Coffee House · Explore the world, one cup at a time
Home barista academy
Starting points for every brewing method — ratio, grind, water temperature and time — and how to adjust when a cup tastes wrong. These are the usual numbers, not rules: taste and change one thing at a time.
Extraction basics
What extraction means
Brewing dissolves flavour compounds out of the ground coffee. Acids and fruity notes come out first, then sweetness, then bitterness. Good coffee stops in the sweet spot.
Under-extracted
Too little dissolved: sour, salty, thin and short. Fix it by grinding finer, brewing longer, using hotter water, or (for espresso) running a longer shot.
Over-extracted
Too much dissolved: harsh, bitter, hollow and drying. Fix it by grinding coarser, brewing for less time or using slightly cooler water.
Strength is not extraction
Strength is how concentrated the cup is — the coffee-to-water ratio. A cup can be strong and sour, or weak and bitter. Set the ratio first, then adjust the grind to fix the taste.
Change one thing at a time
Keep the dose, water and ratio fixed and move only the grind until it tastes right. Write down what you changed.
Water matters
Coffee is mostly water. Clean, filtered water without strong tastes makes a clear difference; very soft (distilled) water tastes flat and very hard water mutes flavour and scales machines.
Fresh beans, freshly ground
Whole beans keep their aroma for a few weeks after roasting; ground coffee goes stale within days, and much faster once open. Grind just before brewing and store beans airtight, cool and dark — not in the fridge, where they pick up moisture and smells.
Grind sizes
Finer grounds have more surface, so they extract faster and slow the water down. Match the grind to how long the water stays in contact with the coffee.
Extra-fine
like flour or cocoa powder
Best for: Turkish cezve / ibrik
Fine
like caster sugar
Best for: Espresso machine
Medium-fine
like table salt
Best for: Moka pot, Pour-over (V60-style cone), AeroPress-style press, South Indian filter
Medium
like sand
Best for: Filter coffee machine
Medium-coarse
like coarse sand
Best for: French press, Chemex-style brewer, Cold brew, Stovetop steep (saucepan)
Coarse
like sea salt flakes or breadcrumbs
Best for: French press, Cold brew, Stovetop steep (saucepan)
Brewing methods
Espresso machine
Hot water forced through a tamped puck at about 9 bar: short, intense shots for straight espresso and milk drinks.
- Ratio
- 1:2 (ristretto 1:1–1:1.5, lungo 1:2.5–1:3), coffee in : espresso out
- Grind
- fine
- Water
- 90–96 °C
- Time
- 25–30 seconds
- Equipment
- Espresso machine
- Dial in with grind size, keeping dose and yield fixed.
- Fast and sour → finer; slow and bitter → coarser.
Moka pot
Stovetop steam pressure (about 1–1.5 bar) pushes water up through the coffee: strong and rich, but not true espresso.
- Ratio
- 1:9 (range 1:7–1:14), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- medium-fine
- Water
- 90–100 °C, start with just-boiled water in the base
- Time
- 4–5 minutes on medium-low heat
- Equipment
- Moka pot
- Fill the basket level without pressing; the dose is set by the basket size.
- Start with just-boiled water in the base so the coffee doesn't 'cook' while the pot heats.
- Take it off the heat as soon as it starts to sputter.
French press
Coffee steeps in hot water for about 4 minutes, then a mesh plunger holds back the grounds: full-bodied with some sediment.
- Ratio
- 1:15 (range 1:12–1:17), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- medium-coarse or coarse
- Water
- 92–96 °C
- Time
- 4 minutes steeping
- Equipment
- French press / cafetière
- Break the crust and skim the foam at 4 minutes, then wait a few more minutes for a cleaner cup before pressing.
- Press gently and pour it all off the grounds.
Pour-over (V60-style cone)
Hot water poured by hand over coffee in a paper-lined cone: clean, bright and aromatic.
- Ratio
- 1:16 (range 1:14–1:18), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- medium-fine
- Water
- 90–96 °C
- Time
- 2½–3½ minutes including a 30–45 second bloom
- Equipment
- Pour-over dripper (V60-style cone)
- Rinse the paper first.
- Bloom with about twice the coffee's weight of water.
- Fast and sour → finer; slow and bitter → coarser.
Chemex-style brewer
A glass pour-over carafe with a thick paper filter: very clean, light-bodied coffee for several cups.
- Ratio
- 1:16 (range 1:14–1:18), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- medium-coarse
- Water
- 92–96 °C
- Time
- 4–5 minutes including a 45 second bloom
- Equipment
- Chemex-style glass pour-over brewer
- Place the triple-layer side of the filter against the spout.
