Brewing Tips
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How to Make Great Coffee At Home
There are many ways to brew coffee at home, some of them easier to learn and requiring less specialized equipment than others. Here are some basics to know first, and then some recommendations for products and recipes, depending on your budget and preferences!
For optimized brew recipes of each of our coffees, please visit the store!
A Word About Water
Coffee is mostly water, so it’s vital to use water that is ideally suited for coffee brewing. Very soft water will not extract enough coffee, resulting in acidic or muted flavor. Hard water will result in bitter and muddy flavors. We recommend purchasing a TDS meter (Total Dissolved Solids) to check your water at home. As a general guide, your water should be between 80-150, but here are more detailed considerations.
While a simple drinking water filter should produce acceptable water, we recommend starting with distilled water and adding minerals to get an ideal profile. Third Wave Water (Medium Roast Profile) is a mineral packet that produces great coffee when used at about ⅔ the recommended dose. While using an entire packet for one gallon produces water with 150 TDS, we recommend aiming for about 90-110 TDS for the best flavor extraction.
Coffee Equipment
While it’s possible to spend thousands on coffee gear and complicated machinery, there are some methods that are much less expensive to get started on.
We do recommend at minimum a good coffee scale, something that can measure to the gram accurately. An electric kettle with temperature control is important for most pour-over techniques, but can be expensive.
A simple stovetop kettle is sufficient for other methods, such as the French Press. A French Press is the least expensive brewer to start on, and possibly the easiest to learn.
Pre-Ground or Fresh-Ground Coffee
Fresh ground coffee produces the best flavor, not to mention the wonderful aroma that makes the whole experience more enjoyable! A high quality grinder ensures consistent grind size, which makes a huge impact on the taste of coffee.
We recommend hand grinders from Kingrinder. The K1 is a good one to start with, or even the P2 if you are on a budget, although the P2 will require more hand power to grind your beans. Our recipes are calibrated on the K6, but you can use the following website to convert them to the grinder of your choice:
If you do not have a grinder at home, ask your roaster or local coffee shop to grind your whole coffee for you, but make sure you know the method you plan on using, as each one requires a different grind size. Coffee is best consumed within 2 weeks of grinding.
Recommended Recipes
French Press
The French Press is a great place to start for those new to home coffee brewing, since the technique is not as sensitive, and no special filters, kettles, or pouring techniques are necessary.
The French Press produces a cup with more body and classic bold flavors than most pour-over techniques, but may not express more delicate flavors in lighter roast coffees.
Ratio: 20g coffee → 240g water (1:12 ratio)
Grind: Medium-coarse (70-80 clicks on the K6)
Water Temp: Slightly off boil (~210°F)
Total Time: ~8 minutes
Method:
- Boil water and wait about 1 minute for it to cool slightly.
- Add ground coffee to the French Press and pour in all 240g
- of water. Pouring technique is not very important.
- Stir once gently, then place the lid without pressing.
- Wait 4 minutes, then remove lid and stir the crust that forms on top.
- Skim off the foam and floating grounds. Two spoons is the easiest way to remove the foam.
- Wait another 4 minutes — this allows particles to settle and the flavor to develop.
- Press the plunger down gently, just to the surface of the coffee (NOT all the way down), and pour carefully to avoid disturbing sediment.
(Tip: If your coffee turns out thin or acidic, you may need to grind finer. If your coffee comes out too bitter, you may need to grind coarser. You can also try adjusting the ratio of coffee : water for your preference, anywhere from 1:11 to 1:15 )
V60 Pour-Over
The V60 is ideal for light roast coffees, especially those with delicate floral and fruity notes. It typically results in a cup with more clarity and a bit more acidity than other methods.
It also tends to be one of the more difficult methods to master, as small changes in pouring technique can have a big impact on the flavor of the coffee. A gooseneck kettle is recommended in order to maintain control of your pour!
Ratio: 18g coffee → 270g water (1:15 ratio)
Grind: Medium-coarse (slightly coarser than table salt) (70-85 Clicks on the K6)
Water Temp: 200°F (93°C)
Total Time: 2:30–3:15
Method:
- Rinse filter and preheat your brewer. Throw out the water from rinsing the filter.
- Add coffee, then pour 45g water to let sit for 30-45 seconds. This is called the bloom phase, and helps to allow carbon dioxide and bitterness to bubble away.
- Add water in two to three pulses, stopping to return the kettle to the heating element between pulses for a few seconds to maintain a steady temperature. Pour the water in slow spirals, starting at the center and making sure to wet the coffee by the edges as well, without pouring directly onto the paper if possible. The V60 is the most technique-sensitve method, and may require much experimentation to find the best pouring speed and style for your preferred taste in coffee. There are many YouTube videos online to demonstrate different V60 recipes and pouring techniques.
- Give a gentle stir after the last pour to settle the bed (optional).
- Let it draw down completely — aim for a total time of 2:30–3:15 (including bloom)
(Tip: If it drains too fast, grind finer. Too slow, grind coarser.)
Chemex
The Chemex is a bit easier to use and more forgiving than the V60, and depending on the size, can produce much more coffee. We highly recommend the Chemex for those who are new to pour-overs!
Ratio: 30g coffee → 500g water (1:16.6)
Grind: Coarse (85-95 clicks on the K6)
Water Temp: 200°F (93°C)
Total Time: 4:00 – 5:00
Method:
- Rinse the Chemex filter with the heated water. Dump out the water from rinsing the filter.
- Add coffee and make a small well in the middle with your finger. Pour 60g and allow to bloom for 45 seconds.
- Continue pouring steadily in clockwise circles, making sure to wet all the grounds to the edge of the filter, then focusing on the middle area. It’s best to pour in 2-3 pulses. Pause between pulses and return the kettle to the heating element to maintain a steady temperature, and resume pouring, to reach 500g total. Use a small spoon to stir the water gently before the last pulse.
- Let the water draw down fully (~4:30 total).
Discard the filter and pour your coffee!
Ready to Brew Better Coffee?
Bring these recipes to life with our freshly roasted beans, crafted to highlight the flavor and clarity of every brew method. Whether you love the bold depth of a French Press or the clean, floral notes of a Chemex, Atrium Coffee is roasted in small batches for maximum freshness and balance.