There are many things to enjoy about coffee: the intoxicating aroma, the rich flavor, and the way sharing a cup brings people together. Another thing we love about coffee is that it gives us the opportunity to experiment. Put on your wizard hat and heat up your witch’s cauldron, because manipulating the variables you use to brew your coffee can have you feel like a sorcerer.
Sometimes people ask what is the best way to brew coffee. The honest answer is, whatever makes the cup of coffee you, personally enjoy the most. For some people, that means highlighting the sweetness of a roast. For others, that means finding a single-origin with delicate floral notes. For others, it means brewing a coffee that stands up to a strong pour of heavy cream. Let your personal preferences dictate your brew, because ultimately, coffee is meant to be enjoyed.
As you hone in on the tastes you enjoy in your coffee, play alchemist. There are a few major variables you can play with to adjust your brew. Your grind size will have a huge impact on your coffee’s overall flavor and mouthfeel. If your coffee seems too weak, make your grind a little bit finer or make your ratio of water to coffee a little lower. Weigh out your dose of coffee and water and increase the amount of coffee you use in your brew basket. If you’re using a manual brew method, like a pour-over or aeropress.
If your coffee tastes burned or bitter, make your grind a little coarser or use a higher ratio of water to coffee. If you’re manually brewing, you can also try a lower water temperature or a faster pour.
Beyond tweaking your method, you can also experiment with the beans you brew. If you like a hearty coffee, try something from Sumatra or Indonesia. If you appreciate fruity flavors, look for a berry-forward Ethiopian or a citrusy Kenyan. Central American coffees often have balanced sweetness with chocolate or caramel notes.
During spooky season, get silly and try changes to your coffee to see if you like the adjustments. We love getting crazy with our brews here—our general manager tried a pour-over steeped in an orange peel, and we added some salt to our ground coffee to see what would happen. Not all our brews turn out well, but there’s nothing wicked about trying something new!