How to Make Coffee From Scratch: A Beginner's Guide

How to Make Coffee From Scratch: A Beginner's Guide

Many people think that making a good cup of coffee requires an expensive espresso machine or a fancy French press. But the truth is, you can make excellent coffee with just a few simple ingredients and a few basic tools. In this guide, we will walk you through the basics of making great coffee from scratch.

Everyone knows how to make drip coffee, right? All you have to do is fill the pot with water, add some ground coffee, press a button, and voila! But what if we told you that there's a better way? A more flavorful way. A way that can turn your morning cup of coffee into an absolute delight? That's right—we're talking about making coffee from scratch while focusing on aromas, freshness and taste. It might sound intimidating at first, but we promise it's not as hard as it seems. So grab your favorite blend of ground coffee and let’s get started!

Choose Your Beans Wisely

The first step in making great-tasting coffee is selecting the best beans for the job. The type of bean you choose will depend on your personal taste preferences. If you like a milder flavor with sweet undertones, go for something like Arabica beans; if you prefer something bolder and more intense, try Robusta beans instead. Once you've selected your beans, be sure to store them in an airtight container away from direct sunlight so they don't get stale too quickly. Having Freshly roasted coffee also makes a difference as flavors are highlighted, try to get coffee beans that were roasted within the last two weeks. At 787 Coffee we grow, process and roast our own coffee in our coffee farm in Puerto Rico and ship to New York every two weeks.

Grind the Beans Just Right

Once you've got your beans ready to go, the next step is to grind them up into grounds. This will help release all those delicious flavors locked inside each bean and ensure an even extraction when they come into contact with hot water later on. Try not to over-grind your beans since this can lead to bitterness in the final product—you want just enough grounds for them to be coarse enough for even extraction but not too fine that they become powdery. For best results, use a burr grinder instead of a blade grinder for more precise control over the size of your grounds.

The key here is finding the right grind size for your brew method. If you are using a drip brewer, you'll want to use a medium grind; if you are using an espresso machine or French press, you'll want to use a fine grind; and if you are using an Aeropress or cold brew brewer, you'll want to use a coarse grind. Brewing Your Coffee Once your beans are ground and ready to go, it's time to start brewing! For most methods, all you need is hot water (around 195-205°F). Pour over brewers require slow pouring and careful timing; espresso machines require precise measurements; French presses require long steep times; and cold brewers require long steep times with cold water. No matter what brewing method you choose, it's important that all of your ingredients are fresh and correctly measured for optimal results.

Brew Like an Expert

Now comes the fun part Brewing! There are several methods available depending on which kind of brewing equipment you have at home (such as espresso machines or French presses). Whichever method you choose, though, be sure to take note of two things: temperature and time. Water that's too hot or brews for too long can result in an overly bitter cup; water that's not hot enough or doesn't brew long enough may give off weak flavor notes or lack complexity entirely. For best results, use water heated between 195°F-205°F and aim for a total brew time between 3-5 minutes (depending on which method you use).

Making great tasting coffee from scratch isn't as daunting as it sounds! By taking the time to select quality and freshly roasted beans and grinding them properly before brewing with precise temperatures and timescales, anyone can enjoy their own delicious cup of coffee made from scratch from the comfort of their own home!

So why not give it a try today? Who knows—you might just find yourself becoming a master barista in no time!

If you ever have any questions on coffee please email us: hello@787coffee.com or come to any of our 787 coffee shops we would love to connect and talk coffee.