“There’s a few main rules to live by when it comes to starting to make better coffee at home,” says Stephanie Wein of Pinup Coffee Co. By the time it reaches the customer’s hands, high-quality coffee has already been through a lengthy, detailed, international process. The last thing you want to do is ruin it in the last step before it reaches your mug, so the specialty roasters of the Commonwealth offer a few tips for home brewing happiness.
Grind at home. “The number one thing is to buy a grinder and grind it yourself,” says Haden Polseno-Hensley of Red Rooster Coffee. Once the coffee is ground, it’s more easily altered by exposure to light, temperature, air, and moisture, so reducing the amount of time between grinding and brewing is paramount.
Store beans in a cool, dark spot in an airtight container. “For all that is good, don’t refrigerate or freeze coffee,” says Steven Dalton of Reviresco. Though it’s a pervasive myth that coffee is better preserved in an ultra-cold environment, the moisture in residential refrigerators affects the quality. Plus, “coffee is very porous and absorbent,” adds Sam Kayser of Lone Oak Coffee. “If you have a bag of coffee in your fridge next to a bunch of onions, your coffee might taste like onions.”
Use a scale. A scale helps with the precision of your morning brew, making your coffee and water measurements consistent from day to day.
A pour-over method gives great control in brewing the perfect cup. Freshly roasted local beans, like Reviresco’s Manchester blend, further enhance the experience.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue.
