At home coffee setup
Now more than ever, we need to have our at-home coffee setups sorted. If you can’t get out to a cafe to pick up a takeaway brew, you can follow this simple guide instead, ensuring that you have everything you need to make a barista-standard coffee at home.
Coffee setup checklist
Let’s begin by talking about those key pieces of coffee equipment. Below, we’ve listed the essential components to making a brilliant cup of coffee, giving you a couple of options depending on what your preferences are.
1. Your coffee grinder
The first step to making any cup of coffee is grinding your coffee beans. You have a couple of options here, most importantly choosing between a hand grinder or a mechanised one. There are pros and cons for both types and normally it comes down to personal preference.
A good hand grinder has stainless steel burrs that give you a seriously consistent grind and withstand a lot of wear. Have a look at our hand grinders to find one that suits you.
To change the grind size, you simply turn a dial which is located right next to the burrs. Load up your beans and then grind away! Hand grinders come with the benefit of being quieter to use than most mechanised ones. So, if you’re up with the birds to make your morning brew, this could be for you. Some people also love the process of grinding by hand, finding it a satisfying part of their coffee-making routine.
Other people, however, like to set their beans to grind and get on with the next step. For those of us, a mechanical grinder such as the Wilfa Uniform Grinder is a brilliant choice. Who better to have endorsed this piece of equipment than world-renowned barista Tim Wendelboe himself? The grinder is beautifully designed, again with stainless steel flat burrs and a choice of 41 grind settings. That’s a lot to experiment with!
The Uniform Grinder is also designed to be easy to use with features such as it turning off automatically when it’s finished grinding the beans. All this convenience does place this grinder at a slightly higher price point. But, trust us when we say that it’s an investment piece.
2. Your coffee scales
To make sure you’re grinding the perfect amount of coffee, you need a set of scales. This helps you get the ratio between coffee and water just right.
A smart scale such as the Acaia Pearl is a great choice. It measures within 0.1 g of accuracy and uses Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone. However, it doesn’t just measure weight. It also has a timer built-in and can even measure flow rates. Once you connect it to one of Acaia’s apps, you can even see charts mapping your brewing data. This gives you a lot of space to experiment and perfect your brewing technique.
3. Your kettle
To have complete control over your pouring speed and consistency, a gooseneck spout is the feature to look out for in a kettle. For this reason, we love gooseneck kettles like the Fellow Stagg (see our pour-over kettles). This piece of equipment is a must when making pour-over coffee, allowing you to control exactly how the water comes into contact with your coffee grounds.
The handle is also designed in such a way to give you pouring control. There’s a built-in brew-range thermometer on top of the kettle on the Fellow so you can keep track of your water temperature. The Stagg kettle also looks elegant, with a sleek, matte black design.
Fellow also make the Stagg EKG electric kettles. The kettle element is almost identical only with this piece, you have an electric base which heats the water for you, giving you complete temperature control. There’s no waiting around for the kettle to boil anymore, and there are other fun features too, such as a hold mode which keeps the water at your chosen temperature and a built-in timer. Again, the electric version does come at a higher price point compared to their non-electric model. But, the extra capabilities may tip it over, helping with your decision.
4. Your coffee dripper
Next, let’s think about your coffee dripper. In our opinion, Hario has got this section covered. They have a number of drippers made from different materials, each of which work brilliantly.
First of all, there’s the Hario V60 Dripper in plastic. This is a brilliant entry-point piece thanks to its price and winning design. Each of the Hario drippers are made in a cone shape with ridges inside which facilitate a more even brew. They work perfectly and are a great product to purchase if you’re on your way into the world of coffee.
If you’re looking for something a bit more upmarket, take a look at the Hario V60 Kasuya Ceramic Coffee Dripper instead. This piece is the same shape as the other dripper, with those ingenious grooves, only this one retains the heat of the water you pour into it. This feature makes for an even more consistent brew. The choice is yours, but we couldn’t recommend both of these products enough.
Don’t forget to get your Hario V60 filters which are also available here at Bean Bros!
5. Your coffee!
Finally, and maybe most importantly, you need some brilliant quality coffee beans to make a brilliant cup of coffee.
Here at Bean Bros, you can choose from our specialty coffee beans, or get fresh coffee delivered to your door with a Bean Bros coffee subscription.
How-to Guides to Perfect Your Technique
Once you’ve got your equipment, take a look at our how-to guides so you know exactly how to make your ultimate cup of coffee. We’ve covered a number of brew methods with our guides so just find the one which suits you!
Now all that’s left for you to do is sit back and enjoy that sweet, sweet cup of coffee you’ve just crafted. Let us know how you get on! You can reach us any time through our help centre.