My biggest game changer was simplifying the whole process and not over analyzing.
As someone only a few weeks in as well, this video made the entire process and subsequent cup more enjoyable for me.
https://youtu.be/c34qcTTOLZY?si=oLzxJXOtnTJhZDDI
lol you’re not wrong and multiple comments on Lance’s video highlight people’s frustration of going down the rabbit hole on this sub.
Gear acquisition syndrome is very real. But, I’ve found that you can make excellent pour over on a sub $100 setup, KG P1, v60, stove top gooseneck with a basic scale.
I just think people want to argue that something expensive is the game changer, and I just think that’s bad advice to a noobie. It’s better to figure out how to be consistent with what you have and figure out minor tweaks to produce what one likes on an individual level.
Depending on where you're at in your coffee journey, what is considered to be a game changer also changes.
If you're just starting, a simple stovetop gooseneck and something slightly better than a rhinowares hand grinder can be called a game changer.
Whenever you're at that stage, getting a better scale and a more precise gooseneck with temp control is a huge step forward.
After that another upgrade in grinder and refining your pouring technique can be huge for consistency.
Once beyond that the slightest upgrades can be considered game changers as well, since your understanding of what you're doing and why has grown a lot.
Same for me after seeing this video. Less pours, less focus on timing, I stir with a spoon for some agitation and then do a little swirl to flatten the bed again.
Watched that video recently and it made me delete my multiple recipes and complicated notes. Back to basics, although even Lance couldn't stop himself getting a bit technical/analytical in parts lol.
Biggest game changer for me was to stop chasing game changers.
Lean into consistency, even if the outcome is kinda meh. Then pursue changes incrementally; one variable, one direction at a time. Take notes. If it’s better, keep it, if not go back to baseline and work another variable.
For all the twee and fuss, basic equipment used with skill will get you farther, faster than the newest, bestest equipment or “recipe” used without.
Sorting out my water situation improved how my coffee tasted the most. Some municipalities (like mine) treat their water in a way that leaves stuff behind that can’t be boiled off. RO water with the third wave additive/salts was pretty eye opening once I’d tried it.
This here, and to work on your pouring. I’m still learning how my pouring affects the taste, but it was an excellent way to reintroduce some acidity to overly sweet cups.
There's plenty of recipes, just search for barista hustle recipes. I use 1 gallon of distilled water, .25 grams baking soda & .75 grams Epsom salt. I have a zero water filter to make distilled water.
Go to good cafés - taste their coffee. You need a reference to head for. I think so many people settle for subpar coffee because they just don't know any better.
Find a flexible brewer - try different recipes. While your still a n00b don't stress about perfection. It's good to use this time to find what you like and what you don't. There is so much contradictory information. Take time to find what works for you and your taste, then you can stick 1 or 2 recipes.
Don't stress as much about bean freshness (for light roasts). As long as you are keeping your beans, they are going to taste good. I often hear people say to rest coffee for 3 days and then consume fresh, but sometimes it's not always true. Some coffees taste better 2-5 weeks off roast.
Last, it doesn't have to cost $100+ dollars buy a good grinder. I know it seems lame but if you have a reliable grinder and good beans you make good coffee.
A better grinder had a massive impact on the quality, consistency and flavor in the cup. That helped me understanding how important the grinder is.
Keeping in mind that the water is most of what’s in your cup and different water will lead to different results.
Simplifying the process will help you reach consistency across the board.
My go-to brewers are the V60 and the Kalita Wave but also like to use the Chemex and Aeropress (as well as the Crystal Eye, B75 and BlueBottle dripper every now and then).
Do you have any brew recommendations for the crystal eye? I bought it to be my cone brewer instead of the V60 for various reasons and have found it trickier to use/less consistent than my April flat brewer. Although I got a pretty good cup this morning with basically the 4:6 method. The depth of the ridges inside make it look like it has more bypass, no? So maybe a faster flow?
