How to Brew Great Coffee at Home

            Want to know our secret? Brewing delicious coffee is easy. If I had to choose one word to give away our secret: Measure.

            Well, there's a little more to it than that, but not much.

• FRESHNESS: Keep your coffee fresh by buying only what you'll use in about a week, and store it in a cool, dry place.

•  GRIND: Using a small electric coffee grinder, you can reach the right fineness for any brewing method by timing how long you grind. It's best to grind right before you brew.

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• WATER: Fresh water is essential. If the water isn't delicious, the coffee won't be either. We use filtered water at home, and spring water in a pinch. Heat almost to boil.

• MEASURE: Now the science! How much coffee to use? How much water? You'll use two tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. Yes, that means you'll have to measure your coffee pot to see how much water it holds, but only once. (Make a note on your coffee bag.)

            Now choose your favorite style of coffee-making, and we'll tell you how to get great coffee at home every time.
           

• Espresso:

            Sweet, pungent, ephemeral--but it doesn't have to be intimidating.

            Grind for 25 - 30 seconds. Brew time should be between 18 and 25 seconds.

           

• Manual Cone Filter

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  • Grind for 20 - 25 seconds.

  • Brew time should be between 1 and 4 minutes.

• Auto-Drip aka "Mr. Coffee", aka "you know, the regular".

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  •  Grind for 15 seconds.

  • Brew time should be between 4 and 6 minutes.

• French Press

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  • Sometimes called coffee press, plunger pot, "Bodum".

• Grind for 10 seconds. Brew for 4 minutes before 'plunging'.

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