How to Brew Coffee Beans at Home: French Press, Filter and Moka Pot

You can make great coffee at home without a barista course or expensive kit. You need just three things: freshly roasted whole-bean coffee, a grinder and the right coffee-to-water ratio. Below you’ll find simple methods for the three most popular home brews — the French press, pour-over (filter) coffee and the moka pot.

The foundation of it all: fresh beans, ground right before brewing

Up to 80% of the final flavour is decided by the raw ingredient. Choose quality coffee beans, store them properly and always grind them just before brewing. Our 100% arabica from the Arhuaco people has a medium-light roast with notes of dark chocolate, dried apricots and caramel — it suits all three methods below and stands up to milk too.

French press: the simplest route to full flavour

• Grind: coarse (like coarse sea salt).
• Ratio: roughly 60 g of coffee per 1 litre of water (2 heaped tablespoons per large mug).
• Method: pour over water just off the boil (92–96 °C), stir, put the lid on and let it steep for 4 minutes. Then slowly press the plunger down and pour straight away.

The French press delivers a full, rounded body and brings out the coffee’s natural sweetness best.

Pour-over and filter coffee (V60, Chemex, drip)

• Grind: medium (like caster sugar).
• Ratio: 1:16 — that’s about 15 g of coffee per 250 ml of water.
• Method: rinse the filter with hot water, first pour a little water over the coffee and let it „bloom“ for 30 seconds, then slowly top it up in circular pours. Total extraction 2.5–3.5 minutes.

Filter brewing highlights delicate fruity aromas — with our coffee it beautifully draws out the apricot notes.

The moka pot: an Italian classic

• Grind: medium-fine (finer than for filter, coarser than for espresso).
• Method: fill the bottom chamber with hot water up to the valve, fill the funnel with coffee without tamping, screw it together and set it on a gentle heat. As soon as the coffee finishes gurgling up, take the pot off the hob.

The moka pot makes a strong, concentrated coffee — an excellent base for a milky coffee too.

The most common mistakes that ruin coffee

• Boiling water straight onto the coffee — let it cool for 30 seconds and the bitterness drops noticeably.
• Pre-ground coffee — the aroma disappears within days.
• Guessing the ratio by eye — a kitchen scale turns good coffee into great coffee.
• Over-steeping in the French press — always pour it out after 4 minutes.

Quick cheat sheet

• French press: coarse grind, 60 g/l, 4 minutes.
• Filter: medium grind, 1:16, 30-second bloom, up to 3.5 minutes total.
• Moka pot: medium-fine grind, hot water up to the valve, gentle heat.
• Always: fresh beans, ground right before brewing, water at 92–96 °C.