Brewing Guides

Across every brewing method, the same fundamentals apply: clean filtered water, a consistent grind size, the right water temperature, and controlled brew time. Master the basics in any one method and the rest will follow naturally.

Espresso

Espresso is a concentrated brew made by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee under pressure. It is small in volume, but when dialed in correctly it should taste sweet, balanced, and intense rather than harsh.

Starting recipe

Use 18 g coffee to yield 36 g espresso, a classic 1:2 brew ratio. Brew at 91 to 93°C / 196 to 200°F, with 93°C as the default starting point. Slightly lower temperatures can soften bitterness on darker or more developed roasts. Target a shot time of 25 to 30 seconds as your first goal, in practice, many good shots will land anywhere from 20 to 35 seconds depending on the coffee, dose, grind, and yield.

How to brew

1. Grind the coffee fine, with a texture suited for espresso.
2. Dose 18 g into the portafilter basket.
3. Distribute evenly and tamp level with firm, consistent pressure. Around 20 to 30 lbs is a common reference point, but levelness matters more than hitting an exact number.
4. Lock in the portafilter and start the shot immediately.
5. Stop the extraction when you reach 36 g out in about 25 to 30 seconds.
6. Taste and adjust: if it runs too fast, grind finer; if it runs too slow, grind coarser.

What to watch for

Keep dose, yield, and time consistent. Fast shots usually taste thin, sharp, or sour; slow shots usually taste heavy, bitter, or dry. Stable water temperature, a level tamp, and a consistent fine grind matter more in espresso than in almost any other method.

Filter

Filter coffee is the everyday no-fuss method most people know from automatic drip brewers. It produces a balanced, approachable cup with clarity and body when the coffee-to-water ratio and brew temperature are controlled well.

Starting recipe

Start with a brew ratio between 1:16 and 1:18. A simple baseline is 60 g coffee per 1 liter of water. Brew water should land around 92 to 96°C / 198 to 205°F, with many brewers designed to perform near 200°F.

How to brew

1. Place a paper filter in the basket and rinse it with hot water to remove any papery taste and preheat the brewer. Discard the rinse water.
2. Add medium-ground coffee.
3. Use 30 g coffee for 500 g water as an easy half-liter recipe.
4. Add fresh filtered water to the machine.
5. Brew the full batch without interrupting the cycle.
6. Once brewing ends, gently swirl the carafe before serving to even out strength.

What to watch for

Use a medium grind with good particle consistency. Too fine can make the brew bitter and muddy; too coarse can make it weak and flat. Use clean filtered water, keep your brew temperature consistent, and serve the coffee promptly, heat is the enemy of a good cup once brewing is done.

Pour Over

Pour over is a manual filter method that gives more control over flow rate, saturation, and extraction. Done well, it highlights clarity, sweetness, and the individual character of the coffee.

Starting recipe

A strong baseline is 1:16 to 1:17. One dependable recipe is 42 g coffee to 700 g water at 92 to 96°C / 198 to 205°F, for most coffees start at 94–95°C; go hotter for dense light roasts and slightly cooler if the cup tastes bitter. Total brew time near 4 minutes. For a smaller brew, that scales cleanly to 21 g coffee to 350 g water.

How to brew

1. Heat filtered water to your target temperature.
2. Rinse the paper filter with hot water to remove papery flavor and preheat the brewer. Discard the rinse water.
3. Add medium-coarse ground coffee and level the bed.
4. Start the timer and pour enough water to fully saturate the grounds, for the 700 g recipe, use about 150 g water.
5. Let the coffee bloom for 30 to 45 seconds, or up to 60 seconds for coffee roasted over a week ago.
6. Continue pouring in slow, controlled stages until you reach total brew weight.
7. Aim to finish the drawdown at roughly 3:30 to 4:00 total time.

What to watch for

Pour consistency matters. Uneven pouring creates uneven extraction. Keep the grind uniform, avoid water that is too cool, and watch total drawdown time. If the brew drains too fast it can taste hollow or sour; if it drags too long it can taste bitter, woody, or overdone.

