Tips to brew better coffee at home

Let’s go back to the basics: if you want a good cup of coffee, you need good beans.

Find a local roaster and buy freshly roasted coffee beans and grind the beans according to the equipment you are using. This lends a better flavour profile to your cup. The rule of thumb is that roasted coffee can start losing its freshness in 21 days after roasting, so buy small quantities regularly. Experiment with different coffee roasts and process to find something you like!

When you're brewing coffee at home, have you ever poured in all the water at once?

If yes, that may be affecting the taste of your coffee.

When you're brewing coffee, allow the coffee to 'bloom' first. Wet all the grounds with hot water and wait for 30 seconds. When the grounds come in contact with water, you'll see tiny bubbles rising to the surface. This is just carbon dioxide being released from the coffee. After half a minute, pour in the rest of the water in slow, spiraling movements.

Want to spice up your standard pour-over brew?

Simply add spices like cinnamon stick to your grounds before brewing to infuse the coffee. It will add complexity to your coffee as well as give your cup a great aroma. Plus, cinnamon adds a sense of sweetness, so if you’re looking to reduce sugar in your coffee, cinnamon can help.

Should we use tap water or mineral water?

If you’re not liking the flavour at home, it might have little to do with the barista skills but a lot more to do with the water you’re using. This is especially important considering that over 97% of brewed coffee is just water!

Make sure it’s not hard, filtered but not distilled: coffee does need some minerals to brew well and taste delicious.