Coffee Preparation
Perfect beans and a perfect roast, but still not a great cup of coffee? Several factors come into play during preparation. Which ones? Here are the most important tips and the right techniques to ensure your Kaffa coffee reaches its full potential in your cup.
To ensure your Kaffa coffee truly reaches its full potential in the cup, it’s not just about the beans and the roast—it’s also about how you brew it. In our coffee guide, we’ll show you the most important steps and give you a taste of different brewing methods—from pour-over and French press to AeroPress and portafilter, all the way to a moka pot, cold brew, or fully automatic machine. This will help you quickly get a feel for how different coffee can taste depending on the method.
Aeropress
Place the filter paper in the filter, then rinse the filter and cylinder with hot water. Let the ground coffee soak in a little hot water, then fill the cylinder. Stir the coffee briefly and let it steep for 1–2 minutes, then press the plunger down evenly.
| Coffee Recommendation | Kaffa Espresso, Wild Coffee Collection Mankira, Wodiyo |
| Grind size | Rating: 4 out of 10 |
| Amount of powder | 15 g per 200 ml of water |
| Brewing temperature | 90–94°C |
Filter
For the ideal brewing temperature, we recommend letting the boiling water sit for about 1 minute. Always rinse the filter carafe and filter paper with hot water first. Place the ground coffee in the filter, moisten it with a little hot water, and let it bloom briefly. Gradually pour water over the coffee to ensure a uniform extraction. Enjoy your filter coffee within 20 minutes.
| Coffee Recommendation | Kaffa Medium, Wild Coffee Collection Yeyibito |
| Grind size | Rating: 4–5 out of 10 (rough estimate) |
| Amount of powder | 10 g per 200 ml of water |
| Brewing temperature | 90–94°C |
Espresso Machine / Portafilter
The portafilter machine is designed for making espresso. For a larger cup, we recommend diluting the espresso with hot water to make a lungo (approx. 50–60 ml) or an Americano (approx. 100 ml). Espresso also serves as the base for cappuccino and latte macchiato.
| Coffee Recommendation | Kaffa Espresso, Ristretto, Wild Coffee Collection Mankira, Goba Gessa |
| Grind size | Scale of 3 out of 10 (fine) |
| Amount of powder | 8–10 g for a single filter 16–18 g for a double filter |
| Extraction time | 25–30 seconds (35 ml espresso) |
| Brewing temperature | 91°C |
French Press
Add the ground coffee to the pot and let it bloom with a little hot water first, then fill the pot to the top. Slowly press down the plunger with light pressure. Enjoy the coffee within 20 minutes.
| Coffee Recommendation | Kaffa Medium, Wild Coffee Collection Yeyibito |
| Grind size | Scale of 3–5 out of 10 (rough) |
| Amount of powder | 10 g per 200 ml of water |
| Extraction time | Let it steep for 5–8 minutes |
| Brewing temperature | 90–94°C |
Mocha Pot
We recommend pouring boiling water into the Mokka pot. This way, the coffee is moistened more quickly by the rising steam and does not continue to roast, which would make it taste bitter. As soon as the coffee begins to rise, remove the pot from the heat.
| Coffee Recommendation | Kaffa Espresso, Medium, Wild Coffee Collection Mankira |
| Grind size | Rating of 3–4 out of 10 (slightly finer than a filter) |
| Amount of powder | Fill the sieve loosely; do not pack it down |
| Brewing temperature | 90–94°C |
Cold Brew
Place the ground coffee in the filter of the cold brew bottle and pour cold water over it. Let it steep in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours. Remove the filter. Since this drink is brewed cold, no bitter compounds form.
| Coffee Recommendation | Kaffa Medium, Wild Coffee Collection Yeyibito |
| Grind size | Rating: 3–4 out of 10 |
| Amount of powder | 60–80 g per liter of water |
| Extraction time | 12–24 hours |
Pad Machine
E.S.E. pods are an eco-friendly and clean alternative to capsule coffee. Pod machines should also be cleaned and descaled regularly.
| Coffee Recommendation | Kaffa Pads in Medium, Espresso, or Decaffeinato varieties |
| Amount of water | 30–35 ml for espresso 100–110 ml for coffee |
| Outlet temperature | 90–94°C |
Fully automatic machine
For the perfect cup of coffee, add just a day’s worth of beans to the hopper, fill the machine with fresh water every day, and clean and descale it regularly. Preheat the cups.
| Coffee Recommendation | Kaffa Medium, Espresso, Wild Coffee Collection Mankira, Wodiyo |
| Grind size | Scale of 3 out of 10 (fine) |
| Amount of powder | 8–10 g, depending on your taste |
| Amount of water | Espresso 30–35 ml Crème 100–110 ml |
Troubleshooting
Is your coffee still not tasting quite right? Our FAQ on coffee brewing offers valuable tips to help you perfect your coffee.
Note: There are usually several possible causes for a problem. Try changing only one thing at a time to pinpoint the cause.
If nothing works, don't despair—just ask our Michal (michal.otte@originalfood.ch). Our head roaster will be happy to help you.
Useful Tips for Making Coffee (FAQ)
If the coffee from your portafilter is just dripping and tastes bitter, the grind setting on your grinder is too fine. Set the grind a little coarser so that the coffee flows out in a fine, even stream. Bitterness can also result from a brewing temperature that’s too high. Flush the brew head of your machine to stabilize the temperature before each brew.
Your grinder is set too coarse, causing the water to run through the coffee too quickly and preventing the flavors from being extracted properly. Adjust the grinder to a finer setting so that the coffee flows out in a fine, even stream. The brewing temperature is too low. If the temperature is too low, the flavors won’t be extracted properly and the acidity will dominate. Your machine may also be scaled up (see “Proper Cleaning and Descaling”).
The amount of coffee grounds in the filter is too small. Increase the amount of grounds on your grinder. We recommend 10–11g of ground coffee for the single-filter basket and 16–18g for the double-filter basket. The extraction time for 1 espresso (30–40ml) should be 25–28 seconds. Adjust the grind setting if your coffee flows through too quickly or too slowly.
Stale coffee, which contains almost noCO2, also produces little or no crema. We recommend consuming coffee within 4–6 months of the roast date (best-by date minus 12 months).
Please note: Very fresh coffee (less than 10 days after roasting) contains a lot ofCO2, so it does not produce a stable crema and does not taste balanced.
It’s possible that your coffee maker isn’t building up enough pressure (ideally about 9 bar). In that case, we recommend that you contact a specialist retailer. Or your machine may be scaled up and not reaching the proper temperature (see “Proper Cleaning and Descaling”).
The seal ring in the brew group is probably old and brittle. It is recommended that you replace the seal ring every 1–2 years, depending on usage.
Clean your machine at least once a week, depending on how often you use it. To do this, it’s best to use a blind filter with machine cleaner (powder or tabs) and let it sit for about 10–15 minutes, then rinse the brew head thoroughly. Soak the filter and portafilter in warm water to loosen the baked-on coffee grease, then clean them with a brush.
Descale your coffee maker 2–3 times a year, even if you use demineralized water. If you use regular tap water, descale it more often, depending on the water's hardness.
If your water has a high calcium content, we recommend using filtered water. This helps protect your machine and improves the taste of the coffee (less bitterness and a more balanced flavor).
It's best to store unopened coffee bags away from light in a dry place that isn't too warm. Once opened, we recommend sealing the original bag with the aroma valve tightly using a sealing chamber and storing it away from light.
