Brew Better Coffee
Simple rules that actually move the needle
Great coffee is not about fancy gear. It is about control. Control your inputs and your coffee gets better fast.
Start with fresh beans. If it smells flat, it will taste flat.
Use good water. If your water tastes off, your coffee will too, we recommend filtered or bottled water.
Measure your coffee and water. Consistency beats guessing, and ratios are important!
Adjust one thing at a time. Otherwise you will never know what worked.
Basic Gear
A good grinder will do way more for you than a fancy machine! We recommend conical burr grinders for the most consistent results! You can find great value grinders if you opt for a manual over and electric!
Get a scale! Being able to weigh your coffee and water is crucial to making great brews! You don't need anything fancy here either.
Get a kettle that holds temperature well and can adjust! Being able to set a temperature and have your kettle hold that number will lead to more consistent brews!
What Extraction Really Means
Extraction is how much flavor you are pulling out of the coffee. The goal is balance.
Too little extraction and the coffee tastes sharp and empty.
Too much extraction and it turns bitter and harsh.
You are always adjusting grind, time, and temperature to land in the middle.
Under Extraction
This is when you are not pulling enough out of the coffee.
What it tastes like:
Sour, sharp, thin, sometimes even a little salty
How to fix it:
- Grind finer so water has more contact with the coffee
- Increase brew time
- Increase the water temp by a few °F
- Make sure all the grounds are evenly saturated
Over Extraction
This is when you are pulling too much out of the coffee.
What it tastes like:
Bitter, dry, harsh, lingering unpleasant finish
How to fix it:
- Grind coarser to slow extraction
- Shorten brew time
- Decrease the water temp by a few °F
- Reduce how aggressively you pour or stir
Light Roast Brewing
Light roasts are dense and harder to extract, so they need more effort.
Use hotter water around 203 to 205°F
Grind a bit finer than you think
Let the brew run slightly longer
If it tastes sour, you are under extracting and need to push it further
Done right, you get bright acidity and clear, complex flavors
Medium Roast Brewing
This is your most forgiving range and a good baseline.
Use water around 200 to 203°F
Stick to standard brew times
Use a balanced grind
If you are dialing in a new coffee, start here
Dark Roast Brewing
Dark roasts extract quickly and can go bitter fast.
Use cooler water around 195 to 200°F
Grind slightly coarser
Shorten brew time
If it tastes bitter or ashy, you have gone too far
Coffee to Water Ratio
Start with a 1:16 ratio (for hot brewing methods)
That means
25g coffee to 400g water
40g coffee to 640g water
For stronger coffee go to 1:15
For lighter coffee go to 1:17
This controls strength, not quality. You can still make strong bad coffee.
Tinker around with what works for you!
Grind Size Basics
Grind size is your most powerful tool!
The most important part of a grind is the uniformity. You want all of your grounds to be uniform in size, the more uniform, the better the extraction.
If your coffee tastes sour, go finer.
If it tastes bitter, go coarser.
If your brew runs too fast, go finer.
If it runs too slow, go coarser.
Small changes make a big difference
Final Thought
Good coffee is not complicated. It is consistent.
Fresh beans, proper grind, good water, small adjustments.
Do that, and your coffee will taste like it is supposed to, and you will make your bubbie proud!