How to Brew Better Coffee at Home

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Aug 21

Have you ever visited a coffee shop and had a killer cup of coffee, bought the bag to brew at home because you loved it so much, only to be disappointed that it tasted nothing like it did at the shop? Without having a good understanding of all the factors that go into a good cup of coffee, it's hard to know how to adjust things when your coffee isn't tasting quite right. Using my years of experience working in the specialty coffee industry, I wrote this blog to equip you with the tools you need to fiddle with your coffee brewing routine to get it tasting exactly how you want it.

I've been working all year on this, and am so excited to finally be able to share my top tips on brewing better coffee at home! I've even included a tutorial video on how to brew coffee using a Chemex (my favorite brew method) for all of you visual learners! So buckle up for my nerdiest, most information-heavy post to date. Whether you are wanting to learn more about home brewing or are already home brewing and just need some tips to take your coffee to the next level - this is for you.

THE GOAL: Chasing Sweetness.

When properly extracted, coffee is supposed to be naturally sweet. I don’t mean that it’s supposed to taste like it has sugar in it - what I mean is that it’s not supposed to taste burnt. Coffee is a FRUIT. If your coffee isn’t deliciously sweet and acidic, like biting into a piece of fruit, something’s wrong. There are many factors that go into this - I’m going to walk you through them and teach you how to adjust each one of them to help you start brewing better coffee. But first, here are a couple of terms to note before we get started:

Extraction, simply put, is everything that the water takes from the coffee.

Under-extracted: When you haven’t taken enough flavor out of the coffee grinds, leaving the coffee tasting sour, lacking sweetness, and salty.

Over-extracted: When you take too much of the soluble flavors out of the coffee, leaving a bitter, dry, hollow, astringent taste in your mouth.

Properly Extracted: When the coffee tastes sweet and ripe - just like fruit. Like my trainer, Robbie, told me, “If the acidity is so definable and intense that you can pinpoint a variety of fruit and remember the last time you ate it, you’re nailing it.”

“If the acidity is so definable and intense that you can pinpoint a variety of fruit and remember the last time you ate it, you’re nailing it.”

Depending on where the coffee beans are grown - the climate, the altitude, etc. - they can offer all sorts of different flavors and notes. Coffee is very similar to wine in that regard. I love Counter Culture's color wheel of coffee notes. The first time I saw it, I remember my mind being blown that coffee could have so many different flavors and notes other than the burnt and ashy flavors I was used to!

If your coffee isn’t sweet, some adjustments need to be made. Below you’ll find some of the factors that go into making a delicious cup of coffee, and how to adjust your coffee routine accordingly. I primarily use a Chemex to brew coffee, so many of my examples will involve pour over methods, however the same principles apply no matter the brewing method.

8 Factors That Make a Great Cup of Coffee

1. The Beans

The quality (and freshness) of your coffee beans is paramount. As far as roasts go, you’ll want to stick somewhere between light to medium roasts. Don’t even touch dark roasts. I used to think that dark roasts equaled more caffeine, but that’s actually not true. The lighter the roast, the more caffeine it has! When you see a dark roast, it literally just means that they’ve burned the coffee, and no one wants ash tray taste in their mouth.

Even in the specialty coffee industry, not all roasters are equal. Everyone’s preferences are different, so experiment and try out some different roasters to find your favorite! There are so many amazing coffee roasters out there. Like I said, it’s completely a matter of preference, so shop around! Many of them offer coffee subscriptions that will ship right to your door! Some great ones to check out:

Honest Coffee Roasters

High Brow Coffee

Crema

Four Barrel Coffee

2. Water Quality

Since water makes up 98% of coffee, water quality can affect the taste of your coffee tremendously. If your tap water doesn't taste good to drink, it's not going to taste good in your coffee either. I'd recommend trying filtered water! Even just using a Brita filter would help!

Most coffee shops use water that is carefully calibrated to make sure their pH levels are just right. So if you're wondering why your coffee doesn't taste the same as it did at the coffee shop - that might just be it. If you really want to go all out, Third Wave Water offers a mineral additive that can be added to your water for optimized brewing!

