Great coffee at home doesn't need an expensive machine. A few small changes make the biggest difference: fresh beans, the right grind, the right amount of coffee and good water. Here are seven simple tips that will improve your next cup, whatever you brew with.
1. Start with fresh coffee
Coffee is at its best within a few weeks of roasting. Look for a roast date on the bag (not just a best-before date) and buy little and often. Speciality coffee from an independent roaster is roasted to bring out each coffee's own flavours, so you'll taste far more than "coffee".
2. Grind just before brewing
Ground coffee loses its aroma quickly, so grinding just before you brew gives the fullest flavour. If you don't have a grinder, buy coffee ground for your brewer and keep it sealed. Match the grind to your method: fine for espresso, medium for filter and AeroPress, coarse for a cafetière. See how to choose a coffee grinder.
3. Weigh your coffee
Scoops vary, but scales don't. A good starting point for filter and cafetière is about 60g of coffee per litre of water, or 15g for a 250ml mug. Too weak? Add a little more coffee. Too strong? Use a little less. Our guide to how much ground coffee to use has more detail.
4. Use good water
A cup of filter coffee is around 98% water, so if your tap water tastes of chlorine, your coffee will too. A jug filter helps, especially in hard-water areas. Don't use distilled water: coffee needs some minerals to taste right. More in our guide to the best water for coffee.
5. Get the temperature right
Water just off the boil, around 90 to 96°C, is ideal for most brewing methods. Boiling water can taste harsh, while water that's too cool tastes weak and sour. Simply leave the kettle for 30 seconds or so after it boils.
6. Warm your cup and keep kit clean
Rinse your mug with hot water before you pour, so your coffee stays hot for longer. And clean your brewer, grinder and machine regularly: old coffee oils turn rancid and make fresh coffee taste stale and bitter.
7. Try a different brewing method
Every method brings out something different in a coffee. If you usually use a cafetière, try a pour-over for a cleaner, brighter cup, or an AeroPress for something smooth and rich. Our step-by-step guides cover the cafetière, the Hario V60, the Chemex and the AeroPress.
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