The goal of brewing coffee is simple, you want to extract the fullest possible range of the good flavors and none of the bad ones; get the best and leave the rest. The main variables involved in this pursuit are: freshness of coffee, grind, water and proportion.

Even the most well-blended, perfectly roasted coffee has a finite period in which to provide its optimal flavor. Like a bouquet of flowers, the fragrance of roasted coffee can only be appreciated when it is truly fresh. For the maximum in flavor and aroma, coffee should be used within ten days of roasting, ideally between the third and seventh day. We date everything we produce by hand so all you need to check our coffee for freshness is a calendar.

Store your whole beans in airtight container, at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

Grind only as much coffee as you are about to brew. Once coffee is ground it becomes exponentially more perishable and much flavor, particularly the range of delicate aromatics, will be lost in a matter of a few short hours.

Choose the correct grind for your brewing method. Too fine a grind will lead to bitter, over-extracted coffee as the water stays in contact with the coffee for too long. Too coarse and the water will pass right on through, resulting in a weak and watery under-extraction.

About 98% of every cup of coffee is water, therefore it is pretty obvious that bad water will produce less than desirable coffee. Either use a simple taste and odor filter on your tap water, or buy it bottled to make sure you have good water for brewing (and drinking and cooking).

The ideal temperature for brewing is 195-200 degrees. For this reason one must be wary of “Mr. Coffee” style home brewers which usually don’t make it over 180 on their best day.

We recommend the filter drip method wherein you boil the water yourself and pour it over the coffee by hand. It’s low tech. but it works, and making your coffee by hand will guarantee you are present to enjoy the wonderful aroma created when the water hits the grounds.

• Start by bringing water to a boil.
• If using a paper filter be sure to pre-rinse it to remove any papery tastes.
• Pre-heat your pot and cups with hot water.
• After the water had been off boil for thirty seconds, the temperature will be perfect and you’re ready to brew.

The most prevalent flaw in home-brewing, and brewing in general for that matter, is not using enough coffee. Be sure to use two tablespoons of coffee for each 6 ounces of water. If this tastes too strong, dilute by adding hot water to your cup after brewing.