Improper brewing leads to bitter or sour flavors in coffee. Adjust grind finer for sour, coarser for bitter. Add more grinds for a stronger brew, around 10% up or down.

Consider servicing or calibrating your grinder if your coffee tastes off.

Reputable sources recommend a 14:1 to 20:1 water to coffee ratio for optimal flavor.

Extraction is the amount of coffee pulled from each grind as it meets water. Optimal extraction is achieved at specific temperatures, crucial for the best results.

Our coffees are best brewed between 195 - 205 degrees Fahrenheit. We brew everything at 200 degrees to keep it easy.

This cannot be overstated: grind is one of the most important contributors to coffee flavor! A decent grinder will level up your coffee game in an instant no matter how you brew. Our daily use machines are the Oxo Burr Grinder ($100) or the Baratza Encore ($150).

A great place to start for grind settings is as follows:

Drip or Pour Over - medium grind (fine sand or table salt)

French Press & Cold Brew - very coarse grind (small chunks)

Espresso - super fine grind (powder like)

Pour over brewing offers high-quality flavor at a low cost. Consider the OXO Brew 12oz Pour-Over Coffee Maker for <$20. It's user-friendly and produces exceptional coffee!

Any French Press will do great with our coffees, water temperature and proportions are easily found with a quick web search (the proportions vary based on the size french press you have).

We have found that Moccamaster drip machines produce the best results consistently. They are made in the Netherlands and can be found new for ~$350, or manufacturer refurbished for <$230. They are designed to mimic pour over brewing, produce a full pot of coffee, and last a very long time when cared for!

Espresso is a tough nut to crack, we have a home manual machine and are always tweaking grind and portion settings to maximize flavor. This is a lot of work, so for most daily espresso drinkers, the best balance is an automatic espresso machine like the Breville Barista.

We use the Toddy and have had amazing results! Cold brew is usually enjoyed on ice, but provides more caffeine and has been known to be gentler on the stomach. Shout out for our Costa Rica Thermic, it is hands down our favorite cold brew ever!

Do not overspend! Expensive automated machines are great, but do not necessarily produce better coffee! It's okay to start small.

For ~$100-150 you can make amazing coffee -

$40-50 Delonghi or Cuisinart burr grinder

$40 Temperature Controlled Electric Kettle (Costco, or whichever tea kettle you already have works fine, just monitor the water temp)

$20 Pour Over, $20 French Press, $40 Chemex

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We'd love to help you with any questions to ensure you maximize your coffee's potential.