Brewing Essentials:

Hey folks! So you want to brew up some amazing coffee, do ya? Well, just like cooking or baking there are some essential basics you need to know to keep your coffee tasting good everyday and get your day started just right.

Coffee: Water Ratio

The coffee-to-water ratio that you plan to brew your coffee at is probably one of the most important aspects to get your coffee tasting just right. A 1:15 to 1:17 ratio (Example: 1 part coffee: 15 parts water) is the range of golden ratios that people typically enjoy coffee at. This is important as it will primarily determine the strength of your coffee. If you like your coffee stronger, you may lean towards a 1:15 ratio. Conversely, if you like your coffee a little more delicate, you may lean towards a 1:17. 

 

Fresh roasted and good quality coffee

In order to have good coffee in the morning, it is pivotal to buy freshly roasted and good quality coffee. Things you can look for on coffee bags are the roast date which will indicate when the coffee was roasted. For the best taste, we recommend that you don’t brew coffee that is older than 2 months, especially if you have opened the bag. 

 

Quality Water

Coffee is made up of roughly 98.5% water. If we consider that, then it becomes obvious that the quality of water can drastically affect the quality of your coffee. The taste of water can impart off flavors that will get in the way of your delicious morning cup. We won’t get into the science here, but using clean and filtered water is our recommendation for anyone brewing on any type of brewer.

 

Consistent Measurements and Techniques

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency. Get a quality routine for your coffee and stick to it! Keeping consistent measurements whether it’s in tablespoons or grams; will ensure you get the best cup in the morning!

 

Grind Size

Different brewing methods may require different grind sizes. Grind sizes can range from coarser grinds to finer grinds and this can impact the flavor you’re getting out of your cup. For your basic home coffee brewing machine, we recommend a medium-coarse grind for a flat-bed brewer and a medium-fine grind for a conical shaped brewer.

 

Brew Time

Similar to cooking, coffee can “over-cook” or “under-cook”. “Over-cooking” is called over-extraction in coffee brewing and will cause your coffee to taste bitter and salty. “Under-cooking” is called under-extraction and will cause your coffee to taste sour. So what are we looking for here? We’re looking for extracting for the right amount of time so that we can get our brews just right! Using our palette to guide us can help us understand if the coffee brewed for too long and if we need to brew it for less or more time!