Your Coffee, Your Way: Customizing Your Home Brew Experience
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Hello Beautiful Humans!
When you get a bag of specialty coffee, you hold the power to unlock dozens of flavor profiles! The art and science of this is known as barismo, and it’s the single most crucial skill for making the best cup of coffee. Barismo isn’t just for pros, it’s the intentional practice of a home barista who understands that a few small changes in technique can completely transform the flavor and make the best coffee at home.
-Let’s Do This!
Start with a flavor goal
Before you make a single adjustment to your brewing method, you need a FLAVOR GOAL. This isn't just about wanting a "good" cup of coffee; it's about saying WOW that was the best coffee I have ever made, whether it's the taste, feel, or brightness of your brew.
To define your goal, focus on these three key components of a coffee's flavor profile:
Flavor Notes: This is what you actually taste, the specific flavors that jump out. Are you getting notes of chocolate, nuts, or caramel? Or maybe something brighter like citrus or berries? Identifying these notes is the first step to unlocking the full potential of your single origin coffee beans.
Acidity: Acidity in coffee isn't bad; it's the desirable brightness or crispness that gives a coffee drink its lively character. Think of the zest of a lemon or the crispness of a green apple. A balanced acidity can make a cup of specialty coffee feel vibrant, while too much can make it sour.
Body: This is the mouthfeel or texture of the coffee. Does it feel thin and watery, or rich and syrupy? A full-bodied coffee feels heavy and smooth, while a light-bodied cup is delicate and clean.
Once you can identify these elements, you can set a clear goals.
Brew as usual and take a few sips, first when hot, then again as it cools slightly.
Note what you taste. Is the acidity too sharp? Is the body too thin?
Decide what to change. Your goal might be "more sweetness," "less harsh acidity," or "a heavier body."
Keep a simple log of your notes. Small changes work best when you can compare them side-by-side.
A pro barista tip: Train your palate to become a flavor expert by using a tasting journal. Write down specific flavor notes, body, and acidity, and note what you want to improve. This simple step is how professionals learn to identify subtle differences and consistently make a better cup of specialty coffee.
By simply deciding on a flavor goal, you begin the rewarding process of brewing with intention.
Get started with our hand picked Supremo coffee beans, straight from our farm Hacienda Iluminada with delicious notes of Dark Chocolate, Citrus, and Buttery note!
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Puerto Rico (Dark Chocolate), Mexico (Caramel), and Columbia (fruity) notes,
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Grind size: quick control over clarity and sweetness
The most IMPORTANT investment you have to start with as a barista is your grinder. It is the most IMPORTANT tool in your arsenal. Grind size is the most versatile factor that determines how fast water extracts flavor from the coffee grounds. Think of it this way: the finer the grind, the more surface area is exposed, leading to a faster and stronger extraction.
To get started, here is a breakdown of common brewing methods and their ideal grind size:
Espresso: Requires a very fine grind, similar in texture to powdered sugar. This small size allows for rapid extraction in the short time the water is in contact with the coffee.
Pour-Over (V60, Chemex): This method uses a medium-fine grind, roughly the texture of table salt. It provides the perfect balance for a controlled, manual pour.
Drip Coffee: A standard automatic brewer works best with a medium grind, comparable to sand.
French Press: Because the coffee steeps for several minutes, you need a very coarse grind, similar to breadcrumbs. This prevents overextraction and bitterness.
Cold Brew: The slowest method requires the coarsest grind. This is a very coarse grind, like sea salt, to ensure a long, slow, and smooth extraction.
A pro barista tip: Always start with the grind. If your coffee tastes sour or thin, your grind is too coarse and you're underextracting. Make it slightly finer. If the cup tastes bitter or harsh, it's overextracted, and your grind is too fine. Make it coarser, this small adjustment is the fastest way to get your brew on the right track.
Change one click at a time and record the result.
Keep brew time steady: pour-over 2½–4 minutes, French press 4 minutes.
Now that you have a taste for how grind affects your brew, try our Rum Infused coffee bags. A 787 coffee invention made with Mexican single origin coffee bean. It has smoky cinnamon and dark chocolate notes. This specialty coffee is SO GOOD that Bad Bunny sings it at every show. Café con Ron
Don't just drink our coffee live the story!
