Essentials for Manual Brewing at Home
Manual brewing is often overlooked when people invest in a coffee set up for home, the first idea seems to bring the barista experience at home with an espresso machine as we know it from coffee shops. Getting a better result than what can be achieved with a capsule machine, a fully automatic espresso machine or the traditional moka pot is what makes us want to step up our game in the first place. So it seems natural to go down the espresso & cappuccino road.
Assuming you’re reading this with the clear goal in mind that you’d like to radically improve the QUALITY of the coffee you’re drinking, we will argue that the most important thing you’ll need to invest in - shocker - isn’t your equipment. It’s first and foremost the COFFEE you’re using and the KNOWLEDGE on how to prepare it. Only when you have these two ingredients, will your equipment start to make the difference, not the other way around. Once we realize this, the first thing to be aware of is that the easiest, fastest and less expensive way to achieve this is with a manual set up. So lets dive into the different parts you should be looking into when considering your home brewing set up:
Brewing device
There are seamlessly infinite different types of brewing devices and they are all beyond the scope of this blog post. Trust us here, inevitably you will be tempted to start your own proud collection of manual brewers, and we see the appeal of it. Yet, our realization after falling into this blackhole… stick to 1 or 2 and focus on trying different varieties, processing methods, origins, roasters and producers. At the end, the diversity in coffee beans themselves is much more interesting than the small nuances of one shape of brewer over another.
To make it easier though we will rule some out which - based on our experience - don’t match well with our roasting style:
Syphon: although the process looks really cool, the result is not, especially for high scoring coffees.
Chemex: again, looks gorgeous in its design, yet again, not really suited for modern filter coffee.
Frenchpress: incredibly easy to use, and since its widespread or widely available our “no cost, try-out” entryway, yet not providing the best results with specialty coffee. Perfect for infusing cascara (coffee skin tea) though!
What we have left are basically 3 devices:
Flat-bottom drippers: usually provide a rounder and heavier body, more sweetness and are easier to use, especially for beginners, for example, we started our own journey into pour overs with a ceramic Kalita Wave.
V-shaped drippers: more difficult to use and therefore more geared towards the intermediate brewer, this style of dripper accentuates the complexity, acidity and clarity of your cup. A classic is the Hario V60.
Aeropress: very different from any other brewing device, is both an easy and versatile brewer, satisfyingly fun to use and has therefore a wide cult following and its own Championship circuit.
To better understand the difference between flat-bottom and V-shaped droppers, we wrote this dedicated blog post. Before choosing one, we would recommend you to head over to your local coffee shop or roaster and TRY them out with different beans. For example, we offer informal coffee playhours in our roastery where you could:
try the same bean with these three styles of brewers;
try different beans with the same brewer.
You will likely find that there is no ALLROUND brewer that gets you the best possible result with EVERY bean. Some beans are better suited for flat bottom drippers, others for v-shaped drippers. The aeropress works pretty well with most beans but it really depends on personal taste.
Handgrinder
Once again, the grinder is the one thing that makes the biggest difference in your result after thee coffee (and water) you’re using, so it’s absolutely worth to invest your money here. The handgrinder market is very dynamic these days and options are popping up everywhere. After Comandante seemed to have been the uncontested market leader for the last years, things change rapidly. Since 2022 we would recommend one specific option: the K-Max handgrinder from 1Zpresso. Why this one? It’s neither their cheapest model nor their flagship grinder, but it’s definitively the one that has it all:
Big, smooth, precise, external, numbered grind size dial. With emphasis on NUMBERED. Really, why would you work with internal “clicks”? We’re not trying to bust open a safe, we want to easily set our grinder for different coffees, brewing methods or even espresso. Yes, at home this handgrinder has even replaced our espresso grinder so we switch in seconds between all of our beans and extraction methods all the time, no guesswork or recounting clicks.
The numbered also brings us to the biggest advantage of this grinder. As it’s the same one we’re using in our roastery, we can easily share our own recipes, making it foolproof to follow them: grind size, water temperature, amount of coffee used and pouring structure are the variables that let you perfectly replicate a recipe. No more uncomprehensive indications such as “ground like raw sugar” or XX microns. Just a 6,8 on the K-Max and it can easily be replicated by everyone having this grinder.
