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Coffee-to-Water Ratio<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Many underestimate the extent to which varying coffee-to-water ratios can change the flavor and body \u2013 not just the \u201cstrength\u201d \u2013 of a cup.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
There\u2019s no \u201cright\u201d ratio. The ideal ratio can also vary with your brew method but in general, 1 gram of coffee to 16 grams of water is a good starting point. Find the ratio you like, and be intentional in achieving it each time.<\/p>\n
To be precise, I use a scale to measure both my coffee and water. You can measure in other ways (e.g. 2 tablespoons of coffee for each 6 fluid ounces of water) as long as your method has sufficient precision to achieve your sweet spot ratio every time.<\/p>\n
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Freshness of Beans<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
When you buy beans from a\u00a0specialty coffee shop, they should be freshly roasted (you can ask for the roast date if it’s not on the packaging). It’s best to brew within a few weeks of the\u00a0roast date. If you\u2019re not using your beans\u00a0by the three-week mark, try buying in smaller amounts so your coffee is\u00a0fresh.<\/p>\n
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The Grind<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
This variable may hurt at-home cups the most.<\/p>\n
You GOT to grind just before brewing. You GOT to have a good grinder. And you GOT to have that grinder on the right setting.<\/p>\n
So this is actually 3 variables related to grinding:<\/p>\n
Minimize time between grinding and brewing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Grind your beans at home, just before brewing. So yes, you should really have a grinder at home. (They make great birthday presents. To yourself. Six months early\u2026)<\/p>\n
Use a good grinder<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"Coffee](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavitadolcecafe.com\/staging\/6170\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/home-grinder-final.jpg?resize=218%2C300\")
Before you go birthday shopping, make sure you\u2019re buying a good grinder. Good grinders produce grounds that are consistent in size. Bad grinders produce grounds of different sizes. When grounds are different sizes, different amounts of surface area are exposed to the water, which leads to inconsistent extraction (and less than ideal\u00a0taste). To maintain even extraction across particles, we need consistency in ground size.<\/p>\nBurr grinders (as opposed to blade grinders) are your best bet. At La Vita Dolce, we use Mahlkonig grinders. They\u2019re beautiful, highly professional machines. They would also be overkill at home. At home, I use a smaller Baratza grinder. There are other good options out there \u2013 but by \u201cgood option\u201d I do not mean a standard drip brewer that comes with a little built in grinding compartment thing. Don\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n
Set to the appropriate grind setting<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The best grind setting depends on your brew method. Different brew methods have different dwell times (the period during which water is in contact with the grounds). The longer the dwell time, the coarser the grind needed.<\/p>\n
Espresso calls for a fine grind, drip brewing calls for a coarser grind, French Press calls for an even coarser grind. You can Google your brand of grinder and brew method to find a suggested grind setting and go from there.<\/p>\n
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Operation of Your Brew Gadgets<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
![\"Pour](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavitadolcecafe.com\/staging\/6170\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/pour-over.jpg?resize=219%2C262\")
No matter how you brew your coffee, it\u2019s important to use your brew gadgets properly. At home, I typically use the pour over method, which is a type of drip brewing. My equipment: scale, Baratza grinder, Chemex coffeemaker, filter, kettle. Simple, but I still need to operate my gadgets correctly (e.g. saturate grounds evenly when pouring water, don\u2019t pour too much water at once). Ask Siri for tips on how to use your preferred equipment.<\/p>\n- \n
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Water<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Again, here we actually have two factors that I combined into one to make this list look shorter and get you to read this far.<\/p>\n
Bad water = bad coffee<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Ever made coffee using tap water at the beach? Not so pleasant. At La Vita Dolce, we have multiple filtration systems that are regularly changed. At home, you can use bottled water or filtered tap water (assuming you remember the last time you changed that water filter…).<\/p>\n
Temperature affects extraction<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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