4 Simple Tips For Making Better Quarantine Coffee

The COVID-19 pandemic and stay at home orders have propelled the world to change their daily habits to help flatten the curve. As a collective unit, we’re all making sacrifices as we continually adapt to life during a pandemic. Today, coffee drinkers are spending less time in cafes and are making coffee at home instead. 

You don’t need expensive brewers or the latest coffee gadgets to make delicious coffee in the comfort and safety of your kitchen. Here are four simple tips from Yellowstone Coffee Roasters to help make your coffee at home better and more affordable than $5 lattes from the drive through down the street.

Buy Fresh Coffee

If we were to give one piece of advice it’s this: Buy fresh coffee. When shopping in grocery stores, most coffee beans from large production roasters have been shipped across the country and have sat on shelves for months before the journey's end in your pantry. 

Coffee reaches its peak flavor profile during the first few weeks after roasting. Ordering coffee online from small-batch artisan roasters guarantees your coffee is roasted fresh, ensuring you can get the most out of the cup. At Yellowstone Coffee, we roast and package coffee to order so customers can feel confident they’ve purchased a product at its peak quality. 

PRO-TIP: Dark roast coffees tend to lose their bold flavors more rapidly than lighter offerings. If you’re a dark coffee drinker, it is especially important to seek out coffees that are roasted and packaged fresh to ensure they maintain their full body and smoky characteristics. You’d be amazed at the difference between a freshly roasted Big Timber Blend and a bag of stale coffee that has been on shelves since last fall. 

Refine the Grind

Coffee begins to lose its integrity within minutes after it is ground. We strongly recommend buying WHOLE BEAN coffee that you can grind at home moments before brewing. 

For those who do not have a grinder at home, you can improve the quality of your home brew by purchasing coffee that has been ground for your preferred method of preparation. You can find our coffee whole bean or you can select a ground option from our online store. Here are some grind guidelines for some of our favorite brewing methods.

• Drip: Medium, Consistency of kosher salt
• French Press: Coarse, Consistency of bread crumbs
• Pourover: Medium-Fine, Consistency of table salt
• Espresso: Fine, Finer than table salt
• Cold Brew: Coarse, Consistency of kosher salt

PRO-TIP: If you decide to invest in a new grinder, we strongly suggest buying a portable option. We really like LUME’s Travel Grinder and Hario’s Skerton Plus. 



Experiment with Ratios 

Everyone has their own preferences for brew strength. Unlike coffee shops, brewing at home gives you the opportunity to hone in exactly what works for you. 

Coffee scales certainly help create a more consistent cup, but using common kitchen utensils like tablespoons and measuring cups can work equally as well.

Here are some guidelines for coffee to water ratios for different brewing methods. It’s worth noting these are simply recommendations. You are your own best critic. Experiment and alter ratios until you find what works for your own palette.

• Drip: 60 g coffee (8.5 T) to 1000 g water (36 oz)
• Pourover: 26 g coffee (3.5 T) to 350 g water (12 oz)
• French Press: 30 g coffee (4.0 T) to 400 g water (14 oz)

PRO-TIP: Ideal ratios change for different coffees. Just because you loved a light roast Colombian pourover made with 26 grams of coffee doesn’t necessarily mean the same ratio will work for Big Sky Lift. Every time you buy a new coffee, you have a chance to experiment and discover what makes the best cup. 

Embrace the Ritual

COVID-19 has swept the world under a wave of uncertainty. During this dynamic and tense period, coffee is one aspect of life you can still control. Thoughtfully preparing coffee every morning provides us all an opportunity to gather our thoughts and begin these challenging days with some sort of consistency. It brings us comfort knowing that - while we are not socializing with friends in face-to-face - your loved ones are facing the same challenges and are spending a few sacred moments each morning with a similar coffee ritual as you. 

While we continue to socially distance and work to flatten the curve, supporting small local businesses, ethically sourced coffee, and a long-rooted Montana company, is something we all can get behind. Together, especially after an exceptionally roasted and well-made cup of coffee, we'll be stronger and ready to endure.