How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee at Home? | Easiest Way

One can always stir up a cup of instant coffee, but brewing the beverage right from the beans can be incredibly therapeutic and give a good start to your day. At The App Barista, we believe that sipping on fresh homemade coffee is the purest bliss, and you deserve it too!

So, let’s learn how to make a good cup of coffee in a few simple steps.

How to make the perfect cup of coffee at home?

Are you new to brewing and feel a bit lost amidst all the coffee jargon? Well, don’t worry! All you need is a mug full of dedication to learn, and with practice, you’ll get to know all the subtle differences between coffee beans, water temperatures, and kinds of equipment.

Just stay with us till the end, and you’ll be all set to brew your first cup of joe at home.

Requirements for a perfect cup of coffee

What makes a good coffee? Here are a few things that you need to get on your counter before you begin the coffee-making process. Get these right and you’ll be halfway there.

Finding high-quality whole coffee beans

Good coffee beans are all about their flavor and they don’t retain it for long. The beans lose their palette and aroma soon after roasting and grinding. 

What helps here is going for whole beans that have been roasted recently. Look for a roasting date that's within the past few days printed on the package. Such roasted beans are at a high bar of quality and will enhance the flavor and freshness of your beverage.‍

Choose the right roast

Being a matter of personal preference, there is no specific standard for the right roasted beans. Whatever cheers up your tastebuds is right for you. Generally classified as light, medium, and dark, roasts differ in their level of acidity, bitterness, and origin flavors. 

Light roast works well for methods where coffee is consumed without milk as it efficiently carries the origin tones. Medium roast is opted for its well-rounded flavor and is a good choice for Indian filter coffees, espressos, and cold brews. For bitter and smoky flavors with low acidity, you can go for a dark roast. 

‍

‍

Water quality and temperature

We recommend using pure, filtered water to make a cup of coffee. Tap water may induce certain unwanted odors, inhibiting the desired flavor. So, don’t compromise on water quality and softness. As far as the temperature is concerned, anywhere between 195°F and 205°F checks the requirement.

Choose the brewing method

Finally, you need to choose a brewing method to prepare your coffee. There are myriad ways to make an aromatic cup of goodness like pour-over, drip coffee, Aeropress, Moka Pot, French Press, and Chemex to name a few. 

The French press is widely loved as this coffee maker allows for steeping and doesn’t soak up the flavorsome oils. Moreover, it maintains the right water temperature and it is easy to use. Let’s find out how to make a perfect cup of coffee with this classic method.

‍

‍

How to brew a perfect cup of coffee at home

You don't have to be a coffee connoisseur to warm your soul with a fine cup of coffee at home. To help you ace your coffee game, we have put together a step-by-step guide to make flawless coffee. Just follow these steps and thank us later!‍

What you finally need

To make your delectable dose of caffeine, you'll need to assemble the following -

• Freshly-roasted whole coffee beans
• Digital kitchen scale
• A coffee grinder (preferably, a burr grinder)
• Coffee maker - French press 
• Filtered water
• Milk or cream (optional)
• Kettle
• Thermometer 
• A couple of cups and spoons

Measure coffee

Alright, it's time to focus now. You have to start by measuring the coffee beans for your brew. It is important to weigh your beans when brewing coffee to ensure that your beverage doesn’t turn too watery or too strong. Besides that, measuring your coffee will help you maintain consistency for a perfect cup every day. 

To measure, place a cup on your digital scale and re-zero it so that the reading is accurate. 10 grams, i.e. roughly 2 tablespoons of coffee will roughly give you one cup of the hot drink. You can add the beans according to your requirements.

Grinding coffee

True coffee lovers don’t compromise on the freshness of their morning brew and we get why. Grinding your beans right before making your coffee will give you that perfect fresh cup. So, we say, invest in a high-quality grinder and you certainly won’t regret it. 

You can choose between a blade grinder or a burr grinder. We would suggest you go for burr as it produces evenly-sized particles that better the coffee’s taste and its refreshing scent.

Preparing water

As your cup of coffee is going to be 98% water, it becomes crucial that you use good quality, purified water as mentioned above. Heat your water in a kettle until it reaches around 200° F. Once the water starts boiling to this temperature, it is ready for the brew‍.

Pour

Now, your coffee goes into the press. Once you have layered the bottom of your French press with all your ground coffee, gently add the hot water. The amount of water should be double the amount of ground coffee you plan to brew. For 30 grams of coffee, you have to add 60 grams or 2 ounces of filtered hot water to the press.

Soak and stir

Let the fresh, aromatic coffee soak up some H2O while you stir the mix with a spoon. Is it any less than ASMR to watch your spoon go in rounds in this beautiful brown blend?

Brew

After about 30 seconds of letting the coffee sit, add 250 grams or 8.8 ounces of water to the press (slowly and in style, like that barista at your favorite coffee shop). Once you have filled the French press, close the lid and give your coffee another couple of minutes to bloom.

Plunge

And we’re almost there! Slowly, press the plunger down and filter your coffee. Push it down to the bottom exerting steady pressure and there you have your delightful drink ready to sip!

Serve

By now, you wouldn’t want to wait anymore and you don’t even need to. Just pour your hot coffee into a cup and savor or serve as you, please.

‍

‍

To sum up

Now that we have spilled all our beans about making the perfect cup of coffee at home, it’s your turn to put it into practice. Don’t aim at getting the perfect brew in one go. Instead, try to wrap your head around each step and see how you can better it with measurements, brewing time, and quality ingredients. You will master the art of coffee-making in a few tries.

To further fine-tune your cup of coffee, try TheAppBarista mobile application where you’ll find step-by-step methods and tips on customizing your coffee from expert baristas.