Three Ways to Brew Better Coffee

So, you’ve picked a great local roaster and got some high-quality coffee, but it just doesn’t taste right. You know you’ve made a good choice, but something’s off. It could be how you’re brewing it.

I’m not saying you don't know what you're doing. You’ve probably made it a million times and it’s always been delicious. However, the way coffee is processed, where it’s from, how it’s roasted, and how fresh it is can all make a big difference in how it tastes. So, here’s three ways you can adjust your brewing to get your coffee tasting amazing.

Grind Size

Changing the grind size of your coffee is a simple yet effective way to enhance its flavour. For a more acidic or fruity taste, grind the coffee coarser. For a bitterness or full-bodied flavour, grind it finer. You’ll be surprised how much a change in grind size can impact the taste of your coffee.

The only thing that might stop you from making this change is if you don’t have a coffee grinder. If you buy pre-ground coffee, you’ll have to trust that the roaster ground it to the best setting for your machine. If you don’t have a grinder, I’d suggest trying one of the following two adjustments:

Yield

Yield is the term we use for how much liquid we end up with. It’s basically just using more or less water. A common ratio is 1:18 coffee to water. So, if you’re using 18 grams of coffee, use 325 ml of water. This is a pretty good starting point that works well most of the time.

But taste is all about personal preference. You might love this ratio, but you might also want a stronger-tasting coffee. To get that, use less water. Try 280-300 ml of water instead. You could even add more water to bring out different flavours. 

Dose

The last thing you can try is changing the amount of coffee you use or the dry dose. This is connected to yield because it’s still working within ratios and it works in a very similar way. 

When it comes to dose, keep in mind that if you use less coffee, the water will try to extract flavours with less to work with. This can sometimes lead to astringency and over-extracted bitter flavour. So, don’t adjust too much. Use more or less coffee a few grams at a time. 

It All Comes Down to Taste

At the end of the day, what matters the most is how it tastes. Some people will tell you about this “golden ratio” you’ve got to follow. But here’s the thing, ratios and methods are just tools to help you find what you like best. The real fun is experimenting with different coffees and tweaking the ratios and recipes to find that perfect flavour for you. That’s all that matters. After all, you’re the one sipping on the coffee, so make it taste good! 

Looking for a new coffee to try? Check out our selection of single origin and blends in our shop. You can always email us or dm us on instagram to ask for recommendations!