Coffee Cheat Sheet: Find the Right Coffee for Your Brew Method
By Adam Thompson
Brew a bright, tangy Tanzania in a drip coffee machine and you get a sweet, clean cup. Brew it in a French press and it becomes thick and syrupy. Pull it as espresso shot and the acidity and fruitiness come through.
Each method of brewing rewards a different roast level, grind, and flavor profile, and if you match them up properly, you get the best version of what's in the bag.
Here's a cheat sheet on discovering the coffee that best suits you and your preferred brewing method. Find how you brew in the chart, and we'll point you to the roast, grind, and Cravens coffee that suits it best, whether you're ordering online or standing in front of a grocery fixture. Now you're a step ahead of most people brewing at home.
The Three Dials
Think of brewing coffee as three settings working together:
- Brew method decides how long water and coffee stay in contact.
- Grind size is how you control that contact. The finer the grind, the faster the extraction. A fast method (like espresso) has quick contact with the grounds in high pressure. A slow method (French press or cold brew) needs a coarse grind that sits in water for 5+ minutes.
- Roast level dictates which flavors and textures are to be extracted; bright and sweet from a lighter roast, rich and chocolatey from a darker one.
*The most important dial not mentioned above is the quality of coffee. None of this matters unless you choose an exceptionally grown, sourced, and roasted coffee.
If any one of these three are off, the cup tells you.
- Does it taste sour or thin? The coffee is under-extracted. Grind finer.
- Does it taste bitter or harsh? The coffee is over-extracted. Grind coarser.
The Cheat Sheet
| Method | Grind | Roast | What you'll taste | Origin or Blend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour-Over | Medium-Fine | Light | Bright, floral, citrusy, sweet | Tanzania Peaberry, Costa Rica Monte Crisol |
| Drip Machine | Medium | Light or Medium | Clean, smooth, mellow | Spokane Express, Lost Trail |
| AeroPress | Fine | Medium | Rich, smooth, low acidity | Any medium roast blend |
| Espresso | Very fine | Medium | Bright, nutty, complex; pairs well with milk | Espresso Amore, Mission Mountain |
| French Press | Coarse | Medium or Dark | Heavy body, nutty, rich | Northwest Dark Roast, Rocky Mountain High |
| Cold Brew | Very Coarse | Dark or Light* |
Either syrupy, smooth, chocolate OR floral, sweet depending on roast |
Your pick: see below |
*Obviously, these are just recommendations. The flavor, texture, and overall drinking experience is highly subjective, and it's okay to go against these suggestions. If you were to take any recommendation seriously, it should be grind level; this is critical is extracting what you love about the coffee you choose.
Why each one works
Pour-over: the spotlight. This is what coffee nerds (like myself) love. A pour-over is clean and unhurried; there's nowhere for a coffee to hide. A slightly finer grind allows the water to reach more surface area of the grounds compared to a drip grind. A lighter roast (our Northern European) lets the sweetness and acidity of the origin come through. If you want to "taste the place", this is the method for you. Although it may not be the most efficient.
Drip: forgiving and consistent. Drip machines extract gently, so a light-to-medium roast stays crisp and balanced instead of getting lost. A medium grind keeps the water flowing evenly. Having said that, if you're a dark-roasted drinker, by all means enjoy the richness and texture of an Italian roasted coffee out of your coffee pot. Nothing wrong with that.
AeroPress: hard to get wrong. This is "espresso on-the-go". It uses immersion and pressure, which makes for a smooth cup with very little acidity. It works with a range of roasts, but medium really shines.
Espresso: where acidity gets loud. Pushing hot water through very fine grounds at high pressure concentrates everything, including acidity. That's why medium-to-dark roasts are the traditional choice; a well-balanced espresso blend compliments origins and roast levels to manage that high concentration, while the toasty, smoky, chocolatey flavors of a dark roast hold up against milk and keep the shot from tasting astringent or sour.
*Personally, I'm a light-roast Americano guy. I like the cleanliness and the brightness of a lighter roast. And for what it's worth a Cravens Light Roast consists of a slower, lower temp, and longer roast for an optimal release of compounds in order to reach it's so called "perfect point"
French press: all about body. A coarse grind and a 5-minute steep pull out the oils that give a french press its thick, syrupy texture. Think marinade or a soup/broth that gets better with time. Darker roasts with nutty or spicy notes are built for it.
*Cold brew: the wildcard. This one is interesting. A long, cold steep takes the edge off acidity, so it works at both ends of the roast spectrum. Cold water doesn't extract oils and texture as sharply as a french press, allowing for more complexity and sweetness. Dark roasts give you deeper, roasted in flavors, which is delicious with milk. While a lighter roast gives you something sweet, floral, and crisp. There are no rules.
Insider Tip
Grind as close to brewing as you can. Ground coffee loses freshness far faster than whole bean, because all that extra surface area gives the aromatics more places to escape. If you have a grinder, buy whole bean. If you don't, buy the right grind for your method and brew it while it's fresh. (Here's what we think about freezing coffee)
Buying Coffee Online or In the Store
When you're staring at a wall of bags, look for these 3 things:
- Roast level: This tells you the flavor direction: bright, balanced, or bold.
- Flavor notes: These tell you what the roast and origin are doing together.
- Grind level: Tailored to your specific brew method.
On our website you can choose from whole bean, auto drip, pour over, french press, cold brew and espresso grinds, so you don't need to guess or buy the wrong thing. Pick the grind that matches your brew method above. The grinds available on our website make it easy.
Put It to the Test
Next time your cup tastes off, you now know which dial to turn. Browse our coffee, check our Brew Guide for step-by-step instructions, or read about how each roast level is made on our Roasting page.
Not sure where to start? Grab a medium roast blend for versatility or a light roasted Single Origin to find what where in the world your preferences comes from.
Questions? Reach us at info@cravenscoffee.com. We're happy to help you dial it in.