How to Make the Best At-Home Coffee Setup

Sep 22, 2020by "Christopher C."

There's better coffee at home. No drive-thru or pick-up window can replicate the satisfaction and accomplishment of crafting a delicious cup of coffee with your own hands. The best coffee is the coffee you make yourself, but sometimes—let's face it, oftentimes—making the best coffee is far easier said than done. Like any art form, the craft of making coffee is immersive. It requires all of you, so to speak. Your time, attention, patience, and love. There's no brew method that rewards hectic execution, so you have to slow down, which is something we forget how to do sometimes. Coffee is a mindful practice, and it starts with curiosity and the right equipment.

What Do I Need For A Home Coffee Setup?

If you're scouring Pinterest for coffee corner inspiration, stop. Coffee isn't about the aesthetic, though the culture is cool as hell. Coffee is about this little cherry seed that went through a lot to make a lot of people happy. Let's honor it by ditching the fake foliage, goofy cream pitchers, wooden signs, and coffee pod Ferris wheels.

Whether your coffee setup's sparsely populated or already overflowing with gear, we're going to focus on the equipment at the core of the craft and get you outfitted with what fits your experience level.

Beginner

A setup for the coffee newbie whose daily fix comes from a coffee shop.

Starting is the hardest part. This setup is ideal for anyone just testing the coffee waters because you're not investing in any coffee-specific gadgets—a whistling kettle is great for making couscous. Think about it. This is coffee made without machines. FRC Medium is smooth and balanced, just bold enough to handle cream, sugar, and whatever else you throw at it like a champ.

Normal

A setup for the coffee capable who divides their time between the coffeeshop and their home setup. They can make autodrip no problem, but they're looking for something more.

Okay, so this isn't your first coffee rodeo, but you're not fully ready to commit to making your own coffee (yet). Even coffee pros would be satisfied with this setup, hence the World AeroPress Championship. Infinitely packable, portable, affordable, and delicious, AeroPress coffee is top shelf. It allows you to experiment with grind sizes and time and try your hand at espresso-based drinks, as AeroPress coffee is comparable to a shot of espresso. The AeroPress is a gateway brewer. With this level of customization, you'll inevitably get curious and move on to the next setup.

Heroic

A setup for the coffee confident who makes coffee at home more times than not, reserving visits to their favorite cafés for special occasions.

I won't lie to you, coffee is an investment, but it's one that will keep paying for itself over and over again. While you could do without the grinder and scale at this level, it's best to just go for it because coffee ground right before it's brewed is killer and measuring by weight is the way to go. You could get away with nixing the kettle, but pouring technique is crucial when making pour overs. The Chemex is great for those who relish the ceremony of coffee and really want to get lost in making a clean, sweet cup like none other. One of our favorites, Rwanda is a mild light roast that pops with passion fruit, lime zest, and brown sugar—it will be incredible in your Chemex. If bright coffee's not your jam, I recommend any coffee south of a dark roast.

Legendary

A setup for the connoisseur who's favorite coffeeshop is the one in their own kitchen. “Good enough” is not good enough. They strive to make the perfect cup. To those playing on Legendary mode, coffee is life, coffee is love.

We've always thought the best kind of coffee is slow coffee, the kind you pore over every step of. With a hand grinder, you can make your daily ritual that much more tactile. Plus, if you're only grinding 15g at a time, you don't need an electric grinder. The V60 takes control to a whole new level (see Kasuya's 4:6 Method). Here, you can fine-tune the flavor and acidity of your coffee, which will pair immaculately with any of our exclusive micro-lot Roaster's Choice selections. This setup will define coffee for you. How exciting.

Mythic

A setup for the coffee elite no longer satisfied with pre-roasted beans. They love the challenge, creativity, cost-efficiency, and achievement of roasting their own green beans.

I say home roasters are on Mythic because the “rules” of coffee don't really apply to them. Once a coffee is roasted by roasters like us, some forms of grinding and brewing guidelines are assigned, as well as tasting notes, body, etc. Sure, there are the typical origin notes that may appear in your home-roasted coffee, but they may not. The destiny of your coffee is in your hands. I'm only suggesting Brazilian because it's great on its own or as the base of a blend. Other than that, the rulebook is yours and it's blank. I hope you fill it with notes on some of the best tasting coffee you've ever had.

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