What you need to get started
The single biggest improvement in coffee quality comes not from equipment but from grind: freshly ground coffee, ground just before brewing, is categorically different from pre-ground coffee that's been sitting in a bag for weeks. Start there.
A burr grinder (manual or electric)
£25–45 for a manual burr grinder; £120–200 for entry-level electricBurr grinders produce a consistent particle size. Blade grinders chop unevenly, producing a mix of powder and chunks that extracts inconsistently. A manual burr grinder (Hario Mini Mill, Timemore C2) is cheaper and quieter than electric; an electric burr grinder (Baratza Encore, Fellow Ode) is faster. Either makes a marked difference to your coffee.
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A V60 pour-over dripper and papers
£10–30 for the V60 and papersThe V60 (Hario) is the most taught and most forgiving manual brew method. Produces clean, clear, complex coffee. Paper filters are cheap (£3–5 for 100). The plastic V60 is £10; the ceramic version retains heat better but costs £20–30. The method is transferable to any cone dripper.
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A gooseneck kettle
£15–25 for a basic gooseneck; £50–90 for temperature-controlled electricPrecise control over water flow rate is essential for V60: you're pouring in a slow, steady spiral. A gooseneck (swan-neck) kettle makes this possible. An electric gooseneck with temperature control eliminates the boiling-then-waiting step. A standard kettle with a steady pour works in a pinch, but slowly.
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Digital scales (0.1g precision)
£8–20Coffee-to-water ratio is the second biggest variable after grind. The standard starting ratio is 60g coffee per litre of water (6%). Scales eliminate the guesswork of tablespoons and scoops, which vary widely by grind size. Kitchen scales work; a small, accurate set (0.1g) makes the margin finer.
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The coffee
What to buy and where
- Freshly roasted single origin beans: Look for a roast date on the bag (not a best-before date, a roast date). Coffee is best 7–21 days after roasting. A bag with no roast date is probably stale. Single origin lets you taste the actual flavour of the bean rather than a blend designed for consistency.
- Light to medium roast for filter: Dark roasts mask origin flavour with roast flavour (bitterness, smokiness). Light-medium roasts preserve the fruit, floral, and acidic notes specific to the bean's origin and variety.
- UK specialty roasters: Square Mile (London), Workshop (London), North Star (Leeds), Hasbean (Stafford), Origin (Cornwall), Dark Arts (London). Most offer subscriptions. All ship fresh.
Price difference between good specialty coffee and supermarket beans: approximately £2 per 250g bag. Per cup, the difference is pennies.
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