How to Make and Order Better Coffee

Most everyone enjoys a cup of coffee to jumpstart the day. Jeff Daniels, the Director of Sales at Non-Fiction Coffee, provides insight on how to make and order better coffee and questions to ask a barista.

Based in Pelham, Alabama, Non-Fiction Coffee strives to roast the best coffee while dignifying the coffee producers they work with and buy from worldwide.  I sat down with Jeff for a Southern Americana podcast episode. He describes how Non-Fiction selects its growers and the details behind the roasting process, including tips on brewing or purchasing better coffee.

RELATED: Best 30A Restaurants

Like wine or food, enjoying a great cup of coffee depends on your taste preferences. Some people like weak coffee, while others prefer their morning cup to walk over to them. The first step to making better coffee is buying good beans.

Purchase Fresh, Whole Bean Coffee

To start making better coffee at home, purchase whole bean coffee directly from a reputable coffee roaster, like Non-Fiction Coffee. Make certain the date they coffee was roasted is printed or written on the bag. A roasting date of three to 20 days is preferred.

Most of the coffee on retail grocery shelves is ground for automatic drip coffee makers. However, coffee tastes best when the beans are freshly ground.

The type of roast matters, too. Remember, the lighter the roast, the more caffeine. Dark-roasted coffee contains less caffeine. I thought the opposite was true for years. Most coffee is roasted either light (blonde), medium, or dark.

There are also lots of flavor profiles associated with coffee. Most specialty single-origin or blended coffees have a “flavor profile” on the bag. These are flavors that the roasters taste when evaluating their coffee. However, if you don’t taste some or all of the profile flavors described, don’t worry. Like wine or craft beer, coffee is undoubtedly about flavor profiles. The bottom line is to drink what tastes good to you.

Equipment for Better Coffee at Home

Quality burr grinder with multiple grind options

A quality grinder is the first item you’ll need to make better coffee at home. Most coffee experts believe the grinder is even more important than the coffee maker. I agree. Jeff says, “grinding your coffee at home is a game changer.”

I use a Hairo Skeleton Plus manual 100-gram capacity hand grinder. At around $40, this grinder is an excellent value and great for road trips. At around $40, this grinder is an excellent value, and great for road trips. A better choice for a home automatic grinder is the Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder for about $200. This grinder has 40 grind settings and has 40mm commercial-grade conical burrs.

The fineness or coarseness of ground coffee depends on the brewing method. For example, if you make an espresso or an espresso shot for a latte or cappuccino, you’ll want a fine grind. Automatic drip machines require a slightly courser grind, pour over an even courser grind, with a very coarse grind for French press.

Scale

I like the Hario V60 Scale. At around $50, this is a multi-use kitchen scale.

Coffee Makers

Most of us remember the Mr. Coffee 12-cup coffee maker. I still see this used in homes and office break rooms. However,  easy-to-use K-Cups revolutionized home coffee brewing. For years, I used a Cuisinart Automatic coffee maker with a built-in grinder. The downside to these machines is that you cannot adjust the grind setting. But let’s not get too much into the weeds regarding coffee makers.

Here an excellent article that sums up the methods listed below.

Automatic drip coffee machines:

Bonvaita BV1900TS – You can find this machine at many retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart, or on Amazon for about $180.

OXO Barista Brain 9-Cup Coffee Maker – Around $199.

French Press

Probably the simplest method to make great coffee. The Body 1928, 1 liter, French Press retails for around $39. You can find smaller ones for around $20.

Pour-Over Coffee Accessories

This is my preference coffee-making method. I use the Kalita Wave 185 Coffee Kit. At around $80, it’s a quality purchase. They’re often sold out on Kalita’s website, but they restock pretty quickly. You can purchase a Hario Pour Over starter kit  from Amazon for less than $25!

Aeropress

Another popular and straightforward method for making better coffee at home is the Aeropress. They’re around $45 at Espresso Parts, easy to use, and make great coffee. In fact, some coffee experts claim the Aeropress method makes the best coffee.

