Making Good Coffee at Home:  The Essentials

Good Coffee:

The first step in making good coffee at home is……drum roll…..good coffee!  There is a lot of seriously excellent coffee out there.  And what makes “good coffee” is somewhat subjective.  You have to actually like the taste.  So experiment trying different coffees: light vs dark roast, coffee from different origins, washed vs natural process.  Start with your local coffee roaster or shop if you have one.

Here are a few of my favorite roasters and options for good coffee right now…

1. Heart Coffee:  (heartroasters.com)  Heart does an excellent job sourcing and roasting some amazing coffee.
2. Airship Coffee:  (airshipcoffee.com)  I hadn’t heard of Airship prior to meeting them at the recent Specialty Coffee Association Conference in Seattle.  Their coffee is absolutely AMAZING.  They have some seriously delicious coffee from Burundi.
3. What’s Brewing Coffee Roasters:  (sacoffeeroasters.com)  This San Antonio coffee roaster has a wide variety of different coffees.  I was introduced to their coffee through my subscription to Angel’s Cup.  Great selection, great coffee, and reasonably priced compared to some specialty coffee roasters.
4. Angel’s Cup:  (angelscup.com)  I have been a very happy Angel’s Cup customer for a while now.  This is a really cool coffee delivery service that allows you to sample a large number of different coffees.  This is a great way to expand your palate and discover different coffees from around the country.  If you haven’t already check out Roast and Reason Podcast episode 14 for an interview with Jeff, the CEO of Angel’s Cup.

 

 

Coffee Storage:

Coffee freshness matters.  The goal is to buy fresh coffee and keep it as fresh as possible until you drink it.  Air-tight storage canisters that also block sunlight work best.  There are may options but here is what I use at home and am very happy with…

Airscape Coffee Storage Canister

 

Kitchen Scale:

It is much more reliable and accurate to measure coffee by weight rather than volume.  This will allow you to figure out your coffee-to-water ratio and adjust it to your own tastes.  While this is not absolutely essential, I do recommend a kitchen scale and use one every morning to weigh out my coffee.

Very precise scales can be expensive but you don’t need one of those unless you are a professional barista.  Don’t spend a lot of money on these, you can get a pretty reliable scale for cheap.  Here is a good option:

 

 

Coffee Grinder:

A coffee grinder is an essential in any coffee-lovers kitchen!  Buying only fresh whole bean coffee and grinding it yourself right before brewing coffee is step number one in making good coffee at home.

I personally use the Baratza Virtuoso coffee grinder and highly recommend it.

But here is a list of good coffee grinders at different price points:

Baratza Virtuoso:   Highest price point.  An investment. For the true coffee aficionado.

 

Baratza Encore:  Similar performance and features as the Virtuoso at a cheaper price.  Still a great choice!

Hario Skerton Manual Coffee Mill:   A great manual grinder choice for home use.

There are a few smaller, lighter grinders that would be better for travel but this would be a great choice if you prefer a manual grinder for home use.

Coffee Brewing System:

My morning starts with either a French Press or Chemex coffee.  I use a Bonavita Digital Variable Temperature Gooseneck Kettle to heat my water.  Both of these approaches are more work and time than just pushing a button on an electric coffee machine but I like how they give me more control over the brewing process.

Here is a list of what I use:

Bonavita Digital Variable Temperature Gooseneck Kettle

Chemex Pour-Over Coffeemaker

Make sure to pick up some chemex filters too!  I’d hate for you to buy the Chemex but not be able to actually make coffee with it.

Bodum French Press Coffee Maker

Electric Coffee Makers:

Electric coffee machines are a lot more convenient and faster than using a Chemex or French Press like I do every morning.  So if you are looking for convenience this might be your best bet.

Most coffee machines really do not brew coffee very well.  But there are a few that do.

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) certifies electric coffee machines that pass a series of rigorous tests.  These are truly the best of the best.

I have not tried any of these so I won’t recommend any particular one but you can find the list of SCA certified coffee makers here.

 

I hope this gives you a great place to start making good coffee at home.  As always, find what works for you and what you enjoy!  Happy coffee brewing everyone.