The Complete Home Brewing Guide
You've bought good beans. You've got a decent grinder. Now what? Here's everything we've learned about making genuinely good coffee at home, stripped of the snobbery.
The Three Variables That Actually Matter
Forget about water temperature measured to 0.1 degrees or timing your bloom to the second. Three things make 90% of the difference:
- Grind size — Match it to your brew method. Too fine and it's bitter. Too coarse and it's weak and sour. This is the single biggest lever you have.
- Coffee-to-water ratio — Start with 1:16 (that's 1 gram of coffee to 16 grams of water). Adjust from there. Use a kitchen scale; eyeballing it is unreliable.
- Freshness — Use beans within 4 weeks of roast date. Grind just before brewing. Pre-ground coffee loses flavour within 30 minutes of grinding. This isn't marketing — it's chemistry.
Method: French Press
The most forgiving method and our recommendation for beginners. Grab our French press and some organic beans and you're set.
- Grind: Coarse (like raw sugar)
- Ratio: 1:15 (slightly stronger suits immersion brewing)
- Water: Just off the boil (around 95-96C). If you don't have a thermometer, boil the kettle and wait 30 seconds.
- Brew time: 4 minutes. Don't push the plunger aggressively — gentle pressure.
- Pour immediately after plunging. Coffee left in the press keeps extracting.
Method: Pour Over
More control, more ritual, slightly more room to mess it up.
- Grind: Medium (like table salt)
- Ratio: 1:16
- Bloom: Pour twice the weight of coffee in water (e.g., 30g water for 15g coffee). Wait 30-45 seconds. The grounds should bubble as CO2 escapes.
- Pour in slow, concentric circles. Total brew time should be 3-4 minutes.
- If it drains too fast, grind finer. Too slow, grind coarser.
Method: Espresso
The most demanding method. Small changes make big differences. Our espresso machine paired with the burr grinder is a solid starting setup.
- Grind: Fine (like flour, but not powder)
- Dose: 18-20g for a double shot
- Yield: 36-40g of liquid espresso
- Time: 25-35 seconds from pump start
- If the shot runs too fast (under 25s), grind finer. If it chokes (over 35s), grind coarser.
Water Matters More Than You Think
Coffee is 98% water. If your tap water tastes off, your coffee will too. Filtered water is the easiest upgrade you can make. Avoid distilled or reverse-osmosis water — some mineral content is needed for proper extraction.
Storage
Keep beans in an airtight container at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Don't refrigerate. Don't freeze (unless you're storing long-term and won't be opening the bag repeatedly). The resealable bags we ship in work fine for the 2-3 weeks it takes to get through a 250g bag.
Read more: Understanding Coffee Origins