Brew guides
Good beans, brewed properly
Every method below is the same three variables in a different order: grind, water, time. Get those right and a specialty bag tastes like the label says it should.
Rule 01
Weigh everything
A scale beats a scoop. 1:16 coffee to water is the starting point for almost everything on this page.
Rule 02
Grind right before you brew
Ground coffee goes stale in days. Whole bean holds for weeks. Grind the dose you’re about to drink.
Rule 03
Mind the water
90–96°C, roughly 30 seconds off the boil. Filter it if your tap tastes of anything.
8 methods
Pick your method
Not sure how fine to grind? See the grind guide
Easy
AeroPress
- Ratio
- 1:15
- Grind
- Medium fine
- Water
- 90°C
- Time
- 1:45
Easy
Batch drip
- Ratio
- 1:16
- Grind
- Medium
- Water
- 93°C
- Time
- 6:00
Moderate
Chemex
- Ratio
- 1:16
- Grind
- Medium coarse
- Water
- 94°C
- Time
- 4:30
Easy
Cold brew
- Ratio
- 1:8
- Grind
- Extra coarse
- Water
- 20°C
- Time
- 16 hrs
Advanced
Espresso
- Ratio
- 1:2
- Grind
- Fine
- Water
- 93°C
- Time
- 0:28
Easy
French press
- Ratio
- 1:15
- Grind
- Coarse
- Water
- 96°C
- Time
- 5:00
Moderate
Moka pot
- Ratio
- 1:10
- Grind
- Medium fine
- Water
- 95°C
- Time
- 5:00
Moderate
V60 pour-over
- Ratio
- 1:16
- Grind
- Medium fine
- Water
- 94°C
- Time
- 3:00
Fault finding
Your cup is telling you something
Four faults account for nearly every disappointing cup, and each one has a single thing to change next time.
Sour, sharp
Under-extracted
Grind finer, use hotter water, or brew for longer.
Bitter, harsh
Over-extracted
Grind coarser, or cut the brew short.
Flat, dull
Stale beans or a weak dose
Use more coffee, and buy fresher.
Muddy, silty
Grind too fine
Too fine for the filter, or you pressed too hard.
Beans to brew
