Should I freeze coffee? What's the best brewing method? How much coffee do I use? These are some of the most common coffee questions we get. Below are our tips for the best cup of joe!
DON’T WORRY: It’s only coffee.
WHEN IN DOUBT, BREW STRONG: It will lead to a much better cup if you use a little extra coffee and have the option of adding hot water than pouring out a weak brew.
START WITH FULL POTS: If you’re using a countertop coffee maker, it’s best to get a handle on what your favorite recipe for a full pot is first, then work on smaller volume brews.
FIGURE OUT YOUR CUPS: Just FYI, a whole pot of coffee is 64 oz unless you've got special brewer. A 12 cup countertop coffee maker is generally assuming your serving size at 5-6 oz per cup.
USE THE CORRECT GRIND: The finer the grind, the stronger your brew will be. This is dependent on several factors including, but not limited to: brewing method, filter type (if applicable), grinder type, and/or personal preference. We offer our pre-ground coffees in what’s considered a medium drip grind.
KEEP YOUR COFFEE STABLE: Whenever possible keep your coffee in a clean, dry place. An airtight storage container is best if you’re not going to finish the bag within 7-10 days after opening. If you’re using the freezer, don’t open the bag & only put it in the freezer once (taking the coffee in/out of the freezer only increases damage to the coffee). Also, DO NOT PUT YOUR COFFEE IN THE FRIDGE.
BREW BY MASS: Get your kitchen scale out and weigh the coffee and the water (when possible) in grams to get better coffee. The old method of using scoops or tablespoons is still useful, but the results vary wildly from person to person brewing the pot (full vs. heaping scoops, morning vs. afternoon pots, etc.). Plus, dark roasts weigh less per volume than light roasts, making it tricky to get consistent brews when using scoops.
THE GOLDEN RATIO: The easiest way to figure out how much coffee to use is based off a 1:17 ratio of coffee to water: One gram of coffee for every 17 grams of water (the “golden ratio” is often debated as being somewhere between 1:15 to 1:20 depending on water quality, grind consistency, brew time, lunar phase, etc., so be prepared to experiment a bit with your own brewing recipe).
One 64 oz pot of coffee (approx. 1900g water / by 17) = 111 grams of coffee.
One 32 oz French press (approx. 950g water / 17) = 56g of coffee.
One 20 oz Chemex (approx. 590g water / 17) = 35g of coffee.
One 12 oz Pour Over (approx. 355g water / 17) = 21g coffee
You can also do the math quickly with your calculator using these numbers:
1 oz = 29.57 grams
1 gram water = 1 ml water
Here’s a cheat sheet: