5 Pro Tools for Better Home-Brewed Coffee
No matter how good a cup of homemade coffee is, it’s almost always striving toward café greatness. But that doesn’t mean you want to go to your local coffee spot every single day just for barista-quality java. So unless you happen have all the free time to find out which countertop gadgets will actually improve your caffeine routine, you might be sipping some mediocre brew. Even if you feel confident about your pour-over technique, there are still ways to get a better cup at home.
So we collected five of our favorite tools from Prima Coffee, an online supplier for the pros, for upgrading your a.m. (or p.m.) coffee experience. Each one enhances a different aspect of the coffee-making process, and bringing all five into your kitchen can ensure that you’re consistently treating yourself to the best brew possible.
Fellow Stagg EKG Water Boiler ($149): According to some in-the-know coffee pros, the best cups of coffee start with water that is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This beautifully designed kettle — and its easy to read LCD display — will ensure that you’re starting each brew at the optimum temperature.
The simplicity of its single knob on-off switch and temperature control also seem like they were designed for even the most uncaffeinated brains. Plus the EKG+ model lets you remotely operate it via Bluetooth when you’re just that busy. Click below for super fast checkout.
Chemex 8-Cup Coffee Maker ($46.68): German inventor Peter Schlumbohm created the Chemex coffee maker in 1941, and its elegant hourglass-shape has been immediately identifiable ever since. (Two years after its invention, it was put on display at MoMA as one of the best-designed products of the era. Your Keurig could never.)
The all-glass Chemex is an essential part of your pour-over setup, and the eight-cup capacity should keep you humming through lunchtime. For an especially clean taste, make sure to use the Chemex filters, too. Shop below to get a literal museum piece for your kitchen.
Peak Water Pitcher ($89): Every cup of coffee is made of 98 percent water, but we probably think less about water than any other component. The alkalinity of the water can affect the flavor of your brew, as can its mineral content. Since most of us probably use what comes out of the tap, the Peak Water Pitcher can both test the water we’re working with and let us filter out (or retain) certain minerals. The result will be a perfectly balanced cup. Click below to get a pitcher of your own.
Baratza Encore Grinder ($169.95): There’s honestly nothing better than selecting and grinding your own coffee beans, and not just because freshly ground coffee smells incredible. The steel burrs in this Baratza Encore Grinder ensure that you’ll get a smooth and consistent grind every time, and its easily adjustable 40 (!!!) fine-to-coarse settings should cover every possible filter brewing method.
Despite its powerful motor, the Encore Grinder is surprisingly quiet, so it doesn’t have to double as an alarm clock for any late sleepers in another room. Click below to get one fast.
Jennings Scale ($29): As you might’ve noticed, brewing a simple cup of coffee can require a surprising amount of precision. The Jennings scale is an essential piece of this manual-brewing puzzle, whether you’re using an Aeropress, a Chemex, or your grandma’s hand-me-down Moka Pot. It quickly displays the precise weight of your preferred beans in grams, ounces, or pounds, and can weigh up to 4000 grams (8.8 pounds) at one time. Click below to stop guesstimating your beans.