Method:
Choose your brew method, which will likely fall into one of several categories (batch, pourover, immersion, hybrid, vacuum, espresso).
Grind:
Always grind just before brewing. Appropriate grind size is roughly proportionate to the extraction time (contact between water and coffee): fine for espresso, medium for drip, coarse for press pot.
Ratio:
Use somewhere between a 1:14 and 1:18 ratio of coffee grounds to water, or 2 tablespoons per 6-8 oz water. Although it’s possible to extract up to 35% of the coffee bean, the best flavor development happens when 18-22% of the bean’s mass is extracted into the water. If you follow the standard recipe, you have a great start on ideal extraction.
Water:
Brewed coffee is nearly 99% water. Use filtered water whenever possible for best possible taste and to protect your equipment. For optimal extraction, temperature should be 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit, or slightly off the boil.
Technique:
Your approach will vary depending upon the chosen method, but above all, be engaged and pay attention. An attentive barista is a successful barista. Brewing variables can be barista-controlled or equipment-controlled depending upon your method (water contact time, temperature, turbulence). Turbulence, the mixing action that optimizes extraction, is impacted in manual brewing by agitation/stirring, brew water velocity, filter medium, and bubbling.
Filter medium:
Depending upon method and equipment, you’ll need some kind of filter. Sometimes you have a choice (paper, gold, metal mesh, cloth); other times you don’t (French press always uses metal mesh, which results in a fuller-bodied brew). If you have a reusable filter, keep it clean and free of clogs.
Freshness:
Keep brewed coffee in insulated pots for a maximum of two hours, and never add fresh coffee to stale coffee in an airpot. Always rinse carafes/airpots before refilling. Coffee should never sit on a warmer/burner.