Home Brew Guides

Great coffee starts at home, not just behind the bar. These step-by-step guides walk you through four of our favorite brewing methods: Cold Brew, Kalita Wave, French Press, and V60 with the ratios, grind sizes, and timing our team relies on. Watch the video for each method below, then use the written steps as your reference every time you brew. These aren't the final word on brewing, treat them as a starting point, and adjust to your own taste as you go.

Cold Brew

Smooth, naturally sweet, and built for the fridge. Our Roasters Blend was engineered specifically for cold brew, but this ratio works with any Merit coffee.

Cold Brew Guide - Merit Coffee

Quick Specs

  • Ratio: 1:16 (coffee to water), 60g coffee per 1L (1000mL) water
  • Grind: Medium-coarse
  • Steep Time: 12–16 hours (fridge or room temp)
  • Yield: Concentrate, dilute to taste before serving

Steps

  1. Weigh out 60g of Merit coffee per liter of water you're brewing.
  2. Grind to a medium-coarse consistency, slightly finer than traditional cold brew grind, which helps pull out more sweetness and avoid sourness.
  3. Combine grounds and cold, filtered water in a jar, French press, or dedicated cold brew vessel. Stir to make sure all grounds are fully saturated.
  4. Cover and steep for 12–16 hours, either in the fridge or at room temperature.
  5. Strain through a fine mesh filter, cheesecloth, or paper filter into a clean container.
  6. Store in the fridge for up to one week. Dilute with water, milk, or a milk alternative to taste before serving over ice.

Kalita Wave 185

The Kalita Wave's flat-bottomed design and three-hole drip make for a forgiving, consistent pour-over great for home brewers who want repeatable results without needing pinpoint pouring technique.

Kalita Brew Guide - Merit Coffee

Quick Specs

  • Ratio: 1:16 (coffee to water), e.g. 22g coffee to 350g water
  • Grind: Medium
  • Water Temp: 200–205°F (93–96°C)
  • Total Brew Time: ~3:00–3:30

Steps

  1. Place a Kalita Wave 185 filter in the dripper and rinse thoroughly with hot water to remove any paper taste. Discard the rinse water.
  2. Add 22g of freshly ground Merit coffee (medium grind) to the filter and gently shake to level the bed.
  3. Start your timer and pour about 45g of water over the grounds, saturating evenly. Let this bloom for 30–45 seconds.
  4. Continue pouring in slow, steady circles, adding water in 2–3 stages until you reach 350g total, keeping the water level fairly consistent in the dripper.
  5. The flat bed and three-hole design regulate flow for you, avoid pouring directly against the filter's edge.
  6. Total brew time should land around 3:00–3:30. If it's running much faster or slower, adjust your grind finer or coarser next time.

French Press

Full-bodied and rich, with more of the coffee's natural oils coming through since there's no paper filter. A great low-fuss method for a bigger batch.

French Press Brew Guide - Merit Coffee

Quick Specs

  • Ratio: ~1:16 - 30.5g coffee to 500g water
  • Grind: Medium-coarse
  • Water Temp: 200–205°F (93–96°C)
  • Total Brew Time: ~9 minutes

Steps

  1. Preheat your French Press by filling it with hot water, then discard the rinse water.
  2. Weigh out 30.5g of Merit coffee and grind to a medium-coarse consistency, slightly finer than the traditional "extra coarse" French Press grind, for better sweetness and clarity.
  3. Add the grounds to the press and level the bed.
  4. Heat water to boiling, then let it rest about 30 seconds until it cools to 200–205°F (93–96°C).
  5. Pour 500g of water over the grounds, making sure everything is fully saturated. Let steep for 4 minutes.
  6. After 4 minutes, stir gently to break up the crust of grounds that forms on top, and skim off any foam or floating grounds with a spoon.
  7. Let the coffee continue steeping for another 5 minutes; this extra rest produces a cleaner, sweeter cup.
  8. Place the lid on and lower the plunger slowly until it just rests on the surface; don't press all the way down. Pour and enjoy.

V60

Hario's iconic cone brewer, known for a clean, bright, well-defined cup. The spiral ribs and single large hole give you more control over flow rate than most other pour-over drippers.

V60 Brew Guide - Merit Coffee

Quick Specs

  • Ratio: 1:16 (coffee to water) - e.g. 20g coffee to 320g water
  • Grind: Medium-fine
  • Water Temp: 200–205°F (93–96°C)
  • Total Brew Time: ~2:30–3:00

Steps

  1. Place a V60 filter in the dripper, rinse thoroughly with hot water to remove paper taste, and preheat the vessel underneath. Discard the rinse water.
  2. Add 20g of freshly ground Merit coffee (medium-fine grind) to the filter and gently shake to level the bed.
  3. Start your timer and pour about 40g of water over the grounds in a slow spiral, starting from the center and working outward. Let this bloom for 30–45 seconds.
  4. Continue pouring in slow spirals, working in 2–3 stages, until you reach 320g total. Keep pours concentrated toward the center, working outward to about a centimeter from the edge of the grounds.
  5. Once the water fully drains and the stream slows to a drip, the brew is done. Total time should land around 2:30–3:00.