Five ways to make better coffee at home

You do not need a three thousand pound machine. You need fresh coffee, a grinder, and a scale. Everything after that is refinement.

1 · Buy less, more often

Coffee is at its best between five days and five weeks off roast. A kilo bag bought once a quarter spends most of its life past that. Buy 250g, drink it, come back.

2 · Grind it yourself

Ground coffee goes stale in minutes, not days. A modest hand grinder will beat a bag of pre-ground from anywhere, including us.

3 · Weigh it

Sixty grams of coffee per litre of water is a good place to start. A scale removes the single biggest source of day-to-day inconsistency, which is your scoop.

4 · Mind the water

Coffee is 98% water. If your tap water tastes of chlorine, your coffee will too. A filter jug is the cheapest upgrade on this list.

5 · Taste, then change one thing

Sour and thin means the grind is too coarse. Bitter and drying means it is too fine. Change one variable at a time and you will land it within three brews.