Brewing Better Coffee at Home

A great cup of coffee at home starts long before the water boils. It starts with fresh beans, a consistent grind, and a little patience. Here is the method our baristas teach every new team member.

Start with fresh, whole beans

Coffee peaks in flavor between three days and three weeks off roast. Buy whole beans from a roaster who stamps the roast date, and grind only what you need for each brew. Pre-ground coffee loses its aromatics within hours.

Weigh everything

A kitchen scale is the single biggest upgrade you can make. We brew pour-over at a 1:16 ratio — 30 grams of coffee to 480 grams of water. For a French press, go a touch stronger at 1:14 and steep for four minutes.

Mind your water

Water makes up 98 percent of the cup, so filtered water heated to between 195 and 205 degrees makes a real difference. Boiling water scorches the grounds; lukewarm water under-extracts and tastes sour.

Pour with intent

Bloom the grounds with twice their weight in water for 45 seconds, then pour in slow spirals. The whole drawdown should take about three minutes. Taste, adjust the grind one notch at a time, and write down what changes.

Master these four habits and your kitchen cup will stand shoulder to shoulder with anything we pour at the bar — though you are always welcome to come taste the difference in person.