Want a free downloadable guide on improving your espresso skills?

We get asked a lot of questions about coffee, and that’s ok. Coffee is our thing and there’s a lot to learn. We’ve spent the past decade learning all we can to help businesses and you fine folk at home get the best from the morning brew. We’ve now taken it upon ourselves here to distill that into a downloadable pdf that you can refer to at your leisure and hopefully guide you on the path to the perfect espresso, latte art or whatever your heart desires (as long as its espresso based).

Just fill in your details below and grab your free copy of the guide. If you’ve got any feedback or questions we haven’t covered, head over to our contact page and write us a letter. We’d love to hear from you and are happy to continue to work on the guide to help make your espresso time better!

 

Coffee brew styles 101.

There are many different ways to brew coffee, and each method has its own unique characteristics that can affect the taste, strength, and aroma of the final product. Whether you prefer an espresso, a smooth French press, or a complex pour-over, learning how to fine-tune your brew can be a fun and rewarding experience. Here, we will explore some of the most popular methods for brewing coffee, and give you some tips and tricks to help achieve the perfect cup. So grab your favorite coffee beans and let's get brewing!

 

Espresso basics

Lets check over your fundamentals. If you’re ticking all these boxes, chances are you’re also making some top quality ‘spro. If not, there’s a lot of online support to help you brush up - or grab yourself a copy of our in-depth guide above!

  • Own a good quality grinder. Grind your coffee fresh for every shot and understand how to use it to shape the quality of the extraction.

  • Scales to measure grams of beans in and grams of liquid gold out. Your recipe ratio is your key to coffee consistency. (There’s a detailed breakdown of this in the guide)

  • Cleanliness. Keep your equipment clean and in good working order and you’ll taste this morning’s coffee, not a mix of the past week’s servings.

  • Simple technique fundamentals. Know how to distribute and tamp correctly for reliable results.

 

stovetop basics

Here’s a few simple tips to help you get the most out of the humble coffee pot.

  • Quality grinder. Yes, we cannot stress this enough. Grinding your own coffee as you use it does make that much difference and you have the ability to control the fineness you need.

  • Fill the chamber with hot water. Less time on the burner will reduce any burnt bitterness in the coffee.

  • As soon as the coffee pouring out the top turns pale, take it off the heat and cool the base with a cold, damp cloth to stop the brewing process instantly.

 

plunger basics

A simple plunger can make a great brew if you understand what its best at, which is a lovely, gentle, black coffee. This method can be amazing if you have a single origin coffee at your disposal, as the slower brewing process will allow the delicate flavours to shine.

  • Quality grinder. Again. Even for a plunger, freshly ground coffee changes the game, as coffee ages very quickly once ground.

  • Grind rather coarse. You’re making a slower brew than other methods so don’t let the water get into the coffee too quick or it will over extract. Super coarse coffee grinds will slow the brewing.

  • Use water off the boil. If you have a digital kettle, we set it to 94C.

  • Brew for 3-4 minutes, plunge and enjoy.