Great coffee at home doesn't need much kit. For bright, clean filter coffee, a V60 and a set of scales will do it. For something strong and espresso-like without a machine, a moka pot is hard to beat. If you're travelling or camping, the AeroPress is the most versatile brewer you can pack.
This guide covers what you need for each setup, what to look for when buying, and which of our coffees suit each one. For step-by-step method, we've linked to our full brew guides throughout.
Which setup is right for you?
| Setup | Brewer | Scales | Water and heat | Packing | Beans that suit it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home filter | Hario V60, cafetière or batch brewer | Strongly recommended for V60; helpful for cafetière | Kettle, ideally gooseneck; water at 92–96°C | Not a concern | Bright, fruity single origins |
| Home espresso | Espresso machine (9 bar) | Essential: you're weighing dose and yield to 0.1g | Machine heats the water | Not a concern | Chocolatey blends and single origins |
| Stovetop | Pezzetti moka pot | Optional: you fill the basket level | Gas or electric hob (not induction) | Fine for a road trip or a camping stove | Rich, low-acidity coffees |
| Travel | AeroPress | Nice to have; a pre-weighed bag works too | Hot water from a kettle or flask | Small, light and hard to break | Almost anything: very forgiving |
| Camping | AeroPress or moka pot | Leave them at home; pre-weigh your doses | Camping stove and a pan or kettle | Pack light and take your rubbish home | Pre-ground to suit your brewer |
What to look for in scales and grinders
We don't sell scales or grinders at the moment, but they make the biggest difference to your cup after the beans themselves. Here's what we'd look for.
Coffee scales
- 0.1g display: essential for espresso, where a gram or two changes the shot. Bear in mind a 0.1g display isn't the same as 0.1g accuracy. Cheaper scales can drift, so check yours with something of a known weight.
- Built-in timer: lets you track brew time and weight on one screen, which is handy for V60 and espresso.
- Fast response: the reading should keep up as you pour. A slow scale makes it easy to overshoot.
- Size: for espresso, measure your drip tray first. Many scales are too big to fit under the portafilter. For pour-over, you need room for the dripper and a jug or mug on top.
- Capacity: 2kg is plenty for most home brewing, including a full kettle-and-jug pour-over.
- Power and water resistance: rechargeable is handy, but batteries are easier when travelling. Some water resistance is worth having, since spills happen.
Grinders
If you buy one piece of kit, make it a grinder. Coffee starts losing aroma soon after grinding, so grinding just before you brew makes a noticeable difference.
- Burrs, not blades: burr grinders crush beans to an even size. Blade grinders chop them unevenly, which leads to muddy, uneven cups.
- Hand or electric: hand grinders are cheaper, quieter and great for travel. Electric grinders save time if you're brewing for more than one.
- Espresso needs more precision: look for fine, small adjustments. Many filter grinders can't grind fine enough for espresso.
No grinder? No problem. We'll grind any of our coffees for your brewer: espresso, stovetop, AeroPress, V60, filter, cafetière or cold brew.
Brewing on the move
| AeroPress | Pezzetti moka pot | |
|---|---|---|
| Makes | Up to 2 cups; smooth, concentrated coffee | 3-cup or 6-cup; strong, rich, espresso-style coffee |
| Material | BPA-free plastic | Aluminium |
| Heat | Needs hot water from a kettle, flask or stove | Sits directly on a gas or electric hob, or a camping stove |
| Grind | Medium-fine | Fine, but coarser than espresso |
| Extras | Comes with 350 paper filters, a scoop and stirrer | No filters needed |
| Clean-up | Pop out the puck of grounds and rinse | Empty the grounds and rinse with hot water |
| Price | £37 | From £20 |
Espresso-style isn't the same as espresso. Both make strong, concentrated coffee, but neither reaches the 9 bars of pressure an espresso machine uses. You won't get true espresso crema, but you can make a very good base for a milky coffee.
Camping packing list
- AeroPress or moka pot
- Coffee, either pre-ground for your brewer or pre-weighed into small bags (about 16g per AeroPress cup)
- A hand grinder, if you're bringing whole beans
- AeroPress filters (they're small and light, so pack spares)
- Water, plus a stove and pan or kettle to heat it
- A mug: our enamel mugs are a good, sturdy option
- A bag to carry used grounds and filters home
Road trip packing list
- AeroPress
- Coffee, pre-ground or with a hand grinder
- AeroPress filters
- A flask of hot water, or a travel kettle for hotel stops
- A reusable cup
- An airtight container for your beans, like our MiiR canister
- A bag for used grounds
The AeroPress replaces a lot of kit on its own. You don't need a separate filter holder, jug or plunger, because the chamber does all three jobs and presses straight into your mug.