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Water temperature: tune brightness vs. smoothness
Water temperature is a critical, yet often overlooked, variable in making the best coffee. As a beginner barista, understanding its role is key. Hotter water dissolves compounds faster and can pull more acidity from the coffee grinds, while cooler water creates a smoother, more mellow cup.
Heat to 200–205°F (93–96 °C). Use a thermometer or let a just-boiled kettle sit 31–60 seconds.
For brighter, fruit-forward cups, try 198–200°F.
For rounder, chocolate-like cups, try 203–205°F.
Keep your pour style the same so you only test temperature.
Taste and note changes in acidity and sweetness.
A pro barista tip: Always preheat your brewing equipment. Before you add coffee, pour some hot water into your brewer and mug to warm them up. This prevents the equipment from stealing heat from your brew water, ensuring you get the most accurate extraction and the most flavorful cup of specialty Coffee.
Ready to test a new flavor? Our Whiskey Infused coffee bags. Are as smooth as Tennessee whiskey, our single-origin coffee from Hacienda Iluminada delivers a rich flavor profile with notes of vanilla, berries, and dark chocolate.
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Come meet the humans, see the process, and experience the love behind every specialty coffee cup. Link below
Coffee-to-water ratio: set the TONE
Once you have your grind and temperature dialed in, the coffee-to-water ratio is what sets the final strength and body of your coffee of choice. This is about balancing the flavor you've already unlocked.
Start at 1:16 by weight. Example: 25 g coffee to 400 g water.
Want a heavier body? Move toward a 1:15 ratio. (Example: 25 g coffee to 375 g water)
Want a lighter, cleaner cup? Try a 1:17 ratio. (Example: 25 g coffee to 425 g water)
Use a digital scale so changes stay precise.
Keep grind and temperature at your last winning settings while you test ratio.
A pro barista tip: When you adjust your ratio, it's often best to slightly adjust your brew time as well. A stronger ratio (more coffee) may need a slightly longer brewing time, while a lighter ratio may need a shorter one. Pay attention to how the flavor changes to find the sweet spot for your specific recipe.
Perfect your ratio with our Tequila Infused coffee bags. A Mexican classic with a 787 Coffee twist. This coffee bean has Mexican Single origin and is the perfect black coffee, with a beautiful body and a finish of brown sugar and citrus.
The Final Sip: A Journey of Mastery
You just built a home coffee customization workflow: set a flavor goal, dial grind size, fine-tune temperature, and lock in the ratio. The journey from a good cup to the best coffee is a matter of practice and curiosity. By focusing on the fundamentals of barismo, you gain control over the flavor and unlock a new level of appreciation for every freshly roasted coffee beans. It's a rewarding ritual, transforming your daily coffee from a habit into a delicious, mindful experience.
-We hope to see you soon!
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Fresh roasted, single origin beans from Hacienda Iluminada in Maricao.
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To summarize…
If you're after the best coffee shop in NYC, El Paso, Puerto Rico, Westfield NJ and soon in Houston, TX for back-to-school success, and want to buy coffee online that's fresh, sustainable, and full of flavor—look no further than 787 Coffee. We're student-friendly, community-focused, and coffee-obsessed.
Ready to make shIT happen? Visit one of our amazing coffee shops, or start powering up your brain by ordering our whole bean coffee and ground coffee at 787coffee.com today!
Let’s do this!
Be a CAFFEINATED HUMAN.
Be a creative human. Be a good human.
Be a NuevaYOL Caffeinated Human.
So here’s your invitation—to live fully, love deeply, and drink damn good coffee while you’re at it.
When you visit Puerto Rico, make sure one of your must-do experiences is exploring Hacienda Iluminada, our award-winning coffee farm in Maricao. It’s more than a farm—it’s the birthplace of 787 Coffee and the heart of everything we do. Come walk the rows of coffee trees, sip coffee roasted just steps from where it was grown, meet our animals, reconnect with nature, and learn the real story behind your daily cup. We started as coffee farmers with nothing but a dream and a machete. And when your vision is clear and you're aligned with love and purpose—everything else follows.
Let your next cup be more than caffeine. Let it be a reminder to slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy life.
Hacienda Iluminada isn’t just one of the best coffee farms in Puerto Rico—it’s where passion meets purpose, and where your coffee journey comes full circle.
☕ Visit Hacienda Iluminada – Puerto Rico’s Must-See Coffee Experience
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