- Best for 2–6 cups; a single cup drains too fast.
AeroPress-style press
Short steep, then gentle hand pressure through a paper filter: quick, clean and forgiving.
- Ratio
- 1:15 (range 1:6–1:17), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- medium-fine
- Water
- 80–95 °C
- Time
- 1½–2 minutes steeping, then a 30 second press
- Equipment
- AeroPress-style press brewer
- Lower temperatures (80–85 °C) suit dark roasts; 90–95 °C suits light roasts.
- For a bigger mug, brew stronger and top up with hot water.
Turkish cezve / ibrik
Powder-fine coffee heated slowly with cold water (and sugar) in a small pot until the foam rises; served unfiltered.
- Ratio
- 1:10 (range 1:8–1:12), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- extra-fine
- Water
- 70–98 °C, starting cold and heated slowly
- Time
- 3–4 minutes over low heat, never boiling
- Equipment
- Cezve / ibrik
- Start with cold water and low heat; slow heating builds the foam.
- Lift it off as soon as the foam rises — boiling destroys the foam.
South Indian filter
A two-tier metal filter slowly drips a thick decoction, mixed with hot milk and sugar for filter kaapi.
- Ratio
- 1:5 (range 1:3.5–1:7), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- medium-fine
- Water
- 95–100 °C
- Time
- 10–15 minutes dripping
- Equipment
- South Indian coffee filter
- A coffee–chicory blend (around 80:20) gives the classic thick, slightly bitter decoction.
- Mix about 1 part decoction with 2–3 parts boiled milk.
Cold brew
Coarse coffee steeped in cold water for 12–18 hours, strained into a smooth, low-bitterness concentrate.
- Ratio
- 1:8 (range 1:4–1:12), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- medium-coarse or coarse
- Water
- cold, filtered
- Time
- 12–18 hours in the fridge
- Equipment
- Glass jar with lidSieve / strainer
- Steep in the fridge for food safety and freshness.
- Strain without squeezing.
- Concentrates (1:4–1:8) are diluted about 1:1; at 1:10–1:12 it is ready to drink.
Filter coffee machine
An electric drip machine heats and showers water over coffee in a paper filter: easy batches of clean coffee.
- Ratio
- 1:16 (range 1:14–1:18), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- medium
- Water
- 92–96 °C
- Time
- About 4–6 minutes
- Equipment
- Filter coffee maker
- Machines brew best when you make at least half the carafe.
- Don't leave the coffee on the hot plate for long: it turns stewed.
Instant coffee
Soluble coffee granules dissolved in hot (or cold) water: no grinding, brewing or equipment.
- Ratio
- about 1 g instant per 100 ml water (50–150 ml)
- Grind
- not needed
- Water
- 80–95 °C
- Time
- Under a minute
- Equipment
- a kettle and a cup
- Dissolve the granules in a splash of water first for a smoother cup.
- For iced drinks, dissolve in 2 tbsp hot water, then add cold water or milk.
Stovetop steep (saucepan)
Ground coffee steeped in just-boiled water in a pan, settled and poured through a fine sieve: no special brewer needed.
- Ratio
- 1:15 (range 1:12–1:17), coffee : water by weight
- Grind
- medium-coarse or coarse
- Water
- 92–96 °C
- Time
- 4 minutes off the heat
- Equipment
- SaucepanSieve / strainer
- Take the pan off the heat before adding coffee: boiling coffee tastes harsh.
- A splash of cold water after steeping helps the grounds sink.
Steaming and frothing milk
- Start with cold milk in a cold jug, no more than a third full.
- For silky microfoam (lattes, flat whites) let in air for only the first few seconds, then spin the milk; for a cappuccino let in more air until the milk grows by about a third.
- Stop at 55–65 °C — too hot to hold the jug for more than a second. Above about 70 °C milk tastes flat and foam goes dry. Plant milks are happiest at 55–60 °C.
- Tap the jug on the counter and swirl until glossy, then pour straight away.
- No steam wand: heat the milk, then pump a French press plunger, use a handheld frother, or shake it in a lidded jar (wrapped in a towel).
- Barista versions of oat and soy milk foam best; almond, rice and canned coconut milk foam poorly. Soy and almond milk can split in hot, acidic coffee — pour the coffee into the warmed milk.
Coffee Studio
Your Beans. Your Brew. Your Rules.
Build your own coffee — beans, roast, grind, brew method, strength, milk, sweetness, flavours and serving — and get a practical recipe with dose, ratio, temperature and time.
Open Coffee Studio