What we'd recommend
If a friend asked us at the counter, here's what we'd tell them:
- Starting out with filter: a V60, filter papers and a set of scales. It's affordable and teaches you a lot about how grind and pouring change the taste. Choose the 02 size if you'll brew for two.
- One brewer for everything: the AeroPress. It's quick, forgiving, easy to clean and just as at home in the office or a tent as on the kitchen worktop.
- Strong coffee without a machine: a moka pot. It's simple, sturdy and makes a great base for a milky coffee.
- Upgrading your coffee: a burr grinder before anything else. It improves every brewer you own.
Beans for each setup
| Setup | Try | Why |
|---|---|---|
| V60 and filter | Ethiopia Banko Gotiti, Ethiopia Echemo, Kenya Gloria Natural | Bright, fruity and floral flavours that a paper filter shows off |
| Home espresso | Colombia El Calapo, The Remake, The Original | Chocolatey, balanced and great with milk |
| Moka pot | The Remake, Peru Chilchos Valley, Mexico Finca Hamburgo | Rich, rounded coffees that handle the stovetop's intensity |
| AeroPress | Brazil Vila Boa, Ethiopia Echemo, or the coffee in our AeroPress Bundle | Works with almost anything; these two are our roasters' AeroPress picks |
| Cold brew | Colombia El Calapo, Brazil Vila Boa | Sweet, smooth and low in acidity when steeped cold |
Brazilian naturals for home espresso
Brazilian natural-process coffees are a classic choice for espresso. They tend to be sweet, nutty and low in acidity, with a heavier body that stands up well to milk. When choosing one, look for:
- Origin and process: "Brazil" and "natural" on the bag
- Tasting notes: chocolate, nuts, caramel or dried fruit
- Roast: a medium roast suits most home machines and milk drinks
Our Brazilian natural right now is Brazil Vila Boa, a Red Bourbon from a women-owned farm. Its notes are raisin, walnut and biscuit rather than chocolate. If chocolate is what you're after, The Remake blends Vila Boa with Nicaraguan and Mexican coffees for cocoa nibs, caramel and pecan.
Quick-start recipes
These are our go-to starting points. Each brew guide has the full step-by-step method and tips for dialling in.
| Brewer | Coffee | Water or yield | Grind | Temperature | Time | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V60 | 15g | 250ml | Medium | 92–96°C | 3–4 min | V60 guide |
| AeroPress | 16g | 220ml | Medium-fine | 88–94°C | About 1:45 | AeroPress guide |
| Cafetière | 25g | 450ml | Coarse | 94–96°C | About 4 min | Cafetière guide |
| Home espresso | 16g | 32g out | Fine | About 93°C | 28–32 sec | Espresso guide |
| Moka pot | Fill the basket level, don't tamp | Fill to just below the valve | Fine (coarser than espresso) | Medium heat | Until it gurgles | Moka pot guide |
| Cold brew | 50g | 750ml | Coarse | Cold | 12–18 hours in the fridge | Cold brew guide |
If it doesn't taste right
| Your cup tastes... | What's happening | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, sharp or thin | Under-extracted | Grind finer, use hotter water or brew a little longer |
| Bitter or harsh | Over-extracted | Grind coarser, use slightly cooler water or brew a little shorter |
| Weak or watery | Too little coffee | Use more coffee for the same water, or less water for the same coffee |
| Dry or astringent | Usually over-extracted or uneven grinding | Grind a little coarser; a burr grinder will help most |
| Flat or dull | Stale beans or water too cool | Check the roast date, store beans airtight, and use water just off the boil |
Change one thing at a time, so you know what made the difference. With a moka pot, take it off the heat as soon as it starts to gurgle, as it turns bitter quickly after that.
Shopping shortlist
For home filter
- Hario V60 Dripper, £30: ceramic or plastic, in sizes 01 and 02
- Hario V60 Filter Papers, £4.50 for 40, or the Project Waterfall papers, £8.50 for 100, which support clean water projects
- Ethiopia Banko Gotiti, our house filter
For stovetop
- Pezzetti Moka Pot, £20 (3-cup) or £25 (6-cup)
- Pezzetti Moka Pot Bundle, £29 with a bag of single-origin coffee
For travel and camping
- AeroPress Coffee Maker, £37, with 350 filters
- AeroPress Bundle, £42 with 250g of single-origin coffee suited to AeroPress
- AeroPress Filter Papers, £8 for 350
- MB Enamel Mug, £7.50
For keeping beans fresh
Not sure which coffee to start with? Our Multi-Coffee Tasting Box has six 100g coffees for espresso or filter, so you can find your favourite.
