How to Make Coffee at Home for Total Beginners (and Why You Should)

The peace and happiness of a cup of coffee at home can be yours. Photo by Anete Lusina from Pexels.

How to Make Coffee at Home for Total Beginners (and Why You Should)

Let’s face it, the pandemic is here longer than we expected, and if you haven’t already, it’s time for you to learn how to make coffee at home. Since last year, much of our day to day activities have been limited to indoors, most especially at home. We’ve started to embrace the “new normal” – which means countless zoom meetings, unstable internet calls and Netflix-binging chill sessions.

For the longest time, we’ve been spared from visiting our favorite coffee shops! But can you really function without that fine quality cup of Joe? It’s time for you to make coffee at home. It could just be the game-changer for your work from home setup or a new hobby you can explore this year.

If you love coffee but also a newbie to brewing, then this is the perfect guide for you.

Here’s what you need to get started brewing coffee at home:

What’s the ultimate coffee starter pack to make coffee at home?

Required Items:

Silcafe or Kick-Start ground coffee
French press or coffee maker
Your favorite mug
Paper filter for coffee maker (if using a coffee maker or coffee maker that needs paper filter – check the box of your unit)

Optional Items:

Fresh milk or creamer
Brown sugar/sugar/sweetener

It’s my first time to shop for my coffee grounds. Where do I begin?

Coffee Shop

Supermarket

Online Shopping

The first thing to do is get your bag of freshly roasted ground coffee to start your coffee journey. In this day and age, you can get coffee almost anywhere! Before you can only find it in supermarkets and coffee shops, but now choices are unlimited thanks to the e-commerce shopping boom.

Tip#1: One of the fastest and most convenient way to get it is through online marketplaces. Check our crowd favorites at either our LazMall or Shopee Mall Stores.

Beans

Tasting Notes

Roast/Strength

When searching, check out these 3 key factors:

Beans – The 2 most commonly used beans are Arabica and Robusta. Barako bean is another option.

Roast/strength – Ranges from mild to strong.

Tasting notes. Typically a more advanced topic, these will include notes like chocolate or nuts. May not always be on the label.

More About Beans

Arabica beans are usually preferred because it’s often considered superior in taste – because it has smoother and sweeter taste with hints of chocolate and sugar.

Avid and long-time coffee drinkers regularly go for 100% Arabica beans to get that sophisticated taste and different experience. (If you’re looking for a tip, here it is: Try our very own bestseller 100% Arabica Coffee, KickStart Brewed Awakening!)

On the other hand, Robusta gives a stronger, harsher taste with rubbery or grain-like overtones.

More About Roasts

Then, there’s dark, medium and light roast; If you like strong coffee taste, a darker roast tends to give more punch and a smokier flavor. Sometimes, you’ll also see a few coffee tasting notes like chocolatey, nutty, fruity, floral, cinnamon-y and so on.

Tip#2: Proper storage is key! To preserve freshness, store coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

So, How do I brew good café-quality coffee at home?

Sometimes when we see people brewing coffee on Instagram, it looks daunting but it’s much easier than you think. Here’s the step-by-step guide to brewing coffee for total beginners:

Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels

How to Use a French Press

1) Preheat the French press by pouring boiling water to warm the carafe. Remove the hot water after a few seconds.

2) Scoop 1-2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 200ml of water (6 oz.) and pour into the carafe. This is the standard ratio but coffee is all about preference, so adjust to suit your taste.

3) Pour hot water once again (this time, just off the boil) into the carafe. Make sure to wet all the grounds!

4) Place the plunger back on top just above the water, but don’t press it down yet. After 1 minute, remove the plunger on top and give it a good stir using your tablespoon.

5) Put the plunger back on and let it brew for another 3 minutes.

6) After 3 minutes, press the plunger down steadily to keep the coffee grounds at the bottom of the carafe.

7) Pour your freshly brewed coffee to your favorite mug.Add creamer or fresh milk and/or brown sugar if desired. Enjoy your coffee!

Don’t have a trusty French press yet? Get our Eco-friendly Bamboo French Press here!

How to Use a Coffee Maker

If you want something easier and faster, in bigger batches in one go, (because you just can’t keep your eye off that report), use the classic convenient coffee maker. You can still get good quality coffee even with the most basic equipment.

Open the filter basket door and fit the paper filter in filter basket.(make sure it’s the right size or fold to fit well)

Tip#3: If you want to go extra, you can also preheat the carafe like what we did with the French press to sustain the warm temperature consistently in the brewing process.

Add 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 200 ml of water (6 oz.) into the filter basket. For big batches like 8-10 cups, make sure to scale the proportions accordingly and follow the standard ratio.
Close the filter basket door and pour cold or tap water in the water reservoir while checking the water level indicator to match the number of cups you are brewing.
Push the start button (light will turn on) and wait for your coffee to brew.
Pour the freshly brewed coffee to your mug. Add milk or creamer and/or sugar to taste. Enjoy your coffee!

That’s not hard at all! But why can’t I just order ready to drink coffee to my house?

Now that you got the hang of it and know it’s not really that hard, you might be thinking, it’s still easier to order online. Well, we’ve got answers for that, here are just some of the many advantages of shifting to brewing at home:

Enjoy big, big savings. Usually, the price of 1-2 cups in a cafe is almost the same price with good quality coffee packs which can last you two weeks worth of drinking! (We’re not kidding, check out our Silcafe and KickStart Coffee blends!)
More Choices. There are so many coffee beans and blends out there, you’ll be surprised! Looking for a smoky bitter flavor? Try Kapeng Barako; something bittersweet with fruity or floral overtones? Have some Sagada coffee. Don’t be limited by coffee shop staples.
You can Customize! You can customize your cup a number of times to your liking! The longer time you drink coffee, the more you’ll look for variety in flavors and strength. What could be better than just taking a few steps to the kitchen to satisfy that craving?
Unli-Refil! You can have unlimited refill and share to everyone! Brew big batches for less cost.
The Coffee Shop that Never Closes. You can brew anytime, around the clock, no closing hours. If you’re cramming to finish something, your hot cup of coffee will be ready in just a few minutes (unlike in ordering, the coffee gets a bit cold too!)
Reduces Stress. Brewing coffee at home is definitely therapeutic. Soon, you’ll understand why many people already have it as a hobby.
Environmentally friendly. Imagine how much carbon emission it takes to deliver a ready made coffee drink to your home? What about the waste from the packaging? Better to brew at home! 🙂

In the past, coffee was said to be an adult’s and not-really-everyone’s drink. Now, we look at it in a new light but brewed coffee has always been around and known to offer a lot of health benefits carrying essential nutrients, and mainly, as one of the richest sources of antioxidants.

According to the website Healthline, studies also state that it lowers the risk for many diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and more. It was also noted to help fight depression and make us happier – which is a significant benefit coffee has been giving in the present time, due to the pandemic.

Nowadays, it’s being more recognized as part of a regular healthy diet but not without admitting that some of us would love to drink more than the minimum requirement. Just remember that just like with anything, moderation is important.

Start your coffee journey now!