French Press

French press is a full-immersion brewing method that produces a heavier body and fuller mouthfeel because the coffee steeps directly in water before being separated by the plunger filter. It is forgiving, but it still rewards control and consistency.

Starting recipe

Start around 1:15 to 1:16. A dependable recipe is 30 g coffee to 450 g water.

Use water at 93 to 96°C / 200 to 205°F, or up to 210°F if you prefer a fuller extraction and a total steep time of about 4 minutes.

How to brew

1. Grind the coffee coarse.
2. Add the coffee to the press.
3. Pour in just enough filtered hot water to fully saturate the grounds.
4. Let the coffee bloom for 30 to 45 seconds.
5. Add the remaining water and stir gently to wet all the grounds evenly.
6. Place the lid on top with the plunger pulled up and let the coffee steep for 4 minutes.
7. Press the plunger down slowly, taking about 20 seconds.
8. Serve right away. If possible, decant any extra coffee so it does not continue extracting in the press.

What to watch for

Use a coarse, consistent grind. Too many fines will make the cup muddy and bitter. Water that is too hot can increase harshness, and leaving brewed coffee sitting in the press will continue extraction and flatten the cup.

AeroPress

AeroPress combines immersion and pressure to produce a concentrated but clean cup. It is flexible, fast, and especially good for people who want a smooth cup with low bitterness.

Starting recipe

A practical starting recipe is 15 g coffee to 220 g water, roughly 1:15. As far as water temperature, AeroPress Pro gives you real freedom here. The manufacturer recommends 80°C / 175°F for dark roasts and 85°C / 185°F for medium-light roasts, producing a smoother, lower-acid cup. Many specialty coffee brewers prefer 93–96°C / 200–205°F for fuller extraction and more complexity. Try both and see what suits TiA’s coffees best. Since we roast medium, we’d suggest starting around 90–93°C for a balanced cup with good complexity, and nudging up toward 95°C if you want to draw out more of the coffee’s brightness and sweetness.

How to brew

1. Insert the filter. Rinsing is optional with AeroPress, the smaller filter size means many people find the flavor impact negligible, but you can rinse if you prefer.
2. Grind the coffee medium-fine.
3. Add 15 g coffee to the chamber.
4. Pour in 220 g filtered water at 85 to 96°C.
5. Stir briefly to make sure all grounds are wet.
6. Insert the plunger and brew for about 1 to 2 minutes total depending on taste.
7. Press steadily until you hear the final hiss.

What to watch for

This method is very sensitive to grind size, water temperature, and steep time. Finer grind, hotter water, and longer contact time all increase extraction. If the cup turns sharp or rough, back off one of those variables. If it tastes weak, do the opposite.

Moka Pot

Moka pot uses steam pressure to push water through coffee and produce a rich, concentrated stovetop brew. It is not true espresso, but it delivers a bold cup with deep flavor and strong body.

Starting recipe

For a 6-cup moka pot, start with 20 to 22 g coffee and 345 g water, filling the lower chamber up to the safety valve. Use a fine grind, finer than pour over, but not quite as fine as espresso, roughly the size of granulated sugar. Brew time is typically 3 to 6 minutes.

How to brew

1. Fill the bottom chamber with already hot filtered water up to the safety valve.
2. Fill the basket with coffee and level it gently. Do not tamp.
3. Assemble the pot tightly.
4. Place the stove top on medium heat, keeping the flame smaller than the base.
5. When the coffee begins rising into the top chamber, be ready.
6. As soon as you hear the final hissing or gurgling, remove the pot from heat.
7. Serve immediately.

What to watch for

Too much heat is the main mistake, it drives harsh, burnt flavors. Filling the bottom chamber with already-hot water (rather than cold) prevents the coffee grounds from over-heating during the warm-up phase, which reduces bitterness. Always remove from heat once the brew is nearly complete and keep the ground coffee in the basket level rather than packed tight.

