FAQ
The brew ratio is how much coffee you use relative to water, expressed as 1:X. A 1:15 ratio means 1 gram of coffee per 15 grams of water. Lower numbers make stronger coffee, higher numbers make it lighter. Most pour overs sit around 1:15 to 1:16. Espresso is far more concentrated at around 1:2. The Brew Calculator handles all of this automatically - just dial in your preferred strength and it tells you exactly how much of each to use.
Coffee beans vary in density depending on roast level and origin. A scoop of light roast beans weighs more than the same scoop of dark roast. Grams are consistent. Using a scale is the single biggest upgrade most beginners can make and cheap ones work perfectly well.
When hot water hits fresh coffee grounds, trapped CO2 gases escape in a burst. If you skip this step, those gases repel water and cause uneven extraction. Blooming means pouring a small amount of water (usually twice the coffee weight) over the grounds and waiting 30 to 45 seconds before the main pour. Fresh coffee bubbles and rises dramatically during the bloom. Stale coffee barely reacts at all.
Yes, significantly. Water above 96 degrees Celsius over-extracts and tastes harsh. Water that is too cool under-extracts and tastes flat or sour. Most brew methods aim for 90 to 95 degrees Celsius. A simple approach is to boil water and let it sit off the heat for 30 to 60 seconds. AeroPress intentionally uses cooler water around 85 degrees to reduce bitterness and increase smoothness.
Bitterness means over-extraction - too many compounds dissolved into the cup. The most common causes are grinding too fine, water too hot, brewing too long, or using too much coffee. Grinding coarser is almost always the first adjustment to try. Stale beans and poor water quality also contribute to bitterness.
Sourness and flatness mean under-extraction - not enough dissolved in the cup. Common causes include grinding too coarse, water not hot enough, brewing too quickly, or not enough coffee. Try grinding finer first. Some bright acidity is desirable especially in light roasts, but sharp or harsh sourness is a sign something is off with your extraction.
Roast level shapes the flavor more than almost any other variable. Light roasts retain more of the beans original character: fruity, floral, complex, higher acidity. Dark roasts develop flavors from the roasting process itself: chocolate, smoke, caramel, lower acidity. Medium sits between the two. Neither is objectively better. The Roast Guide in the Guide tab covers each roast level, from the lightest to the darkest, including their flavor profiles and best brew methods.
Dramatically. Coffee starts oxidizing within minutes of being ground. Pre-ground coffee from a supermarket bag is significantly less vibrant than freshly ground beans. If you want better coffee without changing anything else, grinding fresh right before brewing is the highest-impact change you can make. Even an inexpensive hand grinder makes a noticeable difference.
Specialty coffee refers to beans that score 80 or above on a 100-point scale assessed by trained tasters called Q Graders. The scoring covers flavor clarity, sweetness, acidity, and the absence of defects. Practically speaking, specialty coffee is traceable to a specific farm or region, roasted recently, and handled carefully at every step. The difference in the cup compared to commodity coffee is real and significant.
Processing is how the coffee cherry is turned into a green bean ready for roasting. Washed coffees have the fruit removed before drying, which produces clean and bright cups where the origin character comes through clearly. Natural coffees are dried with the fruit still on, adding intense sweetness and jammy berry notes. Honey processed coffees are a middle ground - some fruit is left on during drying, producing a sweet and rounded cup. Processing method is one of the biggest factors in a coffee's flavor profile.
No. You can use the Brew Calculator and explore the Guide and FAQ without an account. However, saving beans to your Journal, saving recipes, creating collections, and using any social features requires signing in. If you use the app without an account your data is stored locally on your device and will not sync across devices or browsers.
Tap Sign In in the navigation bar and choose Continue with Google or Continue with Discord. There is no separate sign-up flow - signing in for the first time automatically creates your account. After signing in you will be prompted to choose a screenname, which is how other users will see you on the platform.
Your screenname is the public-facing name other users see on Craft and Cup. It is separate from your Google or Discord name and your email address, which are never shown to other users. Screennames must be 3 to 24 characters using only letters, numbers, and underscores. A few are reserved so nobody can pass for the app or its staff, such as admin, support, official, or anything with Craft and Cup in it, and screennames and comments can't hold slurs or swearing (bios can't hold slurs). You can change your screenname at any time from your Profile tab.
Yes. Go to your Profile tab, tap Accounts, and you will see options to link Google and Discord. If you signed in with Discord you can link Google to the same account and vice versa. This means you can sign in with either method and access the same data.
