Do you ever wonder why your coffee at home doesn’t taste as flavorful or fresh as the coffee you get at your favorite restaurant?

Even if you don’t get “fancy” with your at-home brewing methods, you can take a few easy steps to make sure your daily “cup of fuel” is top notch. So, here are the tips that foodservice operators use to ensure you’re getting a delicious cup every time:

1. Water is Key

Most restaurants have built-in water filtration systems connected to their coffee and tea brewing equipment. You might not see it, but that water is filtered. Whether you’re using water from automatic water dispenser on your fridge door, bottled water, or water from a pitcher filter, this simple change will help avoid that pesky mineral taste your tap water sometimes has.

And coffee is mostly water, right? So using filtered water just makes sense.

2. Quality Coffee is a Must

This should go without saying: quality, 100% Arabica coffee will have great flavor notes, but you also want to make sure your coffee is fresh.

Your coffee bag should have a one-way degassing valve. That’s the round circle type of valve you see above the label and it helps ensure the coffee maintains its freshness and aroma. When coffee beans are bagged shortly after roasting, they’ll continue releasing carbon dioxide inside their packaging. A de-gassing valve allows carbon dioxide to escape without letting oxygen or moisture in – keeping your coffee fresh and tasty!

3. Get the Right Grind

In addition to the coffee quality, make sure you’re using the right grind. Boyd’s coffee is roasted and ground specifically for use in standard at-home and commercial coffee brewers.

Grinds that are too fine can give your brewed coffee a bitter or hollow taste, and grinds that are too coarse can make your coffee taste sour or acidic. Our medium-grind ground coffee is best used in regular drip brewers, Pour-Overs, and Aeropress.

4. Don’t Scrimp on the Coffee Filter

Paper filters are great and readily available for all types of brewers. When you have a choice of paper filters, be sure to select one that is strong enough not to collapse, but porous enough to allow the water to flow through the coffee grains freely.

Basically, just be sure to read the details on the box before changing or choosing a paper filter for your brewing equipment.

5. Cleanliness is Critical

We know that hot water running through your coffee brewer should be enough to keep it clean. But when your coffee is brewed, oils are extracted and can seep through the filter. Your coffee pot can also become stained – and since no one likes bad-tasting coffee, be sure to rinse your coffee pot and clean the brew basket and brewer every few months.