Brew better at home in 6 easy steps
- Teresa Pilarz
- Feb 9
- 2 min read
How ya brewin'?
That's one of my favorite questions to ask! I like it so much that we often print it on the back of our company shirts.
Your choice of coffee brewing method has a lot to do with the results you will experience at home, but even more importantly, HOW you execute your chosen method has even more to do with the outcome. In a world of many options there are a couple of brew methods that I don't like, but the truth is that you can have the fanciest equipment in the world and still make really crappy coffee. There are just so many ways for potentially good brews to go bad! In other words, it's pretty easy to wreck coffee or at least end up with less than stellar results.
What if just a few simple adjustments could make your coffee at home so much better? As a roaster and coffee shop owner, I'd like to share how you can brew better at home in 6 easy steps. Let's go!
The first thing you need to do is get your hands on some fresh beans, preferably directly from a local roaster like Espresso Elevado! That's how we make a real difference in our communities by supporting original concept, independent businesses (and thereby avoiding towns and cities that all look and feel the same).
When planning your home coffee bar, invest strategically in tools that will make the most difference. Regardless of your brew method, without a doubt I recommend a good burr grinder and a gram scale. The burr grinder allows you to grind on demand and easily adjust grind size to match your brew method. The gram scale makes brewing more precise and repeatable
Learn about and experiment with grind size. In general longer brew times like french press require a courser grind and quick brew times like espresso need a fine grind.
If your coffee tastes funky, a prime suspect should be your water! After all, coffee is over 98% water. Whenever customers say their coffee just doesn't taste as good at home, I always question whether they're using filtered water instead of tap, hard, or soft water.
Work on perfecting your brewing formula. By understanding basic coffee to water ratios you'll be able to determine how much coffee is optimal for your brewer and your personal taste. It is generally agreed that optimal coffee to water brewing ranges go from 1:15 to 1:18. One part coffee to 15 parts water results in a stronger brew, while one part coffee to 18 parts water is weaker. So, as a practical example, if you want to make a pourover for a 10oz mug, you might start with 300g water and between 17-20 grams of coffee based on your preferences.
Store your beans properly in an opaque, airtight container for maximum freshness. Proper storage helps you avoid exposure to oxygen, heat, light and moisture, which are the main enemies of coffee.
These tips will surely get you on your way! If you'd like to print a handy infographic of this, I'm including my lovely .pdf summary below!
Happy brewing!
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