A bag of good beans deserves better than a guess. Four things decide how your coffee tastes at home: the grind, the ratio, the water and how you store the bag. None of them needs special equipment beyond a grinder and a kitchen scale.
Grind just before you brew
Whole beans keep their flavour far longer than ground coffee, so grind only what you are about to use. Match the grind to how you brew:
- French press: coarse, like sea salt
- Drip machine: medium, like sand
- Pour-over: medium-fine
- Espresso: fine
A burr grinder gives a more even grind than a blade grinder, and an even grind is most of the difference between a clean cup and a bitter one.
Weigh the coffee
For drip and pour-over, use about 60 grams of coffee for every litre of water. For a single mug, that is roughly 16 grams of coffee to 250 millilitres of water. For French press, go slightly stronger, about 30 grams to 450 millilitres, and let it steep for four minutes before you press.
At that rate a 400 g bag makes about 25 mugs.
Use water just off the boil
Boiling water scorches coffee. Let the kettle sit for about thirty seconds after it boils, which brings it to roughly 93 to 96°C. If your tap water tastes of anything, use filtered water.
Store the bag properly
Keep the beans in an airtight container, somewhere cool and dark. A cupboard is right; the fridge is not, because beans pick up moisture and smells. Once the bag is open, aim to finish it within a few weeks.
If it tastes wrong
- Bitter or harsh: grind a little coarser, or use slightly cooler water.
- Sour or thin: grind a little finer, or use a little more coffee.
Change one thing at a time and you will find the cup you like within a few tries.
The beans we use
We sell the coffee from our own roaster, Giobean, as whole bean in dark, medium and decaf. If you are not sure which to choose, start here.