Expert Tips for Brewing Exceptional Coffee at Home

If your daily homemade coffee routine feels monotonous, it’s time to discover some fresh techniques to craft café-worthy brews in your kitchen. We consulted three coffee experts for their insights: Brennon Nunn from Sip & Sonder, a California-based coffee house and roastery; Adam JacksonBey, chair of GoFundBean, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting coffee professionals; and Chi Sum Ngai of Coffee Project NY, a coffee shop and education hub. Here are their top tips for elevating your brewing skills.

1. Slow down and savor the process with pour-over coffee.

While coffee is their profession, our experts prefer savoring one exceptional cup during their downtime, often opting for the deliberate and meticulous pour-over method. Though it requires extra effort, the rich and complex flavors are well worth it.

For a top-notch pour-over experience at home, Sum recommends the V60 cone dripper. Hario’s model (starting at $20) is available in materials like porcelain, glass, and copper ($56), and is widely regarded as the gold standard for pour-over brewing. Sum also turns to the Kalita Wave ($25) flat dripper for a fuller-bodied coffee.

2. Upgrade to a high-quality grinder.

Our experts unanimously recommend using a burr grinder, which employs burr plates to evenly crush beans, ensuring a uniform grind size and superior flavor extraction. However, Nunn emphasizes that “having any grinder is better than none.”

For a budget-friendly option, consider a hand grinder like the Hario ceramic coffee mill (starting at $34). Sum appreciates its simplicity and affordability but advises investing in an electric burr grinder for daily use. The Bodum Bistro burr coffee grinder ($38) offers 12 grind settings at a reasonable price. For more precision, the Baratza Encore conical burr coffee grinder ($170) provides 40 settings. Sum also favors the Fellow Ode brew grinder ($299) for pour-over coffee. Regular cleaning every four to six weeks is essential, as JacksonBey suggests.

Sum also advises “resting” coffee beans by allowing them to sit for a period after roasting. This degassing process results in a “cleaner and more flavorful” brew. Aim for seven to 14 days, depending on the roast. If your coffee tastes bland, Sum recommends grinding finer and increasing the water-to-coffee contact time.

3. Achieve accuracy by using a scale for measurements.

JacksonBey notes that a common preference is a ratio of 1 gram of coffee to 16–21 grams of water. To achieve this accurately, a scale is essential for precise measurements. This level of detail ensures consistency once you discover your ideal brew ratio.

The OXO Good Grips precision scale ($55) offers a modern design, measuring from 0.5 grams in 0.1-gram increments for ultimate precision. Its flat surface also simplifies cleaning.

4. Ensure your water temperature is perfect.

“Different brewing methods require different temperatures,” Nunn explains, which is why experts suggest using a gooseneck kettle for better control. For those particular about temperature, a temperature-controlled kettle is ideal. JacksonBey recommends 128°F and emphasizes using only filtered water.

The Fellow Stagg electric pour-over kettle (starting at $159) is a sleek, contemporary gooseneck kettle with precise temperature control ranging from 135°F to 212°F, perfect for brewing coffee or steeping tea. It also features Bluetooth connectivity and iOS compatibility.

5. Embrace experimentation in your brewing process.

With more people spending time at home, now is the perfect opportunity to explore and discover your personal coffee preferences. Experimenting with ratios, temperatures, brewing times, and other variables can help you identify your favorite coffee style.

“Coffee is all about experimentation and trying unexpected things,” JacksonBey explains. Nunn shares this sentiment, encouraging safe exploration of different coffee varieties, whether at local cafés or through at-home trials, to uncover new favorites.

Sum, for instance, mentions her recent preference for espressos. While she uses an espresso machine at work, she also enjoys the Flair espresso maker ($125) for its compact, electricity-free design, making it ideal for home use or even camping trips.

Nunn recommends the Bialetti Moka ($32) pots for a robust brew similar to espresso. “They’re perfect for home use, offering a straightforward way to make espresso-like coffee.”

To support hourly coffee professionals, consider visiting GoFundBean. You can contribute by joining their Patreon, subscribing to their newsletter, or making a donation.

Originally published in 2021, this article has been refreshed for 2022.