Dive into the world of pour-over with us. We'll guide you from what gear you NEED to your first brewing recipe to nailing the perfect brew.
We often get asked the question - “how do I get started with coffee?” We get it, you see baristas brewing using advanced scales and precise water measurements, or you see these refined pour-over stations on Instagram, and it all seems a little complicated. As if you have to be a scientist and spend thousands of dollars on a home brewing setup.
But getting started with coffee at home is really not that complicated! In this series we will walk you through exactly how to get started brewing coffee at home, from what kind of equipment you NEED (and what you might want to skip), to brewing your first pour-over, all the way to what kind of gear you’ll want to upgrade first.
(p.s. - if you have a friend who’s been saying they want to get into coffee, but never taken the plunge, then this series is for them! Share this article with your friends, and we’ll make sure when it’s time for the next coffee, it’s on them! 😎)
There are three key pieces of gear that every home barista MUST have in order to brew great coffee. This holds true for both pour-over and espresso (although the actual products might be slightly different). Without these three “core pieces” you won’t have control over your brews, and brewing coffee won’t be fun.
Core Piece #1 - Good Coffee
Yes it’s cliché, but it’s true! Your brews are only as good as the coffee you brew with. If you’re buying pre-ground coffee from the supermarket and using a spoon to measure how much coffee to use, it’s time to stop that and start drinking REAL coffee.
An easy way to get started is to go to your favourite café (or local roastery) and buy beans there. You could also explore our selection of coffees from our favourite roasters and take the guesswork out of finding good quality coffee to brew with. Not only will you actually start enjoying the coffee you make at home, but you’ll also get the opportunity to try coffees from different origins and processes - a whole new world of flavour will be unlocked!
Core Piece #2 - A Dedicated Coffee Grinder
Grinding coffee directly before brewing is going to have a SIGNIFICANT impact on the flavour of your brews. After being ground, coffee goes flat extremely fast. Yes, even when it’s been nitrogen flushed and vacuum packed (like what you find at the supermarket)! This makes the coffee taste underwhelming and, well… flat. To make sure you’re getting the most out of your coffee you need to be grinding it yourself.
No, you don’t need to drop thousands of dollars on your very first grinder, but you do need to find a grinder appropriate for your needs. For pour-over, you'll want a grinder with adjustable grind size and good quality steel burrs. We love the KINU M47 Phoenix as a rock solid hand grinder (you can read more about KINU grinders here). Looking for something electric? We love the Fellow ODE for it's ease of use and high quality burrs.
Core Piece #3 - A Good Coffee Scale
The final piece of the puzzle to get started with brewing at home is a good coffee scale. Without a dedicated coffee scale, you’re going to be “shooting blind” when brewing coffee. Fine tuning your brewing recipe requires knowing three things: how much coffee you’re using (the dose in grams), how much your total brew weight is (the yield in grams), and the total time of your brew. ALL THREE OF THESE ARE PARAMETERS ARE MEASURED WITH A SCALE! Safe to say, a scale is important.
We recommend a scale that can measure to the nearest 0.1g, which is important when dosing coffee. A good coffee scale should also have a built in timer (bonus points if the timer starts automatically when you start pouring like the Hario Polaris).
For you who are longing to get into brewing pour-over at home - we have created dedicated bundles designed to help you get started with the right gear. Scroll down to find out more about our bundles.
