Your Guide to Brewing Better Coffee at Home

There are probably a hundred ways to make a cup of coffee, and yet at the heart of every one lies the same simple process: Water extracts flavor from beans. (Well, technically they're coffee seeds, but we're not splitting hairs.) If you control water temperature, steep time, and grind size, you'll end up with a delicious cup. Neglect those variables and you'll likely be stuck with bitter sludge and a trip to the coffee shop to blow another $4. Thankfully, perfection has become easier to achieve. Innovative brewing tools offer precision controls that put your stain-riddled Mr. Coffee machine to shame. It's now possible to make delicious joe yourself, regardless of whether you're willing to embark on a daily routine of manual pour-over brewing or you just want a fresh pot waiting for you in the morning. Here's how.