How to Brew Brazilian Specialty Coffee at Home
Grind size, ratios and water temperature for pour-over, drip, French press, espresso and moka pot.
Brazilian specialty coffees are loved for sweetness and body: think chocolate, caramel and brown sugar. A few simple habits help you get those flavors into the cup at home, whatever brewer you use.
The basics that matter most
Start with whole beans and grind just before brewing. Ground coffee loses aroma quickly. Grinding right before you brew keeps more of it in your cup. A burr grinder gives a more even grind than a blade grinder.
Weigh your coffee and water. A kitchen scale is the easiest way to make a great cup again tomorrow. A good starting ratio for most filter methods is about 1 gram of coffee to 15–17 grams of water (roughly 1:16). For a 12 oz (350 ml) mug, that's about 21–23 g of coffee.
Use good water just off the boil. Coffee is mostly water, so filtered water that tastes good on its own makes better coffee. Aim for about 195–205°F (90–96°C); if you don't have a thermometer, let boiling water rest for about 30 seconds.
Taste and adjust one thing at a time. If your coffee tastes sour, thin or weak, grind a little finer or brew a little longer. If it tastes bitter, harsh or dry, grind a little coarser or shorten the brew.
Pour-over (paper filter)
- Grind: medium-fine, like table salt
- Ratio: about 1:16 (for example, 20 g coffee to 320 g water)
- Rinse the paper filter with hot water and discard the rinse water.
- Add the coffee, then pour just enough water to wet all the grounds (about twice the coffee's weight). Wait 30–45 seconds while it "blooms."
- Pour the rest slowly in circles, keeping the bed evenly wet. Total brew time is usually around 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour-over is a great way to taste the sweetness and clarity of a lighter roast like Café Alves Lima Especial (Medium Light Roast).
Drip coffee maker
- Grind: medium, like coarse sand
- Ratio: about 1:16, which is roughly 2 level tablespoons (10–11 g) per 6 oz (180 ml) cup
- Use a paper filter and fresh, cold, filtered water in the reservoir.
- Serve soon after brewing; coffee left on a hot plate turns bitter.
French press
- Grind: coarse, like breadcrumbs
- Ratio: about 1:15 (for example, 30 g coffee to 450 g water)
- Add the coffee, pour all the water, and stir gently.
- Put the lid on and steep for about 4 minutes, then press slowly and pour right away so it doesn't keep extracting.
French press brings out full body, a good match for chocolate-forward Brazilian coffees.
Espresso
- Grind: fine
- Ratio: a common starting point is about 1:2 (for example, 18 g coffee for about 36 g of espresso in the cup)
- Time: around 25–30 seconds
- Pull a shot, taste, and adjust the grind. Faster and sour means grind finer; slow and bitter means grind coarser.
A medium roast with chocolate and caramel notes, like PFC Perfect Classic Roast, makes a balanced espresso that also stands up well to milk.
Moka pot
- Grind: fine to medium (a little coarser than espresso)
- Fill the bottom chamber with hot water up to the safety valve, fill the basket with coffee and level it without packing it down.
- Brew on medium-low heat with the lid open, and take it off the heat as soon as the coffee turns pale and starts to sputter.
Which of our coffees for which brewer?
- Café Alves Lima Especial (Medium Light Roast; chocolate, sweet, velvety, balanced): recommended for drip coffee makers, French press, paper-filter pour-over and moka pot.
- PFC Perfect Classic Roast (medium Classic Roast; chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, lively acidity): recommended for espresso, pour-over, French press and drip coffee makers.
Keep it fresh
Store your beans in their closed bag in a cool, dry place away from light, and grind only what you need for each brew.
Shop our Brazilian specialty coffee →Compare the coffee specifications →By Fazenda Coffee