Here are some tips for brewing the best-tasting coffee at home:
Start with a quality bean.
A good coffee bean is a must.
Let’s face it, you can’t make a great cup of coffee if you don’t start out with a quality bean. Of course, we recommend Sound Coffee for the freshest beans delivered to your home.
Grind your beans just before brewing.
You should be grinding your coffee beans right before you brew, as the grinding process releases the oils that make coffee taste so good. These oils are volatile, meaning they can go rancid if left in the air for too long. Grinding is also important because it helps minimize inconsistencies in temperature and pressure during the brewing process by distributing water evenly across all of your grinds. If you don't have a grinder at home, there are plenty of automatic options for less than $100 that will do just fine—just make sure to spend some extra money on high-quality beans!
Store your beans in an airtight bag at room temperature - don't store them in the fridge.
When you buy your beans, keep them in an airtight bag at room temperature. Don't store them in the fridge or freezer as these two conditions promote condensation, which causes bean oils to run together and become bitter.
Use a burr grinder (not a blade grinder) to get a consistent grind.
Blade grinders are cheaper, but they won't give you the same consistency of flavor as a burr grinder. If you have an electric blade-style grinder, it most likely uses metal blades to chop up beans into smaller pieces. The result is an unevenly ground product that will affect the taste of your brew. Additionally, heat from friction created by grinding can damage the oil in roasted coffee beans and negatively impact its aroma and flavor profile when brewed (and it will also leave some nasty dust on any countertop). This isn't a problem with burr grinders—they don't produce heat or use blades to achieve their desired results.
Your coffee should be ground coarsely for brewing methods using longer contact time (like French press, Chemex, and cold brew) and more finely for methods that use shorter contact time (like pour-over and espresso).
You should brew coffee coarsely for methods using longer contact time (like French press, Chemex, and cold brew) and more finely for methods that use shorter contact time (like pour-over and espresso).
Ground coffee will interact with the water at different rates depending on how finely it's been ground. Coarsely ground coffee will have a higher surface area than finely ground coffee, which means it'll extract more quickly from your grinds but also run out of flavor sooner. You'll want to grind just before brewing; if your beans are pre-ground when you get them home, keep them in an airtight container in the freezer until you're ready to brew.
Filtered water is best. If you use tap water, avoid water that has been through a softener or filter designed to remove chlorine.
If you're not already using filtered water, you should start doing so. If you use tap water, avoid water that has been through a softener or filter designed to remove chlorine. These types of filters will also diminish the coffee's flavor in ways that are difficult to undo. You can find bottled water for very cheap at grocery stores and gas stations; if you don't want to buy bottles, let your tap run for 30 seconds or have friends who will give you their used ones (just make sure they don't have any weird chemicals on them). Don't use distilled water because it's way too pure and doesn't contain enough minerals; distilled water also tends to taste flat because it lacks those minerals' subtle flavors.
The best ratio of coffee grounds to water is 1 gram of ground coffee to 15 grams of water (about 1 tablespoon of coffee to 1/2 cup of water). You can adjust the ratio if you prefer your coffee stronger or weaker.
The best ratio of coffee grounds to water is 1 gram of ground coffee to 15 grams of water (about 1 tablespoon of coffee to 1/2 cup of water). You can adjust the ratio if you prefer your coffee stronger or weaker.
You'll need a thermometer for this step so that you've got a consistent temperature throughout the brewing process. Aim for 200 degrees F (93 degrees C) for light roasts and 205 degrees F (96 degrees C) for dark roasts. If your equipment doesn't allow you to precisely control the temperature, don't worry too much—it'll still turn out fine if you're within 5 degrees or so.
The quality of your water will affect how well your brew turns out as well, which means it's important to make sure it tastes good on its own before adding anything else into it!
Use hot water that's just off the boil (195-205 degrees Fahrenheit). Don't bring it back up to a boil after it cools down slightly, as this will over-extract the coffee and make it taste bitter. And don't brew with cold water, as the brew will be weak and under-extracted.
- Use hot water that's just off the boil (195-205 degrees Fahrenheit). Don't bring it back up to a boil after it cools down slightly, as this will over-extract the coffee and make it taste bitter. And don't brew with cold water, as the brew will be weak and under-extracted.
- The temperature of your brewing water depends on the method you use. For example: French Presses are generally made for 205 degrees; Chemex brewers are made for 200 degrees; AeroPresses should be brewed at between 195 and 205 degrees depending on your preferred flavor profile.
We hope you enjoyed learning about all the different ways to brew coffee at home. The most important thing to remember is that the key to a great cup of coffee is quality beans, good equipment and using good technique. If you start with these three things in mind and experiment with different brewing methods, we’re confident that you’ll be making delicious Sound Coffee for yourself and your friends for years!