14 methods to improve your home-brewed coffee

It can be a joy to order coffee from your favorite café, but it is not the most cost-effective alternative.

Making a cup at home is a more economical option, so Insider consulted with coffee experts about the best techniques for brewing at home.

Here are some simple strategies to improve your coffee game.

Start by periodically cleaning your coffeemaker
Used coffee grounds can affect the flavor of a new cup of coffee.

Josh Zad, founder and creative director of popular café chain Alfred, told Insider that cleaning your coffee maker on a regular basis is one method to improve your cup of coffee.

“Be sure to clean every nook and cranny, particularly where the coffee drains through the filter,” he said. The flavor and aroma of old coffee muddles the flavor of newly brewed coffee significantly.

Adding a little of baking soda, a splash of vinegar, and some water is the most effective technique to remove stubborn stains. The next day, according to Zad, the stain would be easily removed with a scrub brush.

Consider a new brewing method, like as the French press or moka pot.

Insider was told by Selina Viguera, café manager of Blue Bottle Coffee’s Abbot Kinney store, that there are so many exciting ways to brew craft coffee at home if you’re ready to delve deeper into the world of specialty coffee.

Moka pot, French press, AeroPress, Chemex, and several pour-overs are only the beginning.

If you don’t know where to begin, there are numerous internet resources, and most coffee-roasting firms include tutorials on their websites, according to Viguera.

For a fun and distinctive coffee experience, invest in a pour-over carafe
Pour-over coffee is an increasingly popular brewing method.

Pour-over, which includes slowly pouring hot water over coffee grinds, is the preferred brewing method, according to the consensus of several experts.

According to Viguera, with the appropriate method, it is possible to brew a truly wonderful cup of coffee.

She said that once you learn some of the variables for brewing coffee (grind size, water temperature, and agitation), you can make multiple cups from the same bag of coffee.

Switch to purchasing entire coffee beans rather than ground
Fresher coffee beans are whole.

“To create better coffee, choose higher-quality beans,” Viguera told Insider.

According to Alex Azoury, the original founder and CEO of Home Grounds, a community for coffee enthusiasts, whole-bean coffee is fresher and has a more lively flavor than pre-ground coffee.

Brew coffee within the first two weeks of its roasting.

“Coffee is a natural product (it’s the seed of a fruit), and while it doesn’t go bad, it loses a lot of flavor if it sits around for too long,” Zad told Insider.

According to Viguera, coffee flavor reaches its peak within the first two weeks following roasting, thus it’s crucial to get freshly roasted coffee.

To maintain the freshness of your coffee, appropriate storage is essential. Zad recommended avoiding exposure to heat, light, dampness, and the freezer.

Invest in a coffee grinder that accommodates your preferred bean type.
Quality coffee beans necessitate a superior grinder.

After purchasing high-quality beans, it is essential to invest in a decent grinder.

Insider was advised by Azoury to acquire a coffee grinder that can produce the desired amount and coarseness of ground coffee. “A competent grinder will provide grind and quantity options to fit your preferences.”

Adjust your grinder to the appropriate size.

According to Viguera, coffee that is ground too finely will result in overextraction, whereas coffee that is ground too coarsely would result in underextraction.

Under-extracted coffee might taste watery or acidic, while over-extracted coffee can be dry and bitter.

To avoid this, Viguera advised Insider that coffee should be “dialed in.” Baristas use this word to describe the process of altering the grind setting to achieve the ideal coarseness/fineness for brewing a cup of coffee.

There is a precise grind setting for coffee that produces a balance of bitterness, acidity, and sweetness. According to Viguera, this sweet spot might change depending on the origin of the coffee, roast quality, and age.

Only grind the beans you intend to brew immediately.
Once coffee beans are ground, their flavors can begin to diminish.

You should only grind as much coffee as you intend to make.

“If you’ve pre-ground all of your coffee but aren’t going to brew it immediately, you’ve accelerated the rate at which the remaining coffee will lose its exquisite depth,” Zad told Insider.

Coffee might taste differently depending on the quality of the water used to brew it.

According to Viguera, another key component to consider while brewing coffee at home is the water, which accounts for around 98% of the brewed cup.

“As the primary solvent for extracting flavor and aroma from your ground coffee, your water requires a particular level of hardness/mineral content and alkalinity for a proper extraction,” she told Insider. Depending on where you live, the tap water may be too hard or too soft to bring out the best in your coffee.

Different brewing temperatures are needed for light and dark roasts.
Overheated water can ruin a cup of coffee.

The temperature of the water is another crucial component while making coffee.

“You should use water boiled to 198 degrees Fahrenheit to 202 degrees Fahrenheit to extract coffee correctly,” Viguera advised. “Lighter-roasted coffees can tolerate higher temperatures (202 degrees Fahrenheit), whereas darker-roasted coffees taste better when brewed with water that is closer to 198 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Consider preheating the mug before to pouring the coffee.

If you pour hot coffee into a chilly mug, the coffee will become colder as soon as it contacts the ceramic.

According to Zad, a prepared mug will allow you to enjoy your coffee for longer in the morning.

Alter the routine by brewing cold brew at home
Making cold brew is not as complicated as some believe.

Megan Willett/Tech Insider

Making your own cold brew at home is another method to vary your coffee habit.

To do so, simply roughly crush your beans and add water, according to Zad. Next, place it in the refrigerator overnight to extract the coffee’s rich richness.

To create your own flavored coffee, add spices.

According to Zad, flavored coffee may have artificial components that do not compliment the beans’ natural flavor.

Instead, he suggested incorporating the real flavoring elements into your coffee.

“When preparing cold brew, try adding spices to your coffee grounds,” Zad advised Insider. Cinnamon sticks, crushed toasted hazelnuts, cardamom pods, anise, cacao shells, or even savory components such as caraway can be steeped overnight in cold brew coffee to impart a naturally spicy flavor with no artificial additives.

Utilize a scale to acquire the proper ratio of coffee to water.
The ratio might alter the coffee’s potency.

Knowing your brew ratio — or coffee-to-water ratio — and using a scale can help you brew consistently good cups.

“For reference, the industry standard is 1:18 (one part coffee to 18 parts water),” Viguera told Insider. “This ratio produces a cup with a light body and enhanced flavor clarity.” “If you prefer a bolder, fuller-bodied cup, try a 1:14 ratio.”