Espresso Machine

Purchasing an espresso machine for home use gets tricky. Why? Because (in my opinion), you’ll end up spending $1,500 or more for an espresso machine that produces cafe quality espresso shots. There are plenty of espresso machines for under $300. Some produce quality shots. However, many factors are involved in producing a quality shot. Plus, you need some knowledge about grinding methods, how to properly tamp, how to determine if a shot is pulling correctly, etc. There’s also the skill of frothing milk. As you can see, producing an espresso shot gets very technical very quickly.

Here’s an excellent comparison article if you’re serious about purchasing a home espresso machine.

Kettle (for hot water with French Press, Pour Over & Aeropress methods)

My preference is an electric kettle with a digital readout. They boil water quickly, and the digital readout is handy if you want to stop the process at a specific temperature. I usually stop mine at about 206 degrees. A stove-top kettle works great, too. Regardless of the kettle, a gooseneck shape is best for pouring water when making coffee or hot tea.

Tips for Making Better Coffee at Home

Great-tasting coffee begins with the proper coffee-to-water ratio. Most coffee experts recommend a 1:15 ratio. For example, 23 grams will require 345 grams of water using this ratio. If you use a 1:16 ratio, that means 23 grams will require 368 grams of water.

Speaking of water, clean, filtered water makes a huge difference when making coffee. If possible, avoid using tap water unless it’s filtered. Otherwise, use bottled water or some quality filtering system.

YouTube videos are another way to learn more about how to make and order better coffee. James Hoffmann, a coffee expert, has many outstanding videos on coffee-making techniques, equipment, and how to find and buy great coffee.

How to Order at a Coffee Shop

In the early 1990s, Starbucks revolutionized the retail coffee industry. Today you’ll find tons of coffee shops and even coffee trucks who make great tasting coffee drinks.

The most popular coffee drinks at most specialty coffee shops are lattes and cappuccinos. Both begin with the barista (coffee bartender) pulling a shot of espresso. Jeff explains in this podcast episode that any quality coffee shop begins by making excellent drip coffee.

If you aren’t familiar with a specific coffee shop, you may want to order a 12-ounce drip coffee on your first visit. Drip coffee should be brewed in smaller quantities and served at most two hours after making. After all, if a coffee shop can’t make a good cup of drip coffee, they probably can’t make good drinks using an espresso shot.

RELATED: How to Score Premium Allocated Bourbon

One of the first questions you’ll want to ask is which coffee roaster they use. Some shops roast their coffee. In this case, ask about their roasting process. Knowledgeable baristas get excited when customers ask about coffee.

TIP: Don’t ask baristas detailed questions when they are busy. Pick a slow time when they can engage with you.

Ask baristas what coffee drinks they prefer and consider ordering one. After all, good baristas make their favorite coffee drinks the best. In addition to ordering a cup of drip on your first visit, you may also consider ordering a shot of espresso to evaluate the taste. Is it acidic, bitter, or balanced?

One thing I learned about Starbucks is that their espresso machines are automatic, meaning little to no skill level is required to pull an espresso shot. Well-trained baristas understand the basics of grind size, how to pull single, double, and triple shots, and when a quality shot is produced from the espresso machine they’re using.

You may also want to ask what type of milk they recommend using when making a cortado, latte, or cappuccino. Most coffee shops use whole milk because it forms better than other varieties. If possible, avoid skim or low-fat milk. Why, because they don’t compliment coffee.  If you prefer dairy-free milks such as oat, almond, or coconut milks, ask the barista what brand they use and why.

Almond used to be the most popular dairy-free milk option. However, oat milk has replaced almond milk as the top non-dairy option.

Thanks for listening to this Southern Americana podcast episode with Jeff Daniels of Non-Fiction Coffee. Let us know your favorite way to make and drink coffee at paul@onesouthernman.com.