 for brewed coffee and a 4:1 – 5:1 ratio for espresso. -
Water
Coffee is mostly water after all! Water should be filtered, and brought to the correct temperature for a proper extraction. Using carbon filtered water (such as a Brita or Pur filter) will help ensure you’ve removed the impurities from your water, and ideally - water should be between 200° and 205°, or just off boiling.
Good luck and get brewin’!
Equipment we like:
- Brewers: Aeropress, Bodum French Press, Hario V60
- Grinders: Baratza Virtuoso, Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind
- Accessories: Bonavita Electric Gooseneck Kettle, Jennings CJ600 Scale
