Born & Raised · Home coffee manual

Make better coffee.

Six reliable starting recipes for specialty coffee at home. Weigh it, time it, taste it—then change one thing at a time.

Updated · July 2026
Pressure01
Percolation02
Immersion03
Stovetop04
Batch05
Plunger06
01 · Coffee Fresh wins.

Grind just before brewing and keep beans sealed, cool and dry.

02 · Water Filtered, not flat.

Use clean filtered water with some mineral content—not distilled water.

03 · Weight Use a scale.

One gram of water is one millilitre. Repeatable coffee starts with weight.

04 · Taste Grind is the dial.

Sour and fast? Finer. Bitter, dry and slow? Coarser.

01 · Pressure

Espresso

A balanced double-shot starting point for most modern baskets. Keep dose and yield fixed; use grind to land the time.

Coffee in
20g
Espresso out
40g
Ratio
1:2
Water
92–94°C
Time
20–25 sec

How to brew it

  1. Warm the machine, portafilter and cup. Dry the basket before dosing.
  2. Grind 20g fine. Distribute evenly, tamp level and clear loose grounds from the rim.
  3. Lock in and start the shot straight away. Start the timer when the pump starts.
  4. Stop at 40g in the cup, aiming for 20–25 seconds.
  5. Stir the espresso, taste, and adjust the grind for the next shot.

02 · Percolation

Pour-over

A clean, bright recipe for cone or flat-bottom brewers. The drawdown matters more than perfect-looking pours.

Coffee
20g
Water
320g
Ratio
1:16
Water temp
92–96°C
Total time
2:45–3:30

How to brew it

  1. Rinse the paper filter with hot water and discard the rinse. Add 20g medium-fine coffee.
  2. Start the timer. Pour 60g evenly, swirl gently, and bloom for 30–45 seconds.
  3. Pour steadily to 180g, keeping the water level controlled and the coffee bed wet.
  4. Finish the pour at 320g by about 2:00. Give the brewer one gentle swirl.
  5. Let it drain. Aim to finish between 2:45 and 3:30, then swirl the brewed coffee before serving.

03 · Immersion + pressure

AeroPress

Simple, upright and repeatable. No inverted balancing act required.

Coffee
16g
Water
240g
Ratio
1:15
Water temp
85–92°C
Total time
1:30–2:00

How to brew it

  1. Place a paper filter in the cap, rinse it, and set the AeroPress upright over a sturdy mug.
  2. Add 16g medium-fine coffee. Pour 240g water and stir gently for three seconds.
  3. Insert the plunger just enough to seal the top and stop drip-through.
  4. At 1:00, remove the seal with a small swirl. Press slowly for 30–40 seconds.
  5. Stop when you hear the hiss. Swirl the cup and taste once it cools slightly.

04 · Stovetop pressure

Moka pot

Strong and concentrated, but not espresso. Pot sizes set the dose—fill to the designed levels and never tamp.

Coffee
Basket full
Water
Below valve
Grind
Medium-fine
Heat
Low–medium
Total time
3–6 min

How to brew it

  1. Fill the base with hot water to just below the safety valve. Use a cloth when handling the heated base.
  2. Loosely fill the basket with medium-fine coffee. Level it without pressing or tamping.
  3. Assemble firmly and place on low–medium heat with the lid open and the handle away from the flame.
  4. When coffee flows, lower the heat. Aim for a quiet, steady stream rather than violent sputtering.
  5. Remove from heat as the stream turns pale and starts to surge. Stir the upper chamber before pouring.

05 · Automatic filter

Moccamaster

The machine handles water temperature and flow. Your jobs are dose, grind and a clean brewer.

Coffee
60g
Water
1 litre
Ratio
1:16.7
Grind
Medium-coarse
Total time
4–6 min

How to brew it

  1. Rinse the paper filter and seat it neatly in the basket. Add 60g medium-coarse coffee.
  2. Fill the reservoir with 1 litre of fresh filtered water. Use 30g coffee for 500g water.
  3. Choose the half- or full-pot setting if your model has one, then start the brewer.
  4. Let the machine complete its cycle—normally 4–6 minutes for a full batch.
  5. Swirl the carafe before serving. Don’t leave coffee cooking on a hotplate for hours.

06 · Full immersion

French press

Rich, textured and forgiving. A short settling pause gives you a cleaner cup without losing body.

Coffee
30g
Water
500g
Ratio
1:16.7
Water temp
94–96°C
Steep
4 min

How to brew it

  1. Preheat the press, discard the water, then add 30g medium-coarse coffee.
  2. Pour all 500g water, making sure every ground is wet. Stir once, gently.
  3. Place the lid on without plunging and steep for four minutes.
  4. Break the crust, skim loose foam, and let the coffee settle for another two minutes if you want a cleaner cup.
  5. Plunge slowly and pour everything into cups or a carafe straight away.

One change at a time

Taste is the final measurement.

Sour · sharp · thin

Your coffee is probably under-extracted. Grind finer first.

For manual brewers, you can also add contact time or use slightly hotter water.

Bitter · dry · hollow

Your coffee is probably over-extracted. Grind coarser first.

For manual brewers, reduce contact time or use slightly cooler water.