7 tips for making better coffee at home

1. Buy whole bean coffee

Whole bean coffee is fresher and more flavorful than preground coffee. If you're buying bags of preground coffee, it's probably not the best idea. Coffee companies don't provide the date for when the coffee was roasted; the coffee you find on the shelf at the shops has probably been there for months. Coffee reaches its peak flavor just days after it has been roasted and should be consumed within a month of its roast date. So check your local coffee shops, and some whole bean coffee.

2. Properly store beans

Store your coffee correctly and you'll keep its flavor fresh for as long as possible. Use a air-tight container at room temperature, in a dark and cool location . Keep your at home coffee as fresh as possible by only grinding the amount of coffee beans you plan to use.  It’s also important to avoid freezing your coffee. When you freeze coffee, there’s a chance that it will absorb moisture, which can affect its taste.

3. Use filtered water

Using filtered water can improve the taste of your coffee . While opinions may vary - coffee brewed using municipal tap water,  could be contaminated with other intruding influences. It has been found that the coffee brewed via filtered water is a little sweeter and acidic in taste while tap water has produced coffee slightly more basic with a metallic aftertaste.

4. Grinding coffee

Coffee begins to lose its flavour within 30 minutes of being ground. It's best to grind on the spot, just before brewing a pot. Grind size and consistency matter quite a bit, as well. Grind too coarse and you will have a weak pot of coffee. Grind too fine and you will over-extract the coffee and it will taste bitter. Take a look at some great grinding coffee-making products to get you started.

5. Measure your coffee

The first is to use a coffee scoop. A level coffee scoop should hold two tablespoons of coffee, which is approximately 10 grams or 0.36 ounces. Using a digital scale to measure takes just a second and allows you to better compare how much coffee and water is used each time. The Black Mirror Dot Smart Coffee Scale is a professional barista’s and coffee lovers ultimate tool. Start brewing the perfect cup every time.

6. Coffee temperature matters

The water temperature you brew your coffee with will affect how your coffee tastes. The recommended range is 90.5–96°C/195–205°F. The hotter the temperature, the greater the degree of extraction. If your coffee is tasting too sour, use hotter water; too bitter, use cooler water.

To help out for your tempreture monitrinrg , take a look at these great kettle products.

 

7. Brewing Gear

Choosing the right equipment for the brewing process can be quite difficult. It is widely accepted that manual brewing methods allow for better quality control and a superior coffee experience, and for a lot coffee enthusiasts this approach is most popular.With that in mind you can't go wrong with either the AeroPress . Be sure to check out our Coffee Grinders Selection.

We hope you have found these tips valuable, and be sure to check out our Coffee Makers

Coffee Grinder Comparison chart

Select the products you want to compare
Timemore Goosey hand grinder Timemore C3 ESP hand grinder Timemore S3 hand grinder Timemore Nuttii OX rechargeable electric Timemore Whirly rechargeable electric Timemore Millab Baratza ESP Timemore Bricks Timemore Sculptor 064S Timemore Sculptor 078T Timemore Sculptor 078S
Purpose Best budget grinder by far Best value all-purpose grinder Top end manual grinder. Micro adjustments for dialing in perfectly Portable electric, camping, home use, limited grind range Portable electric, camping, home use, decent grind range Luxury portable or counter top electric grinder All-purpose electric, quick and easy adjustment from espresso to alternative brewing Best value all-purpose grinder Great clarity in the cup for specialty brews Best in class clarity for specialty level filter brews Best in class all-purpose grinder for specialty level brews
Lead Features Portable, good consistency, low cost Great all-rounder, industry standard top seller External grind adjustment, foldable handle, S2C 890 steel burrs Portable, USB-C rechargeable, auto off feature Portable, USB-C rechargeable, 58mm compatible catch cup Premium build, 44mm pineapple-style burrs, ultra-fine adjustment Optimized for espresso, dual-range adjustment (micro/macro), low retention Fast grinding, low retention, magnetic catch cup, anti-popcorning 64mm flat burrs, low retention (rotary knocker), adjustable RPM, silent 78mm Turbo burrs, exceptional clarity, adjustable RPM, silent 78mm flat burrs, high clarity, adjustable RPM, silent
Price R950 R1850 R3 900 R2 000 R3 450 R6 000 R5 300 R6 000 R13 800 R20 930 R20 930
Grind range 30 Stepped adjustments: Pour-over, AeroPress, French press, Filter, Moka 60 Stepped adjustments: All purpose 90 stepped adjustments: All purpose 24 Stepped adjustments: All purpose 90 Stepped adjustments: All purpose 60 Stepped adjustments: All purpose Micro-steps #1-20 for espresso, Macro-steps #21-40 for filter 100 stepped micro 0.01mm adjustments: All purpose Stepless adjustment: All purpose Stepless adjustment: All purpose Stepless adjustment: All purpose
Sound A bit clunky Smooth and quiet operation Ultra refined and smooth Relatively quiet Relatively quiet Refined and smooth Not the quietest Very quiet operation Remarkably quiet and refined Remarkably quiet and refined Remarkably quiet and refined
Speed Decent Good Very good Slow (Espresso ~90s/18g, Pour-over ~30s/15g) Slow (Espresso ~90s/18g, Pour-over ~30s/15g) Dec