Foreword: We love talking all things coffee but there is too much information for us to put in a single web page. This guide is in no way exhaustive. We encourage you to seek out other sources and formulate your own opinions. If you'd like to chat about anything coffee related, whether included here or not, feel free to connect with us!

There is no "wrong" method when brewing coffee. It all comes down to personal preference, and the equipment you have. However, the methods outlined below, are our preferred ways to enjoy single origin coffees. 

Brewing great coffee at home,

starts with great beans.

 We recommend sourcing specialty coffee from a reliable roaster and checking the roast date. Ideally, you want coffee roasted within the last week or two, for optimal freshness. Check out our current selection for our favorites!

Equipment

Second to the coffee itself, the biggest impact on coffee quality comes from the grinder. We recommend that you purchase whole bean coffee and grind it right before brewing. Grinding coffee increases the surface area of the coffee that is in contact with the air, which speeds up the staling process. Because it becomes stale faster, preground coffee tastes very different to freshly ground coffee, within only a couple of days. Our preference is a high quality flat burr grinder for most styles of brewing, however, conical burr hand grinders can be a more affordable option and take up less counter space.

There are more options than ever for high quality coffee grinders so it is difficult to recommend any particular model. If you only brew with a traditional electric coffee pot or french press, your grinder selection is less critical, than say espresso. In those circumstances, the biggest gain in flavor will be from grinding fresh and less dependent on particular grinder models.

You can and should control how your coffee tastes using grind size. In general terms, if your coffee tastes acidic, you should grind finer. If your coffee tastes bitter, you should grind coarser. 

Of course, there are other factors which affect the flavor, but grind size is a very simple change to make to be able to dial-in the perfect cup. How much you should adjust your grind by will depend on a number of factors including your particular grinder and the coffee you are brewing. 

A general tip is to make large adjustments if you think your grind size is in the extreme in either direction (strong/bitter or weak/acidic), and then smaller adjustments as you get closer to your desired outcome.

Percolation brewing is when hot water is poured through a bed of ground coffee and allowed to drain via gravity into a vessel below. The two most common types of percolation brewers are classic drip coffee makers and manual pourovers. Both styles can produce great coffee but one may suit your particular desires more.

Machine Filter coffee/Drip

Classic drip coffee makers are great for those who want a low effort cup of coffee. Add your water to the tank, coffee to the filter, and hit a button. They are also very useful when making more than one cup of coffee. Although they are relatively simple machines, not all drip coffee makers are created equal. If you want to invest in a coffee maker that will make a better cup of coffee, look for an SCA-Certified brewer. Our favorite is the Technivorm Moccamaster.