Go to your Profile tab and scroll down to the Account section. Tap Sign Out. Your data remains saved in your account and will be there when you sign back in.
Yes. The brew calculator has a °C and °F toggle next to the metric and imperial buttons. Switching it changes all temperature displays in the calculator immediately. Your preference is saved automatically.
Yes. On desktop, use the theme toggle in the top right corner of the navigation bar. On mobile, tap More in the navigation bar and use the Dark, Light, and Auto buttons at the bottom of the drawer. Auto follows your device system setting.
If you have beans saved locally and sign in for the first time, Craft and Cup automatically migrates all your local beans and recipes to your account in the cloud. You will see a brief syncing message and then everything appears in your account. Your local data is cleared after a successful migration. Nothing is lost.
Yes. Go to your Profile tab, scroll down to the Account section, and tap Delete Account. You will be asked to confirm with a 5 second delay before the deletion goes through. Deleting your account permanently removes your profile, beans, recipes, collections, and all associated data. This cannot be undone.
When you are signed in, your beans, recipes, and collections are stored securely in Supabase, a cloud database. Your photos are stored in Supabase Storage. Your theme preference and onboarding state are stored locally in your browser. When you are not signed in, everything is stored locally in your browser only.
Every bean and recipe has three settings you can choose when saving. Private means only you can see it. Friends means your friends see it in their feed. Public means your friends see it, and if your profile is public, anyone can see it on your profile, in the app and on the web. Your profile's own setting limits all of this. On a Friends profile a Public item reaches your friends only, and on a Private profile nothing reaches anyone but you. The default is Private, so nothing is shared unless you choose to share it.
Never. Your email address, Google name, and Discord username are never shown to other users. The only thing other users see is the screenname you chose when setting up your profile. Your linked sign-in providers are also private.
Yes. Go to your Profile tab, tap Edit Profile, and choose who sees your profile. Public means anyone, in the app and on the web. Friends means only your friends, and every new profile starts there. Private means only you. Whatever you choose, your friends still see your screenname, and so does anyone you have a friend request with or who can see a comment you leave. Your friend code works for adding friends either way. Your web page can take up to two minutes to catch up after a change.
Only beans and recipes you have set to Friends or Public appear in any feed, and only in your friends' feeds. Private items never appear to anyone but you. If your profile is private, nothing you post appears to anyone else.
Yes. Open the bean or recipe, tap Edit, and change the Visibility dropdown to your preferred setting. Save it and the change takes effect immediately.
Tap the Journal tab, then tap the gold Log Bean button in the bottom right corner. Fill in the brand, bean name, origin, roast level, and brew method. Add personal notes about where you got it or any context about the roast. Then write your tasting notes in the Flavor Notes field - describe what you taste in plain language. Tap Build Flavor Wheel and the AI maps your description to the flavor wheel automatically. You need to be signed in to save beans.
Craft and Cup uses Claude, an AI model made by Anthropic, to build flavor profiles two ways. For beans, it reads your tasting notes and maps what you described onto a multi-tier flavor taxonomy - from broad categories like Fruity or Floral down to specific notes like Wild Blackberry or White Jasmine. For recipes, it builds a profile automatically from your ingredients - the drink type, milk, syrup, and extras - and combines that with any taste notes you add. The size of each wheel segment reflects how prominent that flavor is. You do not need to use coffee jargon for either.
Write exactly what you taste as if describing it to a friend who has never tried the coffee. The AI responds well to specific, sensory language. Instead of just 'fruity' try 'reminds me of fresh blackberry jam with a hint of citrus peel.' Mention texture (silky, coating, thin), finish (long, short, clean, lingering), aroma (floral, earthy, roasted), and any specific foods or flavors the coffee reminds you of. The more detail you give, the richer and more accurate the wheel will be.
Yes. When logging or editing a bean, tap the Photo field and select an image from your camera roll or files. A photo of the bag, the cup, or the brewing setup all work well. Photos are stored securely in your account and appear as a thumbnail in your collection and at the top of the bean detail page.
Each bean can be scored on seven attributes: Aroma, Acidity, Body, Sweetness, Finish, Balance, and Bitterness. Each attribute is scored from 1 to 10. A new bean starts Not rated, and only the attributes you score count: the overall score is their average. Scores appear on the bean card and are used for sorting your collection by highest-rated. You can update scores at any time from the bean detail page.
