Make the Brew that Works for You
We've compiled a list of our best tips and tricks gathered during hours spent brewing and experimenting to help you improve your coffee at home:
- First things first. Freshly roasted coffee is not a plus, it's a must. Fresh in means fresh out. When purchasing coffee check the roast date to make sure it's current.
- You want to make sure you have the right grind size for your particular brewer. The grind size you are looking for is medium, or the consistency of regular sand when brewing for drip coffee.
- The next step that often gets over-looked is dosing your coffee properly. We highly recommend a scale to really up your game using a ratio of 1 gram of coffee to every 16 grams of water. Wanna go old school, no scale? Use 2 teaspoons of coffee per 8 ounces of water or as most brewers have marked "cup". But seriously, once you go scale you'll never go back it's the truest way to consistently brew a great cup.
- One you’ve got your coffee dosed, it is important to pre-wet your filter to help with extraction.
- Lastly add the water. Use only the highest quality water possible, filtered if possible. For water temperature, your brewer may not allow you to program the temp, but if you can start with 204º. Then brew, wait and enjoy! (And although it might be convenient to set it up for over-night brewing, your coffee will be flat. Always brew your coffee within 4 minutes of grinding/removing from the package.)
Notes on grind size: Grind size and quality of utmost importance in the brewing process. If the grind size is too coarse, you will end up with a coffee that is considered “under extracted”. Simply put, the water has spent too little of a time in contact with the ground coffee and will taste sour or too acidic. If the grind size is too fine, you will end up a cup that is “over extracted.” The water has spent too much in your coffee bed and will result in notes of bitterness.
The key is to experiment with different grind settings using your favorite brewing method until you’ve found the sweet spot. In the end, it’s all about finding the perfect balance of acidity and bitterness that works for you. After all, it's your cup.
Check out this fun video from Severn.