How to brew great coffee

We gladly offer free brewing lessons at our Roastery. No need to call ahead -- the barista at the counter will be happy to instruct you. You can also find specific instructions for each of the brewers we offer in the product descriptions of our Brew section. But no matter which brewing method you choose, these tips will help you craft a more flavorful cup:

  • Store your coffee dry, airtight and at room temperature. 
  • Keep your grinder, brewer and thermal carafe sparkling clean and free of oil accumulation.
  • You can't make good coffee with bad water. Use filtered water to avoid odor and flavor taints.
  • Brewing water must be 195 - 203 degrees to fully extract coffee's flavor. Unfortunately most automatic home brewers don't reach that temperature, so look for Specialty Coffee Association certified models when shopping for one. 
  • Grind just before brewing. Grinding causes aroma and flavor compounds to quickly dissipate, so avoid doing it in advance.
  • Use a burr grinder, which produces a uniform particle size resulting in fuller flavor extraction. Blade grinders chop coffee beans into varying sizes, which causes uneven flavor extraction.
  • Use the correct grind setting for your brewing process. The longer the coffee will be in contact with the water, the larger the grind size should be. Too fine a grind will make the coffee taste bitter; too large a grind will make it taste weak.
  • Do not re-heat brewed coffee. It will cause bitterness.