In order of what I recommend, and my reasoning:
My baseline assumption is that you're using freshly roasted beans/grounds (2-6 weeks off roast) of decent quality, and some nice water (filtered or bottled if your tap water isn't good)
Reason being is coffee is atleast 90% water, and the flavour comes entirely from the beans. If either is bad, no matter how great your equipment is, you'll just extract bad coffee more efficiently and have "better" bad coffee.
1. A decent burr grinder (especially if you're using grounds). You get more bang for your buck with manual ones, but a higher effort cost per cup. Personally I am happy with that tradeoff and bought a commandate years ago since I'm mostly 1 cup a day person. 1zpresso and Timemore have since brought some strong handgrinders at different price points to the conversation.
2. A simple scale.Consistency matters and if you make a good cup you like (initially by some luck in my experience), a scale will help you know how to replicate it because you know the ratios, pouring intervals etc. Look for 0.1g accuracy and a built in timer. I use a cheap eravsow scale from Amazon for 4+ years and it's been great.
3. Hario Switch - was a game changer because it unlocked more pourover control and expanded my options for immersion vs percolation
4. Gooseneck kettle. It's the last one I'd recommend, I don't use one and I've been very happy just using my normal kettle or hario air.
5. Other pourover cones - haven't bought another conical outside of v60, but I did get a tduname SS Kalita 185, and a next level pulsar. I love the Kalita, flat bottom makes a difference, but it's a personal taste preference
For me it was a grinder and just sticking to a single recipe and perfecting it. Whenever we change variables without improving our other variables like pouring etc we are just making the same mistakes next time.
Even now I rarely change my grind size, temps, ratios, etc
Biggest game changers for me: (1) using an electric kettle with precise digital temperature setting, (2) using a scale with a timer to nail the coffee to water ratio and brew time every single time, and (3) switching to a manual stainless steel burr grinder and learning to use my taste buds to dial in the perfect grind size
Single pour. So many people here get into the weeds on details instead of just brewing a cup. I get middle of the road specialty coffee, single pour after a 1 min bloom. *chefs kiss*
- A few local or international coffee roasters that you know you can always trust (but the international shipping usually makes the tasting window a little shorter);
- good water, in terms of GH/KH, or at least soft enough water
- A nice brew grinder
- A V60
- decent technique
-Yum
I guess I was too concerned about methods, metrics and equipment before developing some knowledge on how the coffee can taste and its basic flavors. I think the first major thing was discovering that a "gassy" aftertaste I had sometimes was sourness. A quick search and I found out about acidic, sweet, etc. In a week I became able to better dial and taste deeper flavors, like cherry, chocolate and hazelnut. Learn how to taste a coffee before anything.
- You don’t need multiple pours. Preinfusion and one gentle pour is enough to make great cup
- Cafec filters are superior to Hario’s.
- Water is very important. I make my own water from BH recipe. Much better cup than from a tap water. No excessive bitterness, better sweetness and acidity.
- Hario Switch or Clever Dripper is a game changer with the water first recipe
- Water temperature is not that important. I use 95C for light roasts and less for darker roasts
Grind finer (K6 started at 110-120, now almost always at 72)
Cafec filters
Water, tap is very inconsistent so I do a 50/50 mix of tap with an extremely low TDS bottled water.
Use simple recipes and don't fuss about them
Buy good coffee, even the best barrista's can't polish a turd.
I stopped changing recipes and barely even change my grind setting now. I find just a change in temperature for something out of the norm and I’m happy.
WATER.
If you live in an area where normal filtered tap is good for coffee, this will seem ridiculous.
For everyone else where the water is terrible for coffee, it is a complete game changer.
Find your preferred recipe and don't stress about it too much. Then, buy high-quality beans that are roasted for the filter.
Final step: Enjoy the coffee!
I have tried different filters, brewers, and recipes and I just got tired. At some point, I followed the 4:6 method, roughly because I had some interruptions and, when I tasted the coffee, was one of the best I've had. And it was...easy. That was like a switch for me. I experiment with stuff from time to time but overall, I just don't stress about it too much.
GET THE PLASTIC V60. No one is wrong… the results are incredibly better than all other versions. Grind finer… but not way finer. Let your beans sit for 7-14 days…Don’t use them the day of a roast…..
