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Brew Guides

House Blend · a dark roast, best read slowly

The way we make it at the counter, written down for your kitchen. Each guide gives you a starting point, the reasons behind the steps, and what to change if the cup isn't quite right.

Before you brew

Weigh it

A small kitchen scale is the single best upgrade. Spoons vary; grams don't, so you can repeat a good cup.

Grind just before

Ground coffee goes flat within minutes. If you can, grind only what you need, right before you brew.

Mind the water

Coffee is almost all water. Use filtered or good bottled water, never distilled, and avoid water that tastes of chlorine.

Not boiling

Darker roasts turn bitter with boiling water. No thermometer? Let the kettle sit about a minute after it boils.

Keep it fresh

Store beans in the bag, sealed, somewhere cool and dark. Not the fridge. They're at their best about a week to a month after roasting.

Change one thing

If a cup isn't right, adjust only one thing at a time, usually the grind, so you know what made the difference.

Espresso

and bean-to-cup machines

Coffee
18g
In the cup
36g
Time
25–30 sec
Grind
Fine

Method

  1. Switch the machine on early and lock the empty portafilter in to heat.A cold handle or group pulls heat from the shot and makes it sour.
  2. Dry the basket, grind the coffee in, and tap or level it so the bed is even.Water finds the easiest path; gaps or a lopsided bed mean uneven, thin espresso.
  3. Tamp firmly and straight. Run a second of water through the group, lock in and start straight away.Flushing clears old coffee; waiting lets the hot group start cooking the grounds.
  4. Stop at about 36g in the cup, roughly double the dry coffee, in 25–30 seconds.

If it's not right

  • Fast, sour, thin: grind finer.
  • Slow, bitter, harsh: grind coarser.
  • Spurts or pale patches: level and tamp more evenly.

Bean-to-cup: start on one of the finer grind settings with strength set to high. Many machines only let you change the grind while the grinder is running, so check your manual.

Moka pot

strong, stovetop, Italian-style

Coffee
Fill the basket
Water
Just boiled
Heat
Medium-low
Grind
Fine, coarser than espresso

Method

  1. Fill the base with just-boiled water up to the safety valve, not above it.Hot water means the coffee spends less time on the stove and doesn't taste cooked or metallic.
  2. Fill the basket to the top and level it with a finger. Don't press it down.Tamping blocks the flow and builds pressure the pot isn't made for.
  3. Screw it together using a tea towel, and set it on medium-low heat with the lid open. Keep the flame no wider than the base.Gentle heat gives a smooth flow; high heat rushes it and burns the edges.
  4. When the stream turns pale and starts to sputter, take it off and cool the base under a cold tap.The last sputtering part is the bitter part. Cooling stops it straight away.

If it's not right

  • Bitter or burnt: lower the heat and stop earlier.
  • Weak or watery: grind a little finer and fill the basket fully.
  • Barely flows: grind coarser; the coffee is packed too tight.

Rinse the pot with hot water only. Soap and dishwashers spoil the aluminium and the taste.

AeroPress

quick, clean, forgiving

Coffee
11g
Water
200g at 88°C
Time
About 3 min
Grind
Medium-fine

Method

  1. Stand the AeroPress the normal way up on a sturdy mug, paper filter in.
  2. Add the coffee, start a timer and pour in all the water, wetting every ground.Dry pockets don't brew; getting everything wet early gives an even cup.
  3. Set the plunger just inside the top and wait 2 minutes.This holds a seal so the coffee doesn't drip through before it has brewed.
  4. Swirl gently, wait 30 seconds, then press slowly for about 30 seconds. Stop when you hear a hiss.Pressing hard or squeezing out the last air pushes bitterness and fine bits into the cup.

If it's not right

  • Hard to press: grind coarser.
  • Thin or sour: grind finer or steep 30 seconds longer.
  • Bitter: use slightly cooler water.

After James Hoffmann's AeroPress method, with cooler water for our darker roast.

V60

a slow pour-over, two cups

Coffee
30g
Water
500g at 90°C
Time
About 3½ min
Grind
Medium-fine

Method

  1. Wet the paper filter all over with hot water, then tip that water away.This rinses out the papery taste and warms the dripper and the pot.
  2. Add the coffee, make a small dip in the middle, start a timer and pour 60g of water. Swirl until everything is wet and let it bloom until 0:45.Fresh coffee releases gas; letting it escape first lets the water reach the coffee evenly.
  3. Pour up to 300g by 1:15, then more gently up to 500g by 1:45. Keep the dripper fairly full.A fuller cone holds its heat, which helps the flavour come out evenly.
  4. Stir once each way, let it drain a little, give it a gentle swirl and let it finish by about 3:30.The swirl settles the bed flat, so the last of the water passes through evenly.

If it's not right

  • Drains in under 3 minutes, tastes sour or thin: grind finer.
  • Takes over 4 minutes, tastes bitter or dry: grind coarser.
  • Coffee stuck up the sides: swirl more gently, pour lower.

After James Hoffmann's V60 method, with cooler water for our darker roast. For one cup, halve everything. A kettle with a thin spout makes slow pouring much easier.

French press

full-bodied, unhurried, two cups

Coffee
30g
Water
500g at 93°C
Time
9–12 min
Grind
Medium-coarse

Method

  1. Warm the press with hot water and tip it out. Add the coffee, pour in all the water and leave it for 4 minutes.A cold glass press steals heat from the brew.
  2. Break the crust on top and stir gently two or three times.
  3. Spoon off the foam and floating bits, then leave it to settle for another 5–8 minutes.The grounds sink on their own, so the cup comes out clean rather than muddy.
  4. Lower the plunger just to the surface, not all the way, and pour slowly. Leave the last little bit in the pot.Pushing the plunger down stirs the silt back up. The bottom is mostly sediment.

If it's not right

  • Muddy or gritty: grind coarser and pour more slowly.
  • Weak: grind a little finer or add a few grams of coffee.
  • Bitter by the second cup: pour it all into a jug; left in the press, it keeps brewing.

After James Hoffmann's French press method.

The House Blend will be available at the shop in Gigiri and online soon.

House Blend available soon

With thanks to James Hoffmann, whose brewing methods several of these guides are adapted from.