How to brew better coffee with your home drip coffee maker

Larry Duran

Looking to get better coffee from your electric home drip coffee maker? You’re not alone! Many coffee lovers use drip machines at home but don’t realize they can make simple adjustments to improve the taste.

With most household drip coffee makers, there are six key factors you can control to make a better cup:

  1. The quality of your coffee beans

  2. The quality of your water

  3. The coffee roast level

  4. The coffee grind size

  5. The coffee-to-water ratio (brew ratio)

  6. The type of coffee filter you use


Learning how these all work together can help you consistently brew great-tasting coffee at home.

COFFEE AND WATER QUALITY: THE FOUNDATION OF BETTER COFFEE

Brewed coffee is made of just two things: coffee and water. The better these ingredients are the better you increase your odds of a tasty cup of coffee.

  • Good coffee + bad water = bad coffee

  • Bad coffee + bad water = really bad coffee

  • Good coffee + good water = potentially great coffee 


Tips for Better Coffee at Home:

  • Use fresh, high-quality coffee beans (preferably specialty coffee).

  • Always grind your coffee right before brewing.

  • Use clean, filtered water (relatively soft water 50-100 ppm) for the best taste.


For more tips, check out our other guides under the Learn tab on our website.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT COFFEE ROAST FOR YOUR DRIP COFFEE MAKER

Did you know that your coffee roast should match your coffee maker’s brewing temperature?
 Most budget home drip coffee makers don’t get hot enough to brew light roasts well.

Brew Temperature Guide by Roast:

  • Light Roast Coffee: Needs hotter water (200-210°F)

  • Medium Roast Coffee: Best at 200-205°F

  • Dark Roast Coffee: Works well at lower temps (195-200°F)


Pro Tip:
 Test your brewer’s temperature by running a cycle with just water and measuring with a meat thermometer. Many low-cost drip machines brew too cool for light roasts, but they usually do fine with medium or dark roasts.

COFFEE GRIND SIZE: A KEY TO BETTER FLAVOR

Using the right coffee grind size is essential for brewing great coffee. For consistent results, use a burr coffee grinder instead of a blade grinder.

Grind Size Tips:

  • Finer grind = slower water flow = more extracted coffee

  • Coarser grind = faster water flow = less extracted coffee


Coffee Brewing Troubleshooting:

  • If your coffee tastes weak or sour and you can’t increase the water temperature on your drip coffee maker, grind finer.

  • If your coffee tastes bitter or too strong and you can’t decrease the water temperature on your drip coffee maker, grind coarser.

  • Most drip coffee makers work best with a medium grind size. 
  • Check your grinder’s manual for drip coffee recommendations and use that as your starting point.
BREW RATIO: HOW MUCH COFFEE AND WATER TO USE

The coffee-to-water ratio (brew ratio) controls how strong your coffee is and the strength can also impact our ability to detect some of the subtle nuances found in specialty coffee.

Start with:

  • 1:15 ratio (1 gram of coffee to 15 grams of water) for a stronger cup
  • 1:17 ratio for a lighter cup
  • Take notes, compare, experiment, have fun!


Pro Tip:
 Use a digital scale to measure both your coffee and your water. This helps you brew consistent coffee every time, and it helps you repeat or avoid prior results.
Watch your brew basket depth—about two inches of coffee grounds is a good max depth for most drip machines.

Coffee Brewing Troubleshooting:

  • If your coffee tastes weak, grind finer and/or decrease your coffee to water ratio (e.g, 1:17 ratio to 1:15).
  • If your coffee tastes too strong, grind coarser and/or increase your coffee to water ratio (e.g, 1:15 ratio to 1:16).
COFFEE FILTERS MATTER: METAL VS. PAPER

Your coffee filter plays a bigger role than you might think in flavor.

Filter Types:

  • Metal Filters: Let oils and fine grounds through, making a heavier, richer cup.

  • Paper Filters: Block oils, making a cleaner, smoother cup.


How to Improve Coffee Flavor with Paper Filters:

  • Rinse your paper filter with tap water to remove any papery taste.

  • Bleached paper filters usually add less flavor than natural brown ones.

  • Different paper filters have different flow rates. If you switch paper filter brands and your coffee tastes different, adjust your grind size to compensate.

QUICK HOME DRIP COFFEE MAKER TIPS FOR BETTER COFFEE

✅ Use high-quality coffee beans and filtered water

✅ Check your coffee maker’s brewing temperature

✅ Rinse your paper coffee filters

✅ Start with a 1:15 to 1:17 brew ratio

✅ Grind fresh coffee just before brewing using a burr grinder

✅ Change one brewing variable at a time to see what works

✅ Keep simple notes to track what you like

✅ Enjoy the process — making great coffee should be fun!


We offer brewing guides for each of our coffees on their product pages.  If you have any questions, please reach out by email at info@kethcoffee.com.  We are happy to help you get the best cup of coffee possible.

Back to blog