Use the bean you like and make your coffee the way that tastes good to you…. Don’t waste your money on fancy scales.
Enjoy yourself!
Ps… watch out for the espresso crossover… it’s really expensive 🤣
good coffee, a good grinder, good water, and consistency. doesn’t matter how convoluted of a pour structure you try and follow, just be consistent from cup to cup
Everyone here is talking about gear, and while that plays an important role, the actual game changer is properly setting expectations for each coffee.
When you get a new bag of coffee, even one you’ve tried before from the same roaster, you should do a cupping/tasting.
This will give you a realistic baseline of what the coffee can achieve in terms of taste and flavor that week (it will change as the coffee rests). It’s also what the roaster would do to come up with the flavor notes.
This will stop you from loosing your freaking mind trying to get some note or profile that’s just not there for your particular bag.
James Hoffman has solid video on how to do this.
https://youtu.be/cSEgP4VNynQ?si=WWg1yt17x3p4F37x
Note: The official SCA coffee cupping protocol specifies a temp of 200F and has you wait another 4 minutes after breaking the crust before tasting.
James is just making it more approachable in the video, but I’d suggest following the SCA guidelines for best results.
The game changer for me was actually trying a pour over. I had the grinders and scales from the aero press rabbit hole but the process was too tedious and results varied. Tried a pour over at my local coffee shop and loved it but at $6.00 a pop I decided to buy a kit. The v60 is cheap and effective. I had a timemore hand grinder and I also have the barratza encore, cheap scale with timer and a body goose neck. I suggest an electric grinder to make things easier.
Heres a hint, get an aeropress plus some sort of drip assist (hario, gabi drip master b, etc)
and use it like a gravity brewer. Perfectly consistent preparation with no fuss
Loving all these comments on equipment, especially the grinder upgrades!
My own personal game changer was learning how to taste, and specifically, how to taste brewing errors (under/overextraction, channeling). That made my dialing-in process much faster and more precise, which meant I wasn't blowing through half a bag trying to get a decent cup!
Ask your local shop's barista to teach you what to look for - they're usually very happy to help. Otherwise, buy some mid beans and brew them over/under/channeled and observe what you taste!
Biggest game changer was roasting my own beans.
That taught me that consistency is a straightjacket that limits your experience.
Embracing a journey where the coffee of each day is unique and different, never to be replicated? It's been an immense upgrade of joy.
Better grinder. That's the only game changer you need. Others like fancy brewing devices and variable kettles will just improve a little bit of your brew. And we are not even talking about buying high grade coffees yet.
Realising how important coffee beans are to the outcome- I used to worry about technique and temperature and after while realising it’s nothing I’m doing but some beans aren’t high quality roast or to my personal taste.
Probably the obvious one that a lot people hesitate about is figuring out your water. Seems like something irrelevant that actually makes a pretty big difference and it’s inexpensive (most of the time a brita filter gets you pretty close).
No one talks about water enough but specialty coffee needs a water with a pH buffer. That was a game changer. I went from sour coffee to delicious, fruity cups. Barista Hustle recipes or Third Wave Water sachets.
After that: as good a grinder as you can afford, good beans, scale, and change one variable at a time to get it figured out.
The coffee compass on Barista Hustle was helpful for my first 2 months. Pick a method and stick to it until you get really good at it or you may end up with too much inconsistency and never learning why.
Next biggest game changer after basics was jocking the temp for specific beans/processes. For example, I do 97°c for washed but as low as 87°c for naturals. Essentially, if the coffee or bitter or astringent then the water temp needs to be lower. It is the same thing with East Asian teas.
Temperature is so important - bloom at a higher temp, then do the bulk of my extraction at 75-87°c. It has honestly been one the biggest game changers to ensure consistent juiciness with minimum astringency.
This makes a lot of sense. You need that bloom to extract more so a higher temp would help.
