Top Tips for Brewing at Home

2. Water matters!

Water makes up a large percentage of your coffee beverage, so it’s important that it’s also of good quality. We’re lucky in our part of Somerset to have great tap water, but if you find your water tastes chloriney or minerally, try filtering it. 

3. Follow a recipe

You may have heard the term “recipe”, especially in relation to espresso brewing. What people are referring to when they use the word “recipe” in relation to brewing, is the amount of ground coffee that goes in (dose), the amount of coffee extracted out (yield) into the cup, in a controlled amount of time. A recipe will look something like this: 23 in, 50 out, in 26 seconds This means 23 grams of ground coffee in, 50mls (grams) of extracted coffee out, in 26 seconds. This is not just for coffee professionals, making coffee with a recipe will seriously improve your home brewing. Once you start using a recipe your coffee will be so much better - and more consistent! - you’ll wonder why you didn’t use one before.

4. Keep it clean

It’s important to keep your coffee equipment clean: dirty brewers and grinders hold onto coffee oils, which go rancid over time and can negatively affect even the most carefully brewed coffee. We sell cleaning products for espresso machines. 

5. Choose the right tools

A Grinder
Think of it like pepper- ground fresh is best! Freshly ground coffee provides a more vibrant aroma and retains the coffee’s complex flavours. So, to make delicious coffee, make sure you grind your beans right before you brew.

We recommend investing in a burr grinder for your coffee. It will grind your beans evenly, which then allows for a consistent extraction, which results in a balanced cup. We’ve tried and tested alot of grinders, and have selected our favourite ones to retail online. Check out our favourite grinders for home and travel.

Once you’ve chosen your brewing equipment, you’ll need to ensure you have the grind size to match. As a general rule, coarser particles should be paired with a longer brewing time (like a plunger), and finer particles should have a shorter brewing time (as with espresso).  

Scales
Using a set of digital scales when brewing coffee will help you weigh out the amount of coffee you use, and the amount of water you need. Scales are far more accurate than a scoop or measuring cup, as different coffee beans have different sizes and densities. It may sound like a faff but, trust us, weighing as you brew will help ensure that you make a consistently delicious cup of coffee every time.

Timer
A timer is a really helpful tool for controlling the extraction time of all brewing methods. Some digital coffee scales (like the Hario Drip Scales) come with a handy built-in timer. Otherwise, you can use your phone, the oven timer or a small kitchen timer.

And that’s it! We hope these tips help you make beautiful coffee at home. If you’re located in Somerset and want to learn more about brewing coffee, you can always chat to a barista in one of or take one of our fantastic courses, run by a Brazier Coffee trainer. 

Happy brewing!