3. Temperature

The perfect brewing temperature is between 196 and 205 degrees F. If you’re using a kettle, there’s no need to actually temp your water. Just bring your water to a boil, and then let it sit for 20-30 seconds before you start pouring. Obviously you don't want to leave it sitting there too long, so make sure to reheat it if it's been much longer than 30 seconds.

4. Brew Method

Your brew method plays a huge factor in how your coffee will taste. We primarily use our Chemex to brew coffee in the mornings, so I don’t put a lot of thought into this variable. However - brew method is huge. The Chemex is great if you’re buying high quality, fresh coffee beans, because it offers lots of clarity and sweetness to the coffee. But if for some reason we’re having to use old coffee or a lesser quality coffee, we’ll use our French press, because it tends to mask some of the less desirable qualities. Many people prefer the French press because of the bold flavor and thick mouthfeel it gives due to its long brew time and the fact that it doesn’t filter out any of the oils from the coffee.

There are plenty of other brew methods you can use, all having their own unique offerings and affects on coffee. (Aeropress, v60, etc.) The v60 is the most similar to the Chemex. I love this method, and would probably use it more if we didn’t make coffee for two every morning!

5. Dose

The dose refers to the ratio of coffee to water. This determines the strength of your coffee. I usually use a 1:16 ratio, with very little variation from that, regardless of which brew method I’m using. So if I’m making a 12oz cup for myself, I use 25g of coffee grinds and 400g of water (25g x 16 = 400g). If I’m making it for both of us, I use 43g of coffee, and 688g of water (43g x 16 = 688g).

6. Grind Size

Grind size plays a huge part in the taste of your coffee. Other than the quality of the beans, this is the biggest thing I pay attention to when I’m dialing in my coffee. (“Dialing in” just means tweaking the coffee to find the sweet spot - the perfect balance - so the sweetness of the coffee really shines.) When using a Chemex, you'll want to start by grinding your beans at a medium grind - about the size of sea salt. If the grind size is too fine (small) the coffee will be over-extracted. If the grind size is too coarse (big), the coffee will be under-extracted. The goal is to find the sweet spot - the grind size that is perfectly in between these two extremes. And it looks different for every coffee - especially if you’re switching between brew methods or coffee roasters.

Coarse —> Less extraction

Fine —> More extraction

Every coffee roaster roasts their coffees differently. And every coffee is different. They have different densities, make-ups, roasts, etc. Because of this, you’ll want to consider the grind size any time you open up a new bag of coffee. It might take a couple tries tweaking it to get it right where you want it.

If it tastes bitter (over-extracted), coarsen the grind a little bit. If it tastes sour or empty (under-extracted), fine up the grind. Remember, a little bit goes a long way! Even a tiny correction can affect the coffee greatly, so go slow.

Your coffee grinder also makes a big difference! Blade grinders are inconsistent and leave your coffee grinds uneven, which means you’ll have some grinds that are really under-extracted, some that are over-extracted, and some that are properly extracted. You do not want that. Burr grinders are the way to go - they help to make sure that your grinds are a consistent size so you have the best chance at an even extraction.

Each grinder is a little different, so you’ll have to feel it out on your grinder and figure out what settings work best for you! We have a wide range on ours, but we only use a small portion of it since we use the same brew method consistently. We only change it a notch or two one way or the other usually.

7. Brew Time

If you’ve played around with your grind size and still aren’t getting the results you want, try playing with your brew time. Usually a Chemex is poured for 2 minutes. If your coffee is tasting bitter and over extracted, try a shorter brew time. If it’s tasting sour, or just boring, try a longer brew time. I’d recommend playing with it in 15 second increments.

8. Rinse That Filter

Paper filters can cause your coffee to taste a bit like…well, paper. The solution to this is simple - use hot water to "rinse" the filter before you begin brewing your coffee. I usually use water from my kettle and douse it using circular motions. Make sure the whole filter is soaked. After you've done this, pour out the water that's now sitting at the bottom of your brewing method. This step also helps to pre-heat everything so your coffee stays hot longer.