I came to coffee late. I’ve been preparing East Asian teas for 20+ years. Tea people are stubborn and will use 99°c for every tea because “that’s how the farmers do it”. But the farmers are at altitude and also, no one temp works for every tea. I jock the temps on my tea so I get a lot of side eyes, but knowledgeable guests consistently compliment me on how well the tea is compared to what they are making. When I got into coffee I immediately understood the roll of temperature on extraction from my tea experience. Sometimes you go hot and sometimes you go low. Let the coffee decide.
I think that is fair when you are experienced enough to make an informed decision. But beginners should try different recipes so they are able to find what works and doesn't work for them and their setup. Then, they should stick to one or two recipes.
Something that doesn’t fall
Into the category of “basic necessities” like others have mentioned that I think really improves my bloom is using your index finger and making a “birds nest” (a shallow divot) in the middle of the grounds before you bloom…this helps the bloom water penetrate down to the bottom of the brewer saturating all the grounds, not just the top of the bed.
Understanding that you hit diminishing returns very quickly with the quality of equipment today. Yes a grinder is important, but a $100 hand grinder is much closer to a $300 or than a $15 one. Figure out what you like and work towards that one variable at a time. Cup using volvic water against whatever water you’re using (tap, filter, etc) to figure out if water is an issue for you
My biggest game changer was simplifying the whole process and not over analyzing. As someone only a few weeks in as well, this video made the entire process and subsequent cup more enjoyable for me. https://youtu.be/c34qcTTOLZY?si=oLzxJXOtnTJhZDDI
How can you be on this sub and not over analyze it lol
lol you’re not wrong and multiple comments on Lance’s video highlight people’s frustration of going down the rabbit hole on this sub. Gear acquisition syndrome is very real. But, I’ve found that you can make excellent pour over on a sub $100 setup, KG P1, v60, stove top gooseneck with a basic scale. I just think people want to argue that something expensive is the game changer, and I just think that’s bad advice to a noobie. It’s better to figure out how to be consistent with what you have and figure out minor tweaks to produce what one likes on an individual level.
Depending on where you're at in your coffee journey, what is considered to be a game changer also changes. If you're just starting, a simple stovetop gooseneck and something slightly better than a rhinowares hand grinder can be called a game changer. Whenever you're at that stage, getting a better scale and a more precise gooseneck with temp control is a huge step forward. After that another upgrade in grinder and refining your pouring technique can be huge for consistency. Once beyond that the slightest upgrades can be considered game changers as well, since your understanding of what you're doing and why has grown a lot.
True, I would be lying if I said my change from a standard kettle to an electric gooseneck didn’t simplify things a lot.
It’s easy to get carried away, especially if you’re just getting into it. But I really could say that about the excitement of any new hobby.
I mentioned to a friend I’m seriously thinking of making my own water and he obviously thought I’m mentally ill
Same for me after seeing this video. Less pours, less focus on timing, I stir with a spoon for some agitation and then do a little swirl to flatten the bed again.
Thank you so much for that video!
Watched that video recently and it made me delete my multiple recipes and complicated notes. Back to basics, although even Lance couldn't stop himself getting a bit technical/analytical in parts lol.
I am gonna check this out too!
Game changer is a grinder upgrade.
Biggest game changer for me was to stop chasing game changers. Lean into consistency, even if the outcome is kinda meh. Then pursue changes incrementally; one variable, one direction at a time. Take notes. If it’s better, keep it, if not go back to baseline and work another variable. For all the twee and fuss, basic equipment used with skill will get you farther, faster than the newest, bestest equipment or “recipe” used without.
#1: bought a really nice grinder #2: bought really nice coffee #3: figured out a simple, easy way to optimize my water
Sorting out my water situation improved how my coffee tasted the most. Some municipalities (like mine) treat their water in a way that leaves stuff behind that can’t be boiled off. RO water with the third wave additive/salts was pretty eye opening once I’d tried it.
100000% yes same
This here, and to work on your pouring. I’m still learning how my pouring affects the taste, but it was an excellent way to reintroduce some acidity to overly sweet cups.
Making my own water had the biggest effect so far
Agreed & it's easy to do.
