Often we hear from customers “my coffee just doesn’t taste the same when I make it at home. Why does it taste better in the shop?” There are a variety of reasons why coffee might taste different at home (right down to the science of things taste better when someone else makes it). A few of the things that can impact the flavor of coffee are quality of beans, freshness of beans, the type of equipment you are using, length of time between grinding and brewing, the coarseness of the grind, water, temperature, the ratio of coffee to water; the list seems endless. It could simply be the feel of your favorite coffee shop versus the feeling, or lack there of, when you make coffee for yourself at home.
Mike Cahill, a REDFIN marketing coordinator in Seattle, compiled suggestions from coffee roasters from all over the country on how to create an elevated coffee experience at home. There are some wonderful suggestions in this article for aesthetic and design, but more importantly equipment and the various factors that affect how your coffee will taste. If you read to the very end of the article, you might even spy a quote from your favorite local coffee roaster!*
For this article, we were given the title “How to create the perfect home coffee corner,” and asked what advice we would give to the home brewer. Our full answer is included below.
“Invest in a good grinder before spending money on brewing equipment. A burr grinder is key to ensure a consistent grind which is crucial to any extraction method.
Regularly restock your stash of freshly roasted, specialty grade whole bean coffee. Coffee peaks between three and seven days after roasting at which time it begins losing its flavor. Do not grind your coffee until just before you use it as this dramatically accelerates loss of quality and flavor. No… storing your coffee in the freezer does not extend its shelf life!
Lastly, keep your equipment clean and well maintained to ensure your 100th cup of coffee or shot of espresso tastes as amazing as the first.”
Happy home brewing, coffee friends!
*At the time of the Redfin article, we were known as Quintessa Coffee Roasters. We have since changed our name to Deltina Coffee Roasters.
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