Making great coffee is easy, as long as you follow a few basic rules. These rules apply to any method you use, but I prefer hand methods, such as a Chemex, Hario V60, etc because I have more control over the process. Which gadget you use is a personal preference and mostly boils down to your filter preference. Of all my gadgets, I currently like the Chemex the most because I like a clean, juicy coffee and I find the fuller-bodied coffees to be murky and heavy because of the extra sediment, which also adds a bitter flavor to the coffee.
Regardless of your brewing apparatus, the following rules will always apply:
- Use clean, filtered water
- Brew with water just off boil (~205°F)
- Use only fresh roasted coffee (you're at the right place for that!)
- Grind the coffee just before brewing
- If using paper filters, use bleached paper filters for less paper taste
- Experiment with your coffee-to-water ratio, which should fall in the range of 9 – 11 grams of coffee per 6 fluid ounces of water
Just following these six steps can drastically improve your coffee enjoyment!