Brew guides
Our starting recipes. Weigh your coffee and water if you can; a $20 kitchen scale does more for your cup than almost any other upgrade. Use filtered water, and grind just before brewing.
| Method | Coffee | Water | Grind | Time & notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour-over (V60, Kalita, Riverside Clay) | 20 g coffee | 320 g water at 205°F | Medium-fine, like table salt | 3:00–3:30 total. Bloom with 50 g for 40 s, then pour in slow circles. |
| Chemex | 40 g | 640 g at 205°F | Medium-coarse | 4:30–5:00. Bloom 60 g for 45 s; pour in three stages. |
| AeroPress | 15 g | 230 g at 195°F | Medium-fine | Inverted, stir at 0:30, press at 1:45 for 30 s. |
| French press | 30 g | 500 g at 205°F | Coarse, like breadcrumbs | 4:00 steep, break the crust, skim, wait 5 more minutes, pour gently. |
| Drip machine | 60 g per liter | Fill to the line | Medium | Use a machine that reaches 195–205°F (we like Moccamaster). Drink within 30 minutes or keep in a thermal carafe. |
| Office batch brewer | 60 g per liter (about 9 g per 6 oz cup) | Per brewer setting | Medium | Brew fresh every 45 minutes; dump anything older than an hour in a thermal server. |
| Espresso | 18 g | 36–42 g out | Fine; adjust to hit time | 27–32 s at 200°F. Night Shift likes 1:2.1; Lantern 1:2.3. |
| Cold brew | 100 g | 1 liter cold water | Extra coarse | Steep 16–18 h in the fridge, filter, dilute 1:1 with water or milk. |
When it tastes off
- Sour, thin, salty: under-extracted. Grind finer or brew longer.
- Bitter, dry, hollow: over-extracted. Grind coarser or shorten the brew.
- Flat and papery: the coffee may be stale, or the water too soft. Check the roast date and try bottled spring water once to compare.
More detail in the journal: dialing in espresso at home and how fresh is too fresh. Need a grinder? We recommend the Baratza Encore ESP.