Four Steps to better home coffee

There are four basic criteria you need to consider when making coffee at home: Water, Coffee, Method and a Recipe.

Water

Most of your cup of coffee is water – this is why it is important to have the best quality water you can before you begin brewing coffee. Your municipal water can be great – but not ideal for coffee. Spring water is the same – it may be good, tasty and delicious but depending on the method you prefer may cause more hassles than it’s worth. The minerals in spring water that make it delicious are also the components that will scale the heating elements in coffee makers and the inside of water kettles.

if you are using a method that has metal elements (stovetop/electric kettle; automatic maker; Kurig) your best options are Reverse Osmosis water or Distilled water. These will not have the minerals or flavor that spring water has – but they will not shorten the life of your brewing tools either.

Coffee

Coffee is grown worldwide. The flavor is influenced by soil composition, altitude, species and many other factors. Which coffee is best — is something only you can determine for yourself. If you have a coffee roaster near you,I encourage you to talk to them, and maybe select a few different beans from different locations and make them. Once you decide your favorite, drink that until you feel adventurous again. The two main types of coffee you will see are: Arabica and Robusta. Some brands will mix both of these together. Arabica is thought of as a ‘better’ more desirable bean; but is harder to grow. Robusta will grow in places where other coffee plants will not. Robusta beans can have more bitterness in the final brew, making them less desirable to some coffee drinkers.

Method

Grind

Each method will be best with an appropriate grind. For Turkish coffee you need an extremely fine grind. For immersion (French press and similar) you need a coarse grind. This is why grinders have adjustable settings: so you can select the correct grind for your method.

Brew

The brewing process is often built around the tool you use to make coffee. Espresso machines will require one set of inputs, while a French Press will require completely different brewing technique. Starting with a base recipe, and making small adjustments based on your taste are an important component to making and enjoying coffee at home.

Recipe

Basic recipe: 60 grams of coffee to one liter water. Adjust to taste. Here is a table for basic brew methods.

Brew Method	Coffee Amount	Water Amount	Grind
cold brew concentrate	100 grams	600 ml	medium – coarse
cold brew ready to drink	40 grams	600 ml	medium – coarse
French Press (immersion)	60 – 75 grams	1 liter	coarse
Pour Over (1 cup)	15 grams	250 ml	fine – medium
Cezve (Turkish Coffee)	7 grams (1 Tbls)	70 ml	Very fine