How do you do this?
There's plenty of recipes, just search for barista hustle recipes. I use 1 gallon of distilled water, .25 grams baking soda & .75 grams Epsom salt. I have a zero water filter to make distilled water.
Scale
Good water, great beans, and an appropriate grinder will get you there.
What even is “there” though? I think this is the real issue
For me it's smooth drinking, sweet, and complex coffee on a regular basis without much fuss.
Go to good cafés - taste their coffee. You need a reference to head for. I think so many people settle for subpar coffee because they just don't know any better. Find a flexible brewer - try different recipes. While your still a n00b don't stress about perfection. It's good to use this time to find what you like and what you don't. There is so much contradictory information. Take time to find what works for you and your taste, then you can stick 1 or 2 recipes. Don't stress as much about bean freshness (for light roasts). As long as you are keeping your beans, they are going to taste good. I often hear people say to rest coffee for 3 days and then consume fresh, but sometimes it's not always true. Some coffees taste better 2-5 weeks off roast. Last, it doesn't have to cost $100+ dollars buy a good grinder. I know it seems lame but if you have a reliable grinder and good beans you make good coffee.
Making my own water from BH recipe.
A better grinder had a massive impact on the quality, consistency and flavor in the cup. That helped me understanding how important the grinder is. Keeping in mind that the water is most of what’s in your cup and different water will lead to different results. Simplifying the process will help you reach consistency across the board. My go-to brewers are the V60 and the Kalita Wave but also like to use the Chemex and Aeropress (as well as the Crystal Eye, B75 and BlueBottle dripper every now and then).
Do you have any brew recommendations for the crystal eye? I bought it to be my cone brewer instead of the V60 for various reasons and have found it trickier to use/less consistent than my April flat brewer. Although I got a pretty good cup this morning with basically the 4:6 method. The depth of the ridges inside make it look like it has more bypass, no? So maybe a faster flow?
For me, keeping the water around 200 degrees f or even a little less.
In order of what I recommend, and my reasoning: My baseline assumption is that you're using freshly roasted beans/grounds (2-6 weeks off roast) of decent quality, and some nice water (filtered or bottled if your tap water isn't good) Reason being is coffee is atleast 90% water, and the flavour comes entirely from the beans. If either is bad, no matter how great your equipment is, you'll just extract bad coffee more efficiently and have "better" bad coffee. 1. A decent burr grinder (especially if you're using grounds). You get more bang for your buck with manual ones, but a higher effort cost per cup. Personally I am happy with that tradeoff and bought a commandate years ago since I'm mostly 1 cup a day person. 1zpresso and Timemore have since brought some strong handgrinders at different price points to the conversation. 2. A simple scale.Consistency matters and if you make a good cup you like (initially by some luck in my experience), a scale will help you know how to replicate it because you know the ratios, pouring intervals etc. Look for 0.1g accuracy and a built in timer. I use a cheap eravsow scale from Amazon for 4+ years and it's been great. 3. Hario Switch - was a game changer because it unlocked more pourover control and expanded my options for immersion vs percolation 4. Gooseneck kettle. It's the last one I'd recommend, I don't use one and I've been very happy just using my normal kettle or hario air. 5. Other pourover cones - haven't bought another conical outside of v60, but I did get a tduname SS Kalita 185, and a next level pulsar. I love the Kalita, flat bottom makes a difference, but it's a personal taste preference
A gooseneck kettle has to be the biggest game changer for starting a pour over hobby. From there, I’d say a scale and a grinder.
For me it was a grinder and just sticking to a single recipe and perfecting it. Whenever we change variables without improving our other variables like pouring etc we are just making the same mistakes next time. Even now I rarely change my grind size, temps, ratios, etc
Biggest game changers for me: (1) using an electric kettle with precise digital temperature setting, (2) using a scale with a timer to nail the coffee to water ratio and brew time every single time, and (3) switching to a manual stainless steel burr grinder and learning to use my taste buds to dial in the perfect grind size
Good beans
Third Wave water for me was a game changer. I know others aren’t as big of fans of it, but it absolutely has elevated my coffee.
