How to brew: a simple guide

There is no right or wrong

Let me get one thing out of the way first. There is no right or wrong here, no better or worse. A cup of coffee is good for one reason only, because it tastes good to the person drinking it. If you like it, you got it right. That is the whole rule.

This guide is not a set of laws. It is just a starting point for anyone who does not know where to begin. The idea is to give you a place to start with each method and help you see what is going on, so you can slowly tune it to your own taste.

One quick note. We are not going to tell you how many clicks to grind, because every grinder is different and that number means nothing on someone else's machine. Instead, we will use textures you can feel with your fingers (coarse salt, sand, sugar, flour) and you can dial in your own grinder from there.

The things that matter

Making coffee is mostly about controlling how much of the bean you dissolve into the water. There are four main levers.

Grind. The finer the grind, the more surface touches the water, so you pull out flavor faster and stronger. A coarser grind pulls out less and lets the water run through quicker. This is your most powerful setting.

Water temperature. Hotter water pulls out more, cooler water pulls out less. A good working range is between 88 and 96°C. You do not even need a thermometer. Just boil the water and let it sit for 30 to 45 seconds before you use it.

Time. The longer the water sits with the grounds, the more it dissolves. Time is mostly a result of your grind and your technique, not something you set directly.

Ratio. This is how much coffee you use compared to water. Less water per gram of coffee makes it stronger, more water makes it lighter. A cheap kitchen scale makes a huge difference here.

The one trick that ties it together: adjust for the roast

Here is the logic behind everything.

Lighter roasts are denser and more closed up. They need a little more effort to open. So go a bit finer on the grind, use hotter water, and give it a little more time.

Darker roasts dissolve more easily and are more fragile. They give up their flavor fast, so do the opposite. Go a little coarser, use cooler water, and pull them shorter. Push a dark roast too hard and it turns bitter.

Quick rule of thumb. If your coffee tastes bitter or dry, you pulled too much, so go coarser, cooler, or faster. If it tastes sour or watery, you did not pull enough, so go finer, hotter, or slower.

A few more things that help

None of these are must-knows on day one, but they explain a lot of the difference between a flat cup and a great one.

Freshness and rest. Freshly roasted coffee needs a few days of rest before it gives its best. After that, it is great for the first few weeks and slowly fades. Buy a little at a time, buy often, and keep it away from heat, light, and moisture.

Water. Water is more than 98 percent of your cup. Filtered water works great. Skip distilled water (it pulls flavor out poorly) and very hard water.

Stirring. Giving the coffee a stir or a swirl helps wet all the grounds evenly. And in pour over, always do the bloom. That just means wetting the grounds with about twice their weight in water and waiting 30 to 45 seconds so the coffee can release its gas before you keep going.

The methods

Below is a starting point for each one. These are numbers to begin with, not the truth carved in stone. Taste, adjust, repeat.

V60 (pour over)

The V60 is the clean and clear method. It brings out the softer, brighter notes and gives you a tidy cup.

• Ratio: 1:16 (for example, 15g of coffee to 250g of water)
• Grind: medium, like sand or fine coarse salt
• Water: between 90 and 96°C (hotter for light roasts, cooler for dark ones)
• Total time: 2min30 to 3min

Bloom with 30g of water for 40 seconds, then pour the rest in slow circles, in two or three rounds, keeping the level steady. If it ran through fast and tastes watery, grind finer. If it took too long and tastes dry, grind coarser.

Espresso

Strong, intense, and the base for milk drinks. It needs more gear, but it pays you back.

• Grind: very fine, like flour
• Water: usually set on the machine, between 92 and 94°C
• Ratio: start at 1:2 (for example, 18g in the basket to 36g in the cup)
• Time: 25 to 30 seconds to pull the shot

Adjust for the roast. Darker roasts often taste better at a shorter ratio (around 1:2) with a slightly longer time, while lighter roasts like a longer shot (1:2.5 to 1:3) with a shorter time, which opens them up without piling on the sharpness.

With espresso, the grind is your main lever. If the shot ran too fast and tastes sour, tighten the grind. If it ran slow and tastes bitter, loosen it. Spread the grounds out evenly and press them down flat and firm before you pull.

French press

The most relaxed, hardest to mess up method. It gives you body and a full, round cup. Great for making coffee for a few people at once.

• Ratio: 1:15 (for example, 30g of coffee to 450g of water)
• Grind: coarse, like coarse salt
• Water: between 90 and 96°C, depending on the roast
• Time: 4 minutes

Add all the grounds, pour the water, give it a light stir, and let it sit. At 4 minutes, break the crust on top with a spoon, skim off the foam, and press the plunger down slowly. Pour it out right away so it does not keep brewing in the press.

Melitta (paper cone)

The everyday classic. Cheap, easy, and sitting in almost every kitchen. An honest and tasty way to have your coffee each morning.

• Ratio: 1:15 to 1:16 (for example, 20g of coffee to 300g of water)
• Grind: medium, a touch finer than the press
• Water: between 90 and 96°C, depending on the roast
• Time: around 3 minutes

Rinse the paper with a little hot water first (it washes out the paper taste and warms the cone). Do the bloom, wait the 40 seconds, then add the water in small pours, always in the center, never letting it dry out completely. If it comes out weak, grind a little finer or use a bit less water.

Where to start

Pick one method, grab a scale if you have one, and make it once following the starting point. Taste it. Next time, change just one thing (say, only the grind) and taste again. After three or four tries, you will have found your spot.

And remember how we started. The only judge that matters is your own taste. Enjoy your coffee.