Coffee Brewing Tips

Brewing can mean the difference between a very good cup of coffee and one you’d like to throw away! The Specialty Coffee Association has a few significant tips for the ideal brew:

  • Begin with approximately 22 grams of coffee beans (about 1/4 cup) for 12 oz. water (but adjust according to preference). Using a scale will help you approximate the ratio until you get a feel for these measurements.
  • Grind the beans directly before brewing.
  • Adjust the grind size for the brewing method (Pour-over, French Press, Chemex, etc).
  • A burr grinder gives the best consistency for the grind.
  • Clean, good water is important – coffee will not mask the taste of bad water.
  • Rinse the filter before putting in the grounds to wash away paper fibers
  • Pre-heat filter cones or presses so the coffee isn’t chilled during the brewing period
  • Coffee is best fresh. Make it, then drink it. Why wait? 

However, there is no right or wrong! Experiment and adjust to find your favorite brew.

For drip method, wet the grounds and let them “bloom” for 30 seconds, then pour slowly for about two minutes.

For French Press, plunge after infusion, then pour slowly. If you wait a couple of minutes after plunging, more particles will settle before pouring.

Grind Size
Grind size is important, but it is also personal. Experiment until you love the coffee you brew. The finer the grind, the more extraction takes place and the more intense the coffee will be. The coarser you grind, the less the extraction will be. Too fine a grind can slow the process and produce an over-extracted and stringent brew. Conversely, too coarse a grind will produce an under-extracted weak cup.
​Espresso is a very fine grind. A pour over or drip will be a fine to medium grind, a French press and Chemex will be coarse.