A great cup of coffee comes down to four things: water, grind, time, and proportion.
Water
If the water you use tastes off, your coffee will too. Start with fresh, filtered water heated just below boiling. It's the ideal temperature range for bringing out the best in your coffee.
Time
The longer coffee stays in contact with hot water, the more it extracts. Too much extraction can lead to bitterness instead of balance. Different brewing methods, from espresso machines to French presses and drip brewers, are designed to manage that contact time in different ways.
Grind
Not all brewing methods are the same, so your grind should match your brewer. Three common grind sizes are:
-
Coarse: larger, visible coffee particles
-
Medium: similar in texture to fine sand
-
Fine: smooth and powder-like
Check your brewing method's instructions to find the grind size that works best.
Proportion
Everyone has their own preference, but a good starting point is one tablespoon of coffee for every five ounces of water. For a standard eight-cup drip brewer, that means about eight heaping tablespoons for a full pot.
Espresso is naturally more concentrated, so a common starting point is one tablespoon of espresso roast for every 1.5 ounces of water. Keep these four factors in mind, and the rest is simply discovering what tastes best to you.
