With a bit of know-how and brewing knowledge, it’s easy to make your daily coffee routine a ritual that’s on point with your favourite coffee shop, all from the comfort of home. From equipment to beans, here we run through the five key steps we believe are essential to brewing a consistently great coffee, every time.
Read on to better your home brew experience with our failsafe tips.
QUALITY COFFEE
It sounds obvious, but a great cup of coffee needs–you guessed it, great beans–but choosing your favourite coffee (made really eay with one of our subscriptions) is just one part of the equation. Take care to ensure you store your coffee in an airtight container, and keep it in a cool, dark spot (not in a cupboard next to your oven, for example): this will ensure your coffee is kept fresh after opening.
CLEAN AS YOU GO
Making sure to keep brewing equipment clean doesn’t just help keep your coffee set up in good working order, but makes a big difference in taste, too. Be sure to ensure there are no leftover grinds in your burrs, that your coffee basket, AeroPress, or V60 is clean and dry before and after use, and that your brewing area has been wiped down too. Finally, give your favourite serving vessel a good clean and dry, and you’re ready to enjoy making your brew.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR GRIND
If you’ve got a grinder in your home brew kit collection, you’ll already know that being able to grind just the amount you need, for your preferred brewing method, aids a much better brew. Grinding the right coarseness or fineness is the next step in ensuring a great home coffee. If you’re not able to grind your coffee at home, you can choose from fine, medium and coarse ground coffee from our collection–just be sure to make sure you keep the rest of your coffee stored in an airtight container until you’re ready to use. Unsure what size grind you need? We’ve got a guide for that, too.
WEIGHT AND TIME
If you enjoy making coffee at home, whether daily, or as part of your weekend ritual, weighing out your ground coffee to ensure you’re measuring out the right amount for your chosen brew, will make your cup infinitely better. Precision is key here - no amount of eyeballing your dose will equal the same level of consistency needed when it comes to making a great coffee, something that a good set of scales can provide. Some scales have the added bonus of a timer, too, so you can keep an eye on your brewing time from start to finish. If your scales don’t have this feature, your watch or phone will do the job nicely.
FILTER, RINSE, HEAT
We speak a lot about quality when it comes to coffee–and the water used for your brew is just as important. Depending on where you live, the water you get from your kitchen tap can alter the taste in your cup–and that’s a big consideration when it makes up 90 percent of your coffee. That’s why we recommend filtering your water, removing organic compounds and chlorine before it even reaches the kettle. Make sure to heat a little more water than you need for your coffee, using some to preheat your serving vessel, and rinse over filter papers if using. Ready to brew?
Check out our brew guides for full recipes here.
