The grinding of beans matters
An important tip for better tasting coffee is to make sure that the grind size is consistent/equal. In other words, you want to aim for an even grind. Texture is also important and affects flavor in different ways. Ground coffee for brewing should resemble raw sugar in texture – it should not be as finely ground and powdery as an espresso grind, but not as coarse as a French press grind either. For the absolute best flavor, use an electric coffee grinder. Manual grinders tend to produce unevenly sized particles, which will lead to an uneven extraction (and possibly bitter coffee). Preferably use freshly ground coffee!
Keep track of the amount of beans/ground coffee used
The strength of your coffee is almost entirely determined by the ratio of ground coffee to brewing water. Too little water and the coffee will be “muddy” and too bold, while too much water will make your coffee thin and watery in taste. To find the perfect ratio of coffee to water, try to keep the amount of water at the same level and then adjust the amount of coffee. If you brew a pot and the coffee tastes thin or excessively bitter, try adding a little more coffee next time you brew. If it tastes sour, try using a little less. We recommend starting with 14 tablespoons, or 70 grams of ground coffee for a full batch. For a half batch, take 8 tablespoons, or 40 grams. See the table below for brewing ratios for more levels.
Water quality
We are used to good quality and being able to drink our tap water. On average, water makes up 98-99% of your cup of coffee. This means that if you’re not super fond of how your tap water tastes on its own, chances are it won’t make your coffee taste that great either. Which water is best to use? Generally speaking, soft, filtered water will give the best results. If you have hard water, a filter jug (Brita or similar) can be a tip as it lowers the hardness of the water a little. We would avoid using “pure” or distilled water, without the right combination of minerals to balance out the flavor, distilled water tends to make coffee taste sharp and less sweet.
