Coffee and Tea

What this topic covers

Coffee and tea are things many of us drink every day, yet the cup made at home rarely tastes like the one from a good cafe. Usually the gap is not a missing skill. It comes from a handful of variables that go unnoticed: how the beans were chosen, the ratio of coffee to water, the water temperature and the brewing time. This topic splits those variables into seven guides. It starts at the point of buying beans, moves on to pour-over and milk drinks, then covers keeping beans fresh, the basics of green, black and pu-erh tea, decaf for people who react strongly to caffeine, and finally the words printed on cafe menus. None of the guides recommend a brand or a shop. They focus on what to look for and which adjustment changes the taste.

Four variables that decide the taste

Whether it is coffee or tea, brewing means pulling flavor compounds out of a solid with water. That leaves surprisingly few things you can change. Change one at a time and compare, and you will find the point that suits you much faster.

• Material: the origin and roast level of the beans, or the type and processing of the tea leaves
• Particle size: how fine the coffee is ground, whether the tea is whole leaf or broken
• Water: the ratio of material to water, and the water temperature
• Time: how long the water stays in contact with the material

Coffee and tea extract the same way

Hotter water, finer particles and longer contact all pull out more. Sour and sweet compounds come out first, and bitter, astringent ones follow as time goes on. Brew too briefly and the cup tastes sour and thin; brew too long and it turns bitter and harsh. Green tea that sits in boiling water until it puckers your mouth and coffee that is ground too fine and dripped too slowly are the same problem. Keep this one principle in mind and you will know which way to adjust when a cup tastes off.

Where to start

If you are new, read the bean guide first to understand the raw material, then the pour-over guide to learn the most basic method. If you love milk drinks, go to the latte guide next; if you buy beans in bulk, read the storage guide. If tea is your drink, the tea guide stands on its own.

• Just starting with coffee: choosing beans, then pour-over, then storage
• Into milk drinks: choosing beans, then lattes and espresso drinks
• Worried about sleep or a racing heart: start with the decaf guide
• Confused when ordering: start with the menu terms guide

Common misconceptions

Plenty of coffee wisdom is only half right. Knowing a few of these in advance makes choosing beans and ordering easier.

• Darker roasts have more caffeine: roast level makes little difference; the species and how much you drink matter more
• Good coffee needs expensive gear: a scale and an even grind come before price
• Beans last longer in the fridge: moisture condenses every time you take them out, which speeds up staling
• Decaf has no caffeine: most of it is removed, but a small amount remains

Measure before you buy gear

The main reason home coffee tastes different every day is that the amounts change every day. With a rough spoonful of beans and water poured by eye, you cannot compare yesterday's cup with today's. Weighing the beans and water on a kitchen scale and timing the brew is enough to make the taste steady. When you get a cup you like, write down the dose, water, temperature and time. When you switch beans later, starting from that note makes adjusting much easier. If you buy a new grinder, the most important thing is whether it produces evenly sized grounds.

A note on caffeine and health

Coffee, green tea, black tea and pu-erh all contain caffeine. How much is reasonable per day and how long caffeine stays in the body are covered separately in the caffeine guide under the health topic. The guides here are general information about flavor and brewing and do not replace medical advice. If you are pregnant, have a heart or digestive condition, or take medication, do not set your own limit; ask a doctor or pharmacist. If palpitations or poor sleep follow your coffee, cut back, and see a doctor if the symptoms continue.

The seven guides in this topic

Each guide is written to make sense on its own, so start with the one you need.

• Choosing beans: origin and roast level
• Pour-over basics: ratio, water temperature and pouring
• Lattes and espresso drinks at home
• Storing coffee beans so they stay fresh
• Brewing green, black and pu-erh tea
• Decaf coffee and caffeine sensitivity
• Cafe menu terms explained