Step 1
First, start with fresh roasted whole beans.
(From Bob’s Beans, of course!)
Step 2
Second, use a simple kitchen scale to measure both your coffee and your water.
Once you’ve brewed that perfect, delicious cup you’ll want to replicate it every time. If you’re eyeballing how much coffee or water you’re using, chances are you’re not getting the same tasty cup every time.
Step 3
Third, use a decent burr grinder and not that blade grinder you’re probably also using to chop up your walnuts for those yummy muffins you bake.
Burr grinders will grind your fresh beans to a consistent size. A consistent grind size is key to a consistently great cup.
Step 4
Fourth, don’t use tap water; use filtered water instead.
Your cup of coffee is mostly water (probably around 98%!) so if the water is a bit funky, your coffee will be funky too.
Step 5
Fifth, and last, is to let your coffee sit and cool off a bit before taking that first sip.
Like a fine red wine, you want the coffee to breathe a bit before enjoying it. Also, make a mental note of how the tastes change (and possibly improves) as the coffee continues to cool in your cup.
That’s it! Follow those simple tips and you’re on your way to an elevated cup. Just remember to keep it simple! If you really want to go down the rabbit hole, YouTube has hours of videos on how to “optimize” each of the basic brewing methods. Click on your brewing method icon below for some specific tips to getting the most out of your cup every day.