A beginner’s guide to coffee at home

1. 1. Start with what you have

   A kettle, a jar and a sieve make a good cup (see stovetop steep and cold brew); a French press or a moka pot is an inexpensive next step. You don't need to buy anything to start.

2. 2. Buy whole beans if you can grind them

   If you can't grind at home, buy small bags of ground coffee matched to your method and use them within a couple of weeks.

3. 3. Weigh once, then use a scoop

   Weigh your coffee and water the first few times (a kitchen scale is enough), then note how many scoops that is. Ratios are by weight; 1 ml of water weighs about 1 g.

4. 4. Use a starting ratio

   Around 1:15–1:16 (for example 15 g coffee to 240 g water) for filter and French press; about 1:2 for espresso; about 1:8 for cold brew concentrate.

5. 5. Water just off the boil

   For hot brewing, about 92–96 °C: boil the kettle and wait about 30 seconds. Boiling water poured straight on can taste harsh; much cooler water tastes sour.

6. 6. Taste and adjust one thing

   Sour or thin: grind finer or brew a little longer. Bitter or harsh: grind coarser or brew for less time. Too strong or weak: change the ratio.

7. 7. Milk: hot, not boiling

   Heat milk to about 60–65 °C (too hot to keep your hand on the jug); above about 70 °C it loses sweetness. A jar with a lid makes decent foam if you shake hot milk hard.

Ready for more detail? The home barista academy explains grind sizes, ratios and extraction method by method, and the equipment guide shows what you can make with what you own.