The basics of coffee are really simple, you add hot water to  pulverized beans and BAM you have a steaming cup of coffee, no matter the brew method.

When it comes down to it a good cup of coffee is about taking the flavors out of the beans that you want and leaving the rest behind.

Have you ever had a super bitter cup of coffee? Or maybe you’ve experienced a salty or even sour tasting cup of coffee.

These flavors have to do with the extraction of the bean. The more you take from the bean, the more bitter your cup will be. If you don’t extract enough flavors from the bean though you will be left with a sour or salty tasting cup of coffee.

No matter the method you choose to brew with, whether it be a french press, a pour over(of any kind), espresso or aeropress you are always extracting flavor and extraction has universal signs.

Now, each and every coffee is different. You might have a coffee that is full of berry flavors which may hide some of thosee sharp, bitter or pungent tones while shining a spot light on the sour, astringent tones when under extracting a coffee.

The roast will also affect how easily you can or can not extract a coffee. The lighter the roast, the more the beans want to hold on to the flavors. While dark roasts make it easier for the water to penetrate the beans and take the flavors out.

There are a lot of variables when brewing coffee. Having a willingness to experiment and understanding why a coffee tastes bad will give you the keys to dialing in your perfect cup of coffee.

There are no set in stone rules when it comes to brewing coffee but we can all agree that taste is king. with this solid foundation you will be able to make educated adjustments based on how your cup of coffee is tasting by applying a few basic bits of coffee knowledge you can dial in any coffee that heads your way.

Coffee basics infographic: