Home Brewing Guide
Great coffee doesn't have to mean a trip to the café. With a few basics you can brew a cup at home that rivals your favourite coffee shop. These are the tips we give every customer who asks us how to get the best out of their beans, straight from our roastery in Climping, West Sussex.
Shop CoffeeBrewing GearWhat is specialty coffee?
Specialty coffee is coffee that has been carefully grown, picked, processed and roasted to bring out its natural flavour. Instead of one generic "coffee" taste, you get distinct notes: chocolate and hazelnut from a Brazilian, berries from a natural Ethiopian, caramel and apple from a good Colombian. Brewing it well at home is simply about not getting in the way of those flavours.
The 5 things that matter most
1Start with fresh, whole beans
The biggest upgrade you can make is buying freshly roasted whole beans from a roaster. Coffee loses its aroma quickly once ground, so grind just before you brew. Keep beans sealed, cool and dark, in something like a Fellow Atmos vacuum canister. Never in the fridge.
2Invest in a good grinder
If you buy one piece of kit, make it a burr grinder. An even grind means an even extraction and a sweeter, cleaner cup. Blade grinders chop unevenly, giving you a mix of bitter and sour.
3Weigh your coffee and water
Scoops and guesswork are why home coffee tastes different every day. A digital scale lets you repeat a recipe you love. For filter, start at a 1:16 ratio: 15g of coffee to 250g of water. Scales like the Felicita Incline or Acaia Pearl S have a built-in timer too.
4Use good water at the right temperature
Coffee is over 98% water. Tap water across Sussex and the South East is hard, so filtered water will taste noticeably better and protect your kit from limescale. Aim for 92–96°C, just off the boil. A temperature-control kettle like the Felicita Square makes it effortless.
5Pick a brew method that suits you
There's no single "best" way. It depends on how you like your coffee and how much time you have in the morning. Here are our four favourite home recipes.
Our home brewing recipes
Pour-Over (V60)
Clean, bright and perfect for fruity coffees
- Rinse a paper filter with hot water and discard the water.
- Add your coffee and pour 40g of water to bloom. Wait 30–45 seconds.
- Pour slowly in small circles up to 250g.
- Let it drain and enjoy.
Tastes sour? Grind finer. Bitter or dry? Grind coarser.
Shop V60 SetAeroPress
Quick, forgiving and great for travel
- Add coffee and water, then stir gently.
- Steep for 1:30–2:00 minutes.
- Press slowly for about 30 seconds.
Rich, smooth and almost no cleaning up. Taking it on the road? Try the AeroPress Go.
Shop AeroPressBatch Brew
Great coffee for the whole household
A quality filter machine like the Moccamaster KBG Select or Fellow Aiden brews at the right temperature every time. Just weigh, grind and press go.
Shop Coffee MachinesEspresso
The base of every flat white, latte and cappuccino
Adjust your grind until you hit the time. Machines like the Sage Bambino Plus and Barista Express Impress are brilliant for home. Want to master it? Join our espresso course or latte art course in Rustington.
Shop Sage Bambino PlusCommon home brewing mistakes
- Pre-ground coffee that has been sitting open for weeks.
- Boiling water straight from the kettle, which tastes harsh.
- Dirty kit. Coffee oils build up and make everything taste stale.
- Changing everything at once. Adjust one thing at a time, usually grind size.
Ready to brew?
Fresh beans, a burr grinder and a simple brewer will transform your morning coffee. Or pop into our coffee shop in Rustington and we'll help you choose.
Shop CoffeeShop Brewing GearRead next: The best specialty coffees to brew at home →