Percolator

Percolator coffee is made by cycling hot water repeatedly through the grounds. It can produce a bold, classic cup, but because the coffee is extracted again and again, control matters more than most people think.

Starting recipe

Use a medium-coarse grind and begin with about 1 tablespoon of coffee for each 6 to 8 ounces of water, adjusting to taste. Note that “cup” on most percolator markings refers to a brewer cup of roughly 5 to 8 oz, not a full modern mug.

How to brew

1. Fill the pot with filtered cold water.
2. Insert the tube and basket correctly.
3. Add the coffee to the basket.
4. Heat gently until the coffee begins to perk.
5. Once perking starts, reduce the heat so it stays steady but not aggressive.
6. Continue brewing for about 3 to 5 minutes after perking begins for a balanced cup.
7. Remove from heat and serve promptly.

What to watch for

Do not let the coffee boil hard or perk too long, that is where percolators become bitter. A coarser grind helps, and it is better to increase your dose for more strength than to extend brew time too far.

Cold Brew

Cold brew is made by steeping coffee in cool or room-temperature water for many hours. The result is smooth, rounded, and low in perceived acidity, making it ideal over ice or diluted with water or milk.

There are two ways to brew it:

For concentrate

A common recipe is 340 g coarse coffee to 1.9 L water (roughly 1:5.6). This brews strong and is meant to be diluted before drinking. A good starting dilution is 1 part concentrate to 1 to 2 parts water or milk, depending on taste.

For ready-to-drink cold brew

Start around 1:12 to 1:15, for example, 100 g coffee to 1.2 to 1.5 L water. This produces a drinkable cold brew without requiring significant dilution afterward.

How long to brew

Steep for at least 12 hours to avoid under-extraction, with 16 hours as the sweet spot and 14–18 hours being the reliable window. Room temperature speeds extraction slightly; the refrigerator slows it down, but both get you there in that same range. Going beyond 20 hours risks woody or flat flavors, so if you want a stronger cup, dilute less rather than steep longer.

How to brew

1. Grind the coffee very coarse.
2. Combine coffee and filtered water in the brewer or jar.
3. Stir gently to make sure all the grounds are fully saturated.
4. Cover and steep based on where you store it.
5. Filter thoroughly.
6. Refrigerate after brewing.
7. If brewed as concentrate, dilute before serving.

What to watch for

Too fine a grind makes filtration difficult and the cup muddy. Too short a steep tastes weak; too long can taste dull or woody. Filtered water and consistent dilution are what keep the flavor repeatable.

Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee is one of the oldest coffee preparations in the world. Made with ultra-finely ground coffee heated directly in water, it produces a small, intense, unfiltered cup with a rich texture and characteristic foam.

Starting recipe

Use about 7–10g per 70–100ml of water. Depending on desired strength, roughly 1:8 to 1:12. The coffee must be ground extremely fine, almost powder-like.

How to brew with a cezve

1. Measure the filtered water using the cup you plan to serve in, then pour it into the cezve.
2. Add the ultra-fine coffee and sugar if using.
3. Stir well before applying any heat.
4. Place the cezve over low heat.
5. Heat slowly until the coffee begins to foam and rise. Do not let it boil over aggressively.
6. As the foam rises, remove from heat. Traditionally, some foam is spooned into the cup first.
7. Return briefly to heat if needed to raise the foam again, then pour gently into the cup.
8. Let the grounds settle before drinking.

A note on the cup method:

Pouring boiling filtered water directly over ultra-fine coffee in a cup is not traditional Turkish coffee, it is closer to an unfiltered steep. It will not develop the same foam, texture, or aroma integration that the cezve method creates. If that is your approach, add a hipping tsp of coffee powder to the cup, pour in hot water, stir briefly, and allow grounds to settle before drinking.

What to watch for

The grind must be extremely fine. Heat must stay gentle throughout. The visual cue is the coffee rising and foaming, not a stopwatch. Boiling too aggressively damages both texture and aroma.