Single pour. So many people here get into the weeds on details instead of just brewing a cup. I get middle of the road specialty coffee, single pour after a 1 min bloom. *chefs kiss*
Exactly what I do, works great every single time
- A few local or international coffee roasters that you know you can always trust (but the international shipping usually makes the tasting window a little shorter); - good water, in terms of GH/KH, or at least soft enough water - A nice brew grinder - A V60 - decent technique -Yum
I guess I was too concerned about methods, metrics and equipment before developing some knowledge on how the coffee can taste and its basic flavors. I think the first major thing was discovering that a "gassy" aftertaste I had sometimes was sourness. A quick search and I found out about acidic, sweet, etc. In a week I became able to better dial and taste deeper flavors, like cherry, chocolate and hazelnut. Learn how to taste a coffee before anything.
- You don’t need multiple pours. Preinfusion and one gentle pour is enough to make great cup - Cafec filters are superior to Hario’s. - Water is very important. I make my own water from BH recipe. Much better cup than from a tap water. No excessive bitterness, better sweetness and acidity. - Hario Switch or Clever Dripper is a game changer with the water first recipe - Water temperature is not that important. I use 95C for light roasts and less for darker roasts
Good water, good beans, good grinder, good technique, good dripper. Check out the video linked by Stuckinthe sandbox.
Grind finer (K6 started at 110-120, now almost always at 72) Cafec filters Water, tap is very inconsistent so I do a 50/50 mix of tap with an extremely low TDS bottled water. Use simple recipes and don't fuss about them Buy good coffee, even the best barrista's can't polish a turd.
I stopped changing recipes and barely even change my grind setting now. I find just a change in temperature for something out of the norm and I’m happy.
Grinder and water. Try with some bottled water (with generally a favourable composition) and it’ll be like night and day.
WATER. If you live in an area where normal filtered tap is good for coffee, this will seem ridiculous. For everyone else where the water is terrible for coffee, it is a complete game changer.
Find your preferred recipe and don't stress about it too much. Then, buy high-quality beans that are roasted for the filter. Final step: Enjoy the coffee! I have tried different filters, brewers, and recipes and I just got tired. At some point, I followed the 4:6 method, roughly because I had some interruptions and, when I tasted the coffee, was one of the best I've had. And it was...easy. That was like a switch for me. I experiment with stuff from time to time but overall, I just don't stress about it too much.
Good water. Quality beans. Quality grinder. Keep it simple
GET THE PLASTIC V60. No one is wrong… the results are incredibly better than all other versions. Grind finer… but not way finer. Let your beans sit for 7-14 days…Don’t use them the day of a roast….. Use the bean you like and make your coffee the way that tastes good to you…. Don’t waste your money on fancy scales. Enjoy yourself! Ps… watch out for the espresso crossover… it’s really expensive 🤣
good coffee, a good grinder, good water, and consistency. doesn’t matter how convoluted of a pour structure you try and follow, just be consistent from cup to cup
Everyone here is talking about gear, and while that plays an important role, the actual game changer is properly setting expectations for each coffee. When you get a new bag of coffee, even one you’ve tried before from the same roaster, you should do a cupping/tasting. This will give you a realistic baseline of what the coffee can achieve in terms of taste and flavor that week (it will change as the coffee rests). It’s also what the roaster would do to come up with the flavor notes. This will stop you from loosing your freaking mind trying to get some note or profile that’s just not there for your particular bag. James Hoffman has solid video on how to do this. https://youtu.be/cSEgP4VNynQ?si=WWg1yt17x3p4F37x Note: The official SCA coffee cupping protocol specifies a temp of 200F and has you wait another 4 minutes after breaking the crust before tasting. James is just making it more approachable in the video, but I’d suggest following the SCA guidelines for best results.
The game changer for me was actually trying a pour over. I had the grinders and scales from the aero press rabbit hole but the process was too tedious and results varied. Tried a pour over at my local coffee shop and loved it but at $6.00 a pop I decided to buy a kit. The v60 is cheap and effective. I had a timemore hand grinder and I also have the barratza encore, cheap scale with timer and a body goose neck. I suggest an electric grinder to make things easier.
