Dialling In + Troubleshooting

DIALLING IN & TROUBLESHOOTING

REFINE YOUR BREW

Brewing coffee at home is rewarding, but it can take some trial and error to get it just right. Small details like grind size, water temperature, and brew time can affect flavour in big ways. Whether you’re making espresso or filter coffee, common issues like sourness, bitterness, or weak brews are easy to fix once you know what to look for.

DIALLING IN

ESPRESSO

We've distilled espresso tasting down to the two most common challenges. While there's a whole world of flavour to explore, we’ve kept it simple and approachable — making it easier to understand and enjoy from the very beginning.

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HOW TO USE
Simply start from the end that reflects the taste of your coffee, and follow the instructions. Only change one variable at a time, starting from 01. - 03.
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TIPS TO NOTE

Watch the flow: it should start slowly and form a steady, viscous stream, not drip for a long time (too fine) or run clear (too coarse).
A scale and timer are essential!
A very low yield (like 18g in, 25g out) can produce overly strong, bitter shots. Try a slightly longer ratio, like 1:2 or 1:2.2 (e.g. 18g in, 36–40g out).
Tastes sour AND bitter? Could be channelling! To avoid this, make sure your coffee bed is flat and evenly distributed. You can use a WDT tool to assist with this (optional).

TERMINOLOGY

DOSE
The amount of ground coffee used, shown in grams.

YIELD
The amount of brewed coffee that ends up in the cup.

RATIO
The proportion of coffee to water (e.g. 1:2.2 for espresso, 1:17 for filter).

EXTRACTION
The process of pulling flavour from coffee grounds with water.

UNDER-EXTRACTED
Sour, sharp, or weak flavour caused by too little extraction.

OVER-EXTRACTED
Bitter, dry, or harsh flavour caused by too much extraction.

TDS (TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS)
A measure of how much coffee is dissolved in water; used in professional tasting and calibration.

CHANNELLING
When water finds paths of least resistance in the coffee puck, leading to uneven extraction.

ESPRESSO FAQ

dialling in

FILTER

Dialling in filter coffee is simply about finding the sweet spot, where your coffee tastes balanced, clear, and delicious. It can sound technical at first, but really, it just means adjusting your grind size and brew method to suit the coffee you're using.

Every coffee is different. Some beans are bright and fruity, others are chocolatey and rich, and small changes in how you brew can bring out the best in them. This can be dependent on terroir, varietal, roasting style and so on. If your cup tastes a little sour or too strong, don’t worry, it just means you’re a step closer to getting it right. A few simple tweaks can make a huge difference. Ensure you only chang one variable at a time!

The two main tools you’ll use to dial in are grind size and brew time. Grind a little finer if your coffee tastes sour or weak, or coarser if it tastes bitter or heavy. It’s not about perfection, it’s about understanding what changes do and slowly learning how to get your coffee tasting how you like it.
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For example, you make a v60 with the ratio of 1:16 (15g in, 240g out) and find it tasting overwhelming and too strong. Your next steps could be coarsening your dose if the extraction time went too long (e.g. 4 minutes), or you could alter your ratio to 1:17, giving a lower TDS and less coffee to extract. So you would do 15g in, and 255g out, taste, and make changes accordingly.

Start simple. Taste as you go. And remember, every brew is a chance to get to know your coffee better.

FILTER FAQ