Many customers have wondered why coffee tastes better at a café, even when brewing the same coffee at home with a similar machine. The reason may be found in surprisingly small details. For many, the most familiar coffee brewing equipment is the traditional drip coffee maker, most commonly perhaps a Moccamaster or Wilfa. However, many people are guilty of common minor mistakes with their home machine, which is why a) the coffee does not taste as good as it could, and b) the coffee maker gets dirty more easily, which in turn leads to the coffee starting to taste unpleasant over time. So, let's dive into how to brew filter coffee the right way!
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Fresh water, fresh machine, fresh coffee
Who admits to having poured water into the machine using a dirty coffee pot? This is a big no-no. Even if you rinse the coffee pot after every use, coffee oils always remain in the pot, which eventually end up in the water reservoir and from there into the internal parts of the coffee maker, clogging it and causing unwanted off-flavors in the coffee. Always use fresh water directly from the tap into the reservoir or use a clean container.
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Rinse the filter paper before use
Why on earth? When you rinse the filter paper before use, the taste of the paper does not transfer to the coffee, the coffee extracts more evenly, and the coffee's own aromas come through better. A dampened filter paper also stays in place better. There are also differences between filter papers, so it is good to choose a high-quality filter paper of the right size for your machine.
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Beans are always better
You will always get the freshest coffee taste by grinding the beans right before brewing. However, if you don't (yet) have your own grinder at home, pre-ground filter coffee will also work just fine. Please note that you shouldn't accidentally use coffee that is too coarse or too finely ground, so the taste doesn't end up being watery or, conversely, bitter.
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Measure and weigh
A common misconception about brewing coffee is that the more grounds you add, the stronger the result. Actually, a lover of strong coffee is just wasting coffee this way. A rich flavor can also be achieved with the right proportions. The correct ratio of coffee to water is about 60 g of ground coffee per one liter of water. The sizes of measuring scoops found at home vary, but typically one coffee scoop holds about 7 g of coffee, which corresponds to one small cup of coffee. If you have a kitchen scale at home, it's good to weigh the coffee for your own scoops at least at first, so you learn the right ratio!
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Stir the coffee bed
A good extra tip to make the coffee taste more even is to stir the coffee bed during the brewing process. That is, once some of the water has already drained onto the coffee grounds, boldly stir the grounds around a few times with a spoon so that the water spreads evenly through the grounds. Not mandatory, but a good way to get even better coffee!
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Keep your coffee maker clean
You can't get good coffee with dirty equipment. Wash the coffee maker at regular intervals, even just with baking soda and vinegar – you don't necessarily need expensive descaling agents, as the machine can be cleaned with basic household supplies. Of course, there are various cleaners available in stores, and those can be used too. The main thing is not to let the coffee maker become filthy, but to give it a wash now and then, for example during spring and Christmas cleaning.
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Choose high-quality coffee that suits your taste
And one more important thing! Choose high-quality coffee that has been roasted in small artisan batches and that suits your exact taste. Whether you are a fan of light roasts or darker coffee, you will definitely find a product that suits your taste in our selection. What could be better than starting the day with your own favorite coffee!
Hopefully, these tips provide something new for your own coffee moments! You can also find a video from a few years ago with these same instructions on our YouTube channel – even though the video is old, the instructions are fortunately still current! Watch the video here.