THE PROPER GEAR

Now that we understand how the ingredients work together, let’s dive into the tools we’ll need to make a delicious batch of the good stuff.

a. The Grinder

WE RECOMMEND: A conical burr grinder with multiple grind settings.

Let’s start with the most underrated piece of coffee equipment—the grinder. The grinder is like your go-to chef’s knife, or blender, or dicer, or juicer . . . it releases the flavor!

The most important quality of a grinder is the consistency of what comes out. There are so many brewing methods, but 2 things are true for all of them:

#1. Each requires a different grind size
#2. Each tastes best when the grind is consistent.

b. The Scale

WE RECOMMEND: A scale with a timer, to keep things simple.

This one sounds over the top, right? Why would you need a scale to measure out coffee?

Let’s frame it another way—there are only 2 ingredients involved here: water and coffee. A bit too much water and your coffee tastes watery and lacks flavor; a bit too much coffee and your coffee can taste bitter and burnt.

A scale is an easy way to avoid both issues every. single. time. Don’t just take our word for it—all baristas use one! It’s the only way to guarantee the perfectly balanced cup.

c. The Kettle (only required for Pour-over methods)

WE RECOMMEND: An electric kettle with temperature control.

When using any pour-over method to brew coffee, the one piece of equipment that you can’t do without is a gooseneck kettle. Pour-over methods involve a controlled pour of water over coffee that then drips through a filter.

It may seem tedious, but the pour-over method is the brew method of choice for those who really want to taste the nuanced flavors in their coffee—think berry, citrus, or floral notes. 

d. The Brewing Gear

If the grinder, scale, and kettle are the supporting actors, the brewing gear is the star, the main event. This is also the one that can be most intimidating. There are so many ways to brew coffee!

But don’t worry—we have a whole separate post coming up to help you navigate the main brew methods and their pros and cons.

Coffee Worthy of Your Gear

Good gear is wasted on bad coffee. Your gear can only brew you a beautiful, balanced cup if you use the best beans.

Coffee from Atlas Coffee Club is always single-origin, so you can taste the distinctive flavors of each coffee-producing country. It’s roasted to order and delivered to your door along with info on the country of origin, the tasting notes, and the recommended brew method

TRY ATLAS COFFEE CLUB

As an Amazon Affiliate, Atlas Coffee Club (at no cost to you!) earns a commission when you click through and make a qualifying purchase. We take coffee seriously and thoroughly research and/or test products before recommending them to our community of fellow coffee-lovers.

 

About The Author

An entrepreneur and musician, Michael quit his full-time job in the corporate world to assemble a band of fellow storytellers, travelers, and coffee-lovers as enthusiastic as himself to share the unique stories and coffee from around the world.