The bigger 48mm burrs. Really helps in two ways: firstly, it grinds way faster and more importantly fast enough that you don’t really bother using a handgrinder over an electrical one, secondly, it allows you to grind the bigger beans (Pacamara and Maragogipe).
The magnetic grounds chamber instead of the screw in type is the biggest satisfaction in your workflow!
The clarity and complexity that this grinder brings out of the beans is something most experts love about this model and we couldn’t agree more, hoping this particular grinder will set the golden standard for the next years. We, for our part, will base all our brewing recipes on this grinder. If this higher end model breaks the bank for you, then a cheaper, filter coffee only option would be the 1Zpresso Q2 or the Timemore Chestnut C3 Pro.
Kettle
Getting into pour-overs there’s only really one type of kettle that will work for you, the gooseneck kettle. You’ll have to choose between a simple kettle and an electric version, if you plan to use your setup in the wild (with a gas cooker), then probably a simple Kettle might be your first option. In any other scenario, go for the electric Kettle as the temperature accuracy will be paramount for your brews and their repeatability. We realize that the price tag of these are pretty steep, consider though that this will also serve you for so much more than coffee. Precise temperature control makes them perfect for tea steeping, and their precise flow control is particularly anti-burn friendly to fill your hot water bottles during the winter season. For your options here, you mainly have two: Apple or Samsung. Just kidding, but as in the smartphone market you cannot really get around the minimally designed Fellow Stagg EKG kettle or the contender from Brewista.
Scale
A scale is imperative to guide and control your pour over. There are lots of options out there, from dumbest to smartest. What you really need is weight (of course) and time, so you could even start with your kitchen scale and the timer on your smartphone. With time you can then upgrade to a dedicated scale for manual coffee brewing. We have personally used the Hario, the Timemore and the Acaia scales and find them all suitable, so it’s up to your personal preference and budget really. The one advice we would give: (seemingly) smarter with all the whistles isn’t always better. Better keep it easy and simple, what needs to work is ultimately time and weight, while automated modes and flow profiles on smartphone apps aren’t really worth the extra money. Based on these considerations we would recommend the Timemore Black Mirror Basic Plus for a brewing specific setup.
Filters
We could write a book on these but in summary, get the white paper (or - even better for the environment - abaca or similar) ones. Avoid metal filters (they tend to clogging, let fines into your cup & taste metallic), and kraft paper ones (cardboard tasting cups).
There you have it, our complete manual brew setup guide for home. Invest where it matters the most: high quality specialty coffee and a good grinder. Then choose ONE brewing device and really get to know it deeply. Add a gooseneck kettle to improve your flow, a scale and you’re able to get the most out of any amazing coffee you can find on the market.
Our favorite setup examples
Easy, budget & outdoor friendly
Aeropress (paper filters, stirrer and scoop and funnel come included in the kit) paired with a cheaper handgrinder such as the Timemore Chestnut C3. You don’t really need a scale or a gooseneck kettle for this one, you could go with whatever hot water kettle you already have at home or in your camping setup.
Available from CHF 118 at our store.
Still easy, medium priced, for tasty everyday pour-overs
A flat bottom brewer like the Fellow StaggX, any handgrinder in the range between the Timemore Chestnut C3 and the 1Zpresso K-max and a precision coffee scale such as the Timemore Black Mirror Basic Plus. You could even start with a simple kitchen scale and a generic kettle you already have in your kitchen and upgrade to a gooseneck kettle with time.
Available from CHF 219 at our store (including the brewing scale).
More advanced, higher price range, for the most complex beans out there
A V-shaped dripper such as the Cafec Flower, a good quality grinder like the 1Zpresso K-Max, an electric gooseneck kettle such as the Fellow Stagg EKG for precise flow control and a precision coffee scale such as the Timemore Black Mirror Basic Plus.
Available from CHF 358 at our store (if paired with the cheaper Timemore Chestnut C3 Pro).
Are you looking for a personalized recommendation? Reach out to us or come by the store and we will happily help you put together the setup of your dreams! The one that really serves you on a daily basis.