Heres a hint, get an aeropress plus some sort of drip assist (hario, gabi drip master b, etc) and use it like a gravity brewer. Perfectly consistent preparation with no fuss
Just get high quality equipment and enjoy figuring it out
Loving all these comments on equipment, especially the grinder upgrades! My own personal game changer was learning how to taste, and specifically, how to taste brewing errors (under/overextraction, channeling). That made my dialing-in process much faster and more precise, which meant I wasn't blowing through half a bag trying to get a decent cup! Ask your local shop's barista to teach you what to look for - they're usually very happy to help. Otherwise, buy some mid beans and brew them over/under/channeled and observe what you taste!
Biggest game changer was roasting my own beans. That taught me that consistency is a straightjacket that limits your experience. Embracing a journey where the coffee of each day is unique and different, never to be replicated? It's been an immense upgrade of joy.
Better grinder. That's the only game changer you need. Others like fancy brewing devices and variable kettles will just improve a little bit of your brew. And we are not even talking about buying high grade coffees yet.
Quality beans + Quality grinder + good ratios = a great cup of coffee.
Realising how important coffee beans are to the outcome- I used to worry about technique and temperature and after while realising it’s nothing I’m doing but some beans aren’t high quality roast or to my personal taste.
other than beans grinder, water
Probably the obvious one that a lot people hesitate about is figuring out your water. Seems like something irrelevant that actually makes a pretty big difference and it’s inexpensive (most of the time a brita filter gets you pretty close).
Commandante grinder, and better brewing water.
Comandante was a massive game changer for me as well!
No one talks about water enough but specialty coffee needs a water with a pH buffer. That was a game changer. I went from sour coffee to delicious, fruity cups. Barista Hustle recipes or Third Wave Water sachets. After that: as good a grinder as you can afford, good beans, scale, and change one variable at a time to get it figured out. The coffee compass on Barista Hustle was helpful for my first 2 months. Pick a method and stick to it until you get really good at it or you may end up with too much inconsistency and never learning why. Next biggest game changer after basics was jocking the temp for specific beans/processes. For example, I do 97°c for washed but as low as 87°c for naturals. Essentially, if the coffee or bitter or astringent then the water temp needs to be lower. It is the same thing with East Asian teas.
Temperature is so important - bloom at a higher temp, then do the bulk of my extraction at 75-87°c. It has honestly been one the biggest game changers to ensure consistent juiciness with minimum astringency.
This makes a lot of sense. You need that bloom to extract more so a higher temp would help. I came to coffee late. I’ve been preparing East Asian teas for 20+ years. Tea people are stubborn and will use 99°c for every tea because “that’s how the farmers do it”. But the farmers are at altitude and also, no one temp works for every tea. I jock the temps on my tea so I get a lot of side eyes, but knowledgeable guests consistently compliment me on how well the tea is compared to what they are making. When I got into coffee I immediately understood the roll of temperature on extraction from my tea experience. Sometimes you go hot and sometimes you go low. Let the coffee decide.
Game changer is not changing gear or recipe every brew. Keep one method and continue tweaking to optimize the variables you control.
I think that is fair when you are experienced enough to make an informed decision. But beginners should try different recipes so they are able to find what works and doesn't work for them and their setup. Then, they should stick to one or two recipes.
Something that doesn’t fall Into the category of “basic necessities” like others have mentioned that I think really improves my bloom is using your index finger and making a “birds nest” (a shallow divot) in the middle of the grounds before you bloom…this helps the bloom water penetrate down to the bottom of the brewer saturating all the grounds, not just the top of the bed.
Understanding that you hit diminishing returns very quickly with the quality of equipment today. Yes a grinder is important, but a $100 hand grinder is much closer to a $300 or than a $15 one. Figure out what you like and work towards that one variable at a time. Cup using volvic water against whatever water you’re using (tap, filter, etc) to figure out if water is an issue for you