How to make great coffee at home

There is nothing quite like the first sip of a well-made coffee in the morning. Whether you are using a simple plunger or a top-of-the-line machine there are a few easy steps you can take to ensure your home coffee is a great coffee.

1. Use quality, fresh coffee beans. Make sure your coffee is stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Don’t be tempted to put it in the fridge or freezer as this actually degrades the coffee more quickly. Once ground the coffee begins to lose quality quickly so only grind what you need.
2. Get the grind setting right. If your grind is too fine or too course, it will affect the way the water flows through the coffee and therefore can dramatically affect the quality of the end product.

Without an espresso machine

Filter coffee can produce some amazing coffees and many people actually prefer it to espresso machine coffee. Try to stick with light roasted coffees as they remain sweeter and have some very unique flavours that can be brought out by using filter brewing methods.

Our top tip is to make sure the water isn’t boiling when you pour it as this will make the coffee burn and taste bitter. So, boil the kettle and once it has clicked off just wait a couple minutes before you pour it in. You will be amazed at the quality of coffee you can create with a French Press, Hario V60, Chemex, DeltaPress etc, with just a few simple adjustments.

For espresso machines

These produce a great product but you just need to make sure the little things are done right. Espresso is great for a range of different coffees, from dark roasted blends to lighter roasted single origins there is no real limit to what you can experiment with.

The things to keep in mind are for your extraction (the water moving through your coffee into your cup). It should take no longer then about 30 seconds depending on the coffee you are using to go from start to finish.

If it is running too long then your coffee is too fine and you need to dial the grinder back a little so its coarser, if it’s running too quickly then you need to fine the grind up to slow that extraction down. If you are hitting those numbers and enjoying the coffee you’re making then feel free to change things up and see just what kind of flavours you can get happening in your morning cup.

Most of all just enjoy the deliciousness that is coffee.