Good coffee at home comes down to four things: fresh beans, the right grind for your brewer, the right amount of coffee and water just off the boil. This page brings together everything we've written on brewing, with a quick guide to each method and links to our step-by-step guides.
Brewing methods at a glance
Use this table as a starting point, then adjust to taste: if your coffee tastes bitter, grind a little coarser; if it tastes sour or weak, grind a little finer or use a little more coffee.
| Method | Grind | Coffee to water | Brew time | Step by step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cafetière (French press) | Coarse, like sea salt | 30g to 500ml (15g per mug) | 4 minutes | Cafetière guide |
| Hario V60 | Medium, like coarse sand | 15g to 250ml | 2½ to 3½ minutes | V60 guide |
| Chemex | Medium-coarse | 30g to 500ml | 4 to 5 minutes | Chemex guide |
| AeroPress | Medium-fine | 15g to 200ml | About 1½ minutes | AeroPress guide |
| Stovetop (moka pot) | Fine, a little coarser than espresso | 15 to 17g for a 3-cup pot | A few minutes on the hob | Stovetop guide |
| Cold brew | Coarse | 100g to 1 litre (makes a concentrate) | 12 to 18 hours in the fridge | Cold brew guide |
The basics that make the biggest difference
Grind fresh, and match the grind to your brewer
Coffee starts losing its aroma soon after it's ground, so grinding just before you brew makes the biggest single difference. Each brewer needs its own grind: coarse for a cafetière and cold brew, medium for pour-over and filter, finer for an AeroPress and a moka pot, and very fine for espresso. See how to choose a coffee grinder and the 7 mistakes to avoid when grinding coffee.
Use enough coffee
A good starting point for most methods is about 60g of coffee per litre of water, which is 15g for a 250ml mug. The weight is the same whether you start with beans or ground coffee: if you grind at home, weigh out 15g of beans and grind them all. Without scales, 15g is roughly three level tablespoons of ground coffee, or three to four tablespoons of whole beans. Weak coffee is more often a sign of too little coffee than of the wrong beans, and kitchen scales make it easy to get the same cup every day.
Use water just off the boil
Water at around 90 to 96°C suits most methods, so leave the kettle for about a minute after it boils. The water itself matters too: see the best water for coffee. For more tips, read how to make better coffee at home.
Choose your method
Cafetière (French press)
The easiest way to make great coffee, and the one we suggest for beginners: add coarse coffee and hot water, wait four minutes and press. It gives a full-bodied cup. Choose the Cafetière grind in your subscription. Read our step-by-step cafetière guide, or start with the best beginner method for brewing speciality coffee.
Pour-over: Hario V60 and Chemex
Pouring water slowly over coffee in a paper filter gives a clean, bright cup that brings out the fruitier notes in speciality coffee. The V60 makes a single mug; the Chemex makes enough to share and uses a slightly coarser grind. Choose the Dripper grind in your subscription. See our V60 guide, our Chemex guide and how to choose a pour-over coffee maker.
AeroPress
Small, tough and quick, the AeroPress makes a smooth, rich cup in a couple of minutes and is easy to take travelling. Choose the AeroPress grind in your subscription. Read our AeroPress guide.
Stovetop (moka pot)
A moka pot makes a strong, espresso-style coffee on the hob, and it's lovely with milk. A medium or darker roast with chocolatey notes works well. Choose the Espresso grind in your subscription. Read our stovetop guide.
Cold brew
Steeping coarse coffee in cold water in the fridge overnight makes a smooth, naturally sweet concentrate that keeps for days. Choose the Cafetière grind in your subscription. Read our cold brew guide.
Espresso
Espresso needs a very fine grind and an espresso machine to push water through the coffee under pressure. Choose the Espresso grind in your subscription. To understand how it differs from filter coffee, read filter coffee or espresso: what's the difference?
Keep your coffee fresh
Store beans in an airtight, opaque container away from heat and light, and grind them just before you brew. Read the best way to store coffee and how long coffee stays fresh.
Making tea?
We have guides for tea too: how to brew the perfect cup of loose leaf tea, choosing a tea brewer or infuser and cold brew iced tea.
Brewing questions
How much coffee should I use per cup?
About 15g of coffee for a 250ml mug, or 60g per litre. The weight is the same for beans and ground coffee, so weigh 15g of beans before you grind them. Without scales, that's roughly three level tablespoons of ground coffee, or three to four tablespoons of whole beans. Use a little more for a stronger cup.
What grind should I use for a cafetière?
A coarse grind, like sea salt. Too fine and the coffee tastes bitter and is hard to plunge.
What temperature should the water be?
Just off the boil, around 90 to 96°C. Leave the kettle for about a minute after it boils.
Which grind should I choose in my subscription?
Choose the grind that matches how you brew: Cafetière (also for cold brew), Dripper (V60, Chemex and filter machines), AeroPress, or Espresso (also for a moka pot). If you have a grinder, choose whole beans.
Discover a new coffee every delivery
Get a different single-origin speciality coffee from the UK's top independent roasters, freshly roasted and 100% arabica. Choose whole beans or a grind for your brewer, including decaf. Free UK delivery, and you can skip a delivery, change your date or cancel anytime.
