For coffee enthusiasts eager to replicate the quality of their favorite café brews at home, expert guidance from the baristas at Sunday’s Beans is here to help. From proper storage techniques to grinding and measuring ingredients accurately, our coffee masters have shared their secrets for transforming your home brewing experience. Graham Hepburn, head of coffee at Sunday’s Beans, says, “A perfect brew always comes down to mastering a few simple steps. We know that not everyone has time for a daily coffee shop visit, so we’ve compiled these tips to help you enjoy café-quality coffee without leaving your home.” Here are seven tips for crafting a fantastic home brew:
1. START WITH FRESH BEANS
The foundation of a great cup of coffee is fresh beans. The fresher the beans, the better your brew will taste. Unlike perishable foods, coffee features a roast date, indicating when the beans were roasted. To enjoy the best flavor, consume your coffee within a month of this date, as freshness peaks between 7 and 21 days after roasting.
2. STORAGE IS KEY
To keep your coffee tasting great, store your beans properly. After opening, transfer them to an opaque, airtight container to protect against moisture, air, heat, and light—these factors can significantly degrade the quality of your beans. A cool, dry place out of direct sunlight is ideal, and using a properly sized container will minimize air exposure.
3. GRIND JUST BEFORE BREWING
Coffee loses flavor quickly after being ground—within 30 minutes, it begins to degrade. To maximize flavor, grind your beans right before brewing. Using a burr grinder will give you the best results, but a manual grinder can also work well if you prefer a hands-on approach.
4. PAY ATTENTION TO GRIND SIZE
Your grind size should vary based on your brewing method. A coarser grind can lead to weak, flat coffee, while a fine grind may result in a bitter brew. For consistent results, consider using a manual grinder, which allows you to control the grind size better.
5. MEASURE YOUR COFFEE
To eliminate variables in your brewing process, measure your coffee precisely. The “Golden Ratio” recommends using 15g of coffee per 240g of water for brewed coffee and 17g of coffee for 34g of water for espresso. This will help you dial in your preferences and adjust the ratio to suit your taste.
6. TIME YOUR BREWING
Brewing time plays a crucial role in the flavor of your coffee. Depending on your brewing method, the optimal brew time generally falls between 4-6 minutes. Longer extraction will enhance flavors, but if you prefer a more bitter taste, let it brew a bit longer.
7. DON’T FORGET THE BLOOM
The bloom is the initial infusion of near-boiling water on your coffee grounds, which removes trapped CO₂ from the roasting process. This step is essential for a stronger brew, as skipping it allows CO₂ to repel water during brewing, resulting in a weaker cup. Let your boiling water cool for about one minute before blooming. Let me know if you need any more adjustments or additional content!