Have you ever wondered why coffeehouse coffee never tastes the same as what you can do at home on your home brewer? Let us help bring the cafe quality coffee to you!

Grind Fresh
One of the most simple ways to have the best coffee possible at home is to grind it fresh. Invest in a burr grinder if you can, and buy whole beans! Pre-ground coffee is acceptable if you can’t afford a grinder, but use it quick! You never know how long it has been ground before it got to your kitchen.

How much coffee do I use?
There are two suggested methods to determining the correct amount of coffee depending on your equipment.

The low-fi way:
Use 2 tablespoons (about 10 grams) per 6oz of water.

The slightly more advanced way:
Use a 1:15 ratio, one part coffee for every 15 parts of water. ( I know, this feels like chemistry class but stay with me)
Example: if you are using 64oz of water, divide 64 by 15 to get the amount of ground coffee you need to use. 64/15 = 4.26. You might get some weird decimals, but can round up or down if you need to. You don’t need some fancy coffee scale either! Any kitchen scale that measures grams or ounces will do. And remember: weigh both the water and the grounds.

Grind setting
If you have a burr grinder, you should have a variety of grind settings you can use. For a home drip brewer, it is best to use the finest grind setting you have. Why? Because home brewers, unlike our cafe brewers, do not have a pulse brewing function that gives coffee the correct brewing time. Setting it to the finest grind setting will allow adequate brew times. However, if you find the flavor to be too strong for your taste, feel free to raise the grind size a little and play around with it until you’re happy with it.

Drink it fresh
Just like any other food, if left on heat for too long, coffee burns. So don’t leave your poor coffee sitting on that warmer all day and go back to drink it. Drink it as fresh as you can! Leaving it on the warmer for too long can cause the flavor to change. If you really need a longer time to enjoy your brew, invest in a thermos that will keep it at a stable temperature instead of keeping it on the warmer.

Clean that machine
Something that many people don’t think to do, clean your coffee machine. Not just the glass carafe after each brew, but the inside too! You can use vinegar (equal parts vinegar and water) or some store bought coffee machine cleaner to get rid of built up minerals that could cause your flavor to be off. Just like your pots and pans, your coffee machine is a culinary instrument that needs cleaned in order to provide the best experience possible. It is recommended to clean your coffee machine about once a month.

Where should I store my coffee?

It is best to store the coffee in an airtight container such as a ceramic vase with a lid. Second best would be to keep it in it’s original bag and folding down the open side as tight as possible and taping it shut. Keep the beans at a room temperature and in a dry place.