Wine, beer, Heavenly Hawaiian Kona Coffee, and Fluffy Kittens; all share the distinction of us not being able to live without. Similarly, if you drink coffee religiously, you can't live with these 6 Coffee Brewing Commandments (pun intended).

Ideally a cup of brewed coffee strikes a balance between sour, sweet, and bitter tastes resulting in a flavorful, nuanced beverage.

1 . Water

Brewed coffee is 98% water. There is a lot of science behind the perfect water composition, but for home brewing, brew your coffee with clean, odor free water that you drink. Do NOT use distilled, or reverse osmosis processed water.

2. Grind Size

No matter your brew method, a consistent particulate/grind size is crucial for consistent extraction. Invest in a BURR grinder.

3. Weigh your coffee and your water

Coffee seeds come in many shapes, sizes, and masses. Weighing your coffee will ensure that you’re using just the right amount of coffee to fit your recipe, just like a baker weighing flour.

Same with water. We’re all had weak coffee. To avoid making your coffee too strong or too weak, weigh your water to ensure that your brewing recipe stays the same from cup to cup.

4.Keep brew time

Ideally, coffee should be brewed in 3-5 minutes.

5. Water temperature

Unless you’re making cold brew (which is room temperature water and brews up to 24 hours) extraction parameters are going to be between 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit and avoid using boiling water.

6. Brewing Device

With a solid understanding of brewing recipes, water temperature, and grind settings, you can make delicious coffee using pretty much any brewing device!

Another thing to keep in mind is your Brew Ratio: Most people enjoy brewing ratios between 1:15-1:18. That is a range of 1 gram of coffee per 15 grams of water up to 1 gram of coffee per 18 grams of water.

Your Brew Method will change the ratios and time, which we will cover in a different post, so keep your eyes peeled here on in your inbox.