Brewing guides – learn to brew better coffee
There are many ways to brew coffee, and the best method depends on the coffee you are using, the equipment you have, and the type of cup you prefer.
Here you will find our brewing guides for some of the most popular brewing methods. You will get concrete starting points for dosage, grind size, water temperature, and brew time, as well as help with adjusting the brew to your taste.
At Brændeholm Risteri, we work daily with coffee, roasting, and brewing, and the guides are created as practical starting points that you can adjust yourself based on the coffee, equipment, and taste.
If you are not yet sure which brewing method suits you, you can start with the overview below.
Choose your brewing method
Filter coffee on a coffee maker
A classic and simple method that is well-suited when you want to brew several cups at once.
In our guide to filter coffee, we go through, among other things, how many grams of coffee you should use per liter of water, which grind size you can start with, and how to adjust the taste.
Also see our coffee makers for filter coffee.
Hario V60
The V60 is a manual pour-over brewer where you control the flow of water through the coffee yourself.
This method is well-suited for you if you want to be able to adjust the dosage, grind size, temperature, and pouring technique.
Read our Hario V60 guide, or see our selection of Hario V60.
AeroPress
The AeroPress is compact, versatile, and allows you to experiment with brew time, temperature, and grind size.
It is suitable both at home and on the go, and it can be used for many different recipes.
See our AeroPress guide, or go to our selection of AeroPress and accessories.
Cold Brew
Cold brew is brewed with cold water over several hours and provides a different flavor profile than coffee brewed hot.
The method is simple and suitable if you would like to have cold coffee ready in the fridge that can be drunk black, over ice, or used as a base for cold coffee drinks.
Read our cold brew guide, or see our selection of cold brew brewers.
French press
The French press is a simple immersion method where the coffee and water steep together before the coffee is filtered through the metal filter.
The result is typically a full-bodied cup with more of the coffee's natural oils than brewing through a paper filter.
Read our guide to French press coffee, or find a French press.
Chemex
The Chemex combines pour-over brewing with a relatively thick paper filter and typically provides a clean cup.
The method is well-suited if you enjoy the controlled brewing from pour-over and want to brew several cups at once.
Read our Chemex guide, or see our Chemex brewers and filters.
Moka pot and espresso maker
A moka pot brews concentrated coffee using the pressure created when water is heated in the bottom chamber.
It is often called an espresso maker, but it does not brew espresso the same way as a traditional espresso machine.
Read our moka pot guide, or see our selection of espresso makers and moka pots.
Espresso
Espresso is a more technical brewing method where, among other things, dosage, grind size, brewing ratio, and extraction time work together.
In our guide, you will learn, among other things, about the 1:2 ratio, how many grams of coffee you can start with, and how to adjust the grinder if the espresso runs too fast or too slow.
Read our espresso guide, and also see our coffee beans for espresso and espresso equipment.
Which brewing method should I choose?
If you want a simple method for several cups, a regular filter coffee maker is an obvious choice.
If you want more control over the brewing, the V60 or Chemex are good places to start.
If you want a simple and full-bodied brewing method, the French press is worth considering.
If you want something compact and flexible, the AeroPress is particularly interesting.
If you prefer an intense and concentrated cup, a moka pot can be a simple choice, while espresso provides even greater opportunity to work with pressure, grind size, dosage, and brewing ratio.
There is no single brewing method that is best for everyone. The deciding factor is which coffee experience and workflow you prefer.
The equipment that makes brewing easier to repeat
Regardless of the brewing method, some basic principles are the same.
A coffee grinder makes it possible to grind the coffee beans immediately before brewing and adapt the grind size to the method.
A coffee scale makes it easier to work with the same amount of coffee and water from time to time.
For pour-over methods like V60 and Chemex, a pour-over kettle can make it easier to control the flow of the water.
You can find the entire selection under coffee equipment.
Which coffee beans should I use?
In principle, you can use all roast levels for all brewing methods, but different coffees provide different results.
A lighter roast can highlight more acidity and fruitiness, while a darker roast typically provides more roast character and perceived bitterness. Medium roast coffee lies between the two.
The most important thing is therefore not to find a universally "right" coffee bean, but to choose coffee based on the taste you want in the cup.
See our selection of freshly roasted coffee beans, or read more about light roast coffee, medium roast coffee, and dark roast coffee.
Start with a recipe – and adjust to your taste
A brewing recipe is first and foremost a starting point.
Once you have a recipe that you can repeat, it becomes much easier to figure out what needs to be changed. Feel free to adjust one variable at a time – for example, the grind size – and then taste again.
In this way, you learn to get to know both your brewing equipment and your coffee beans better.