Yes. Open any bean in your journal and tap Compare. This puts the app in compare mode. Tap a second bean from your collection and you will see both beans displayed side by side with their flavor wheels, scores, tasting notes, and details. It is useful for comparing two beans from the same origin or seeing how your palate has tracked a roaster over time.
Yes. Open any bean detail page and tap the Share button in the bottom right corner. From the share menu, tap Export Card. This renders the bean data into a PNG image with the flavor wheel, scores, flavor chips, and tasting notes. You can choose between a dark or light card theme before downloading. On mobile, long press the image to save it to your photos, or tap Download to save it as a file. The card is high resolution and looks great shared on social media or in messages.
When viewing a bean or recipe detail, a Share button appears in the bottom right corner. Tapping it opens a menu with two options: Export Card, which generates a downloadable PNG card, and Send to Friend, which sends the item directly to a friend in the app. You need to be signed in to use either option.
Open the bean detail page and tap Send to Friend. Select the friend from your list, add an optional message, and tap Send. Your friend will receive the bean in their Inbox tab. Sending requires you to be signed in and to have at least one accepted friend.
There is no hard limit on how many beans you can store in your journal. Log as many as you want.
Yes. Free accounts get 10 AI flavor maps a month, shared by bean flavor wheels and recipe flavor profiles. Only a new map counts: saving a bean whose notes have not changed keeps its wheel. The count resets at the start of each month, and your Profile shows how many you have used, under Account. If you run out, you can still save a bean without its wheel.
The recipe section is designed for espresso drinks - lattes, flat whites, cappuccinos, cortados, americanos, macchiatos, and similar. You can log the drink type, temperature, espresso shots, milk type and amount, syrups, extras, and step-by-step instructions. Rating and personal notes are also supported. It is designed for drinks you want to recreate exactly.
Yes. When creating or editing a recipe, tap the Photo field and upload an image. A photo of the finished drink makes recipe cards much more personal and easier to identify at a glance. Photos appear as a thumbnail in the recipe list and full-width at the top of the recipe detail page.
Yes. Open the recipe detail page and tap Send to Friend. The full recipe including all ingredients, steps, and your photo is sent directly to your friend's Inbox.
Each recipe has a Visibility setting with three choices, Private (only you), Friends (your friends' feed) and Public. Your profile's setting limits it, so a Public recipe on a Friends profile reaches your friends only. The default is Private. You can change the visibility at any time by editing the recipe.
Collections let you organize your saved beans into named groups. You might create collections like My Ethiopia Naturals, Beans to Try, Favorite Light Roasts, or Gifts for Friends. Each collection has a name, an optional description, and the beans you pick from your journal. Only you can see your collections.
Go to the Collections tab and tap New. Give your collection a name and optional description. Tap Add Beans from Journal to pick which beans to include. Save it. You can edit a collection at any time to add or remove beans.
No. Collections are only visible to you.
Go to your Profile tab and tap Friends. You will see your unique Friend Code displayed in gold - a short code like 3FA9-1C0B. Share this code with someone and have them enter it in the Add a Friend field on their Profile. They send you a request and you can accept or decline it from the Friend Requests section.
Go to your Profile tab and tap the Friends section. Your code is displayed at the top in large gold text. Tap Copy to copy it to your clipboard.
Only if your profile is public, in which case anyone can open it on the web and send you a request. Otherwise your friend code is the only way someone can add you.
Open your notifications (the bell). Requests waiting on you are at the top, with Accept and Decline right there, and requests you sent show as waiting. The same lists are under your Profile tab, in Friends.
Go to your Profile tab, tap Friends, and find the person in your friends list. Tap Remove next to their name.
The Feed tab shows beans and recipes from people you are friends with, but only items they have set to Friends or Public visibility. Private items never appear. You can react to posts and leave comments. If you have no friends yet, the feed will be empty - add friends using your friend code in the Profile tab.
The Friends Feed shows beans and recipes shared by people you are friends with on Craft and Cup. You can react to posts and leave comments. Only content set to Friends or Public visibility will appear.
On any post in the Feed you will see three reaction buttons: a coffee cup for Love it, a star for Want to try, and a coffee bean for Interesting. Tap once to react, tap again to remove your reaction. Reaction counts are shown on each post. The person who posted the item gets a notification when someone reacts.
Tap Comments on any feed or discovery post to expand the comments section. Write up to 280 characters and tap Post. There is a 5 second cooldown between comments to prevent spam. You can edit or delete your own comments at any time. Deleted comments show as [comment deleted] rather than disappearing so conversation threads stay readable. You can report any comment using the Report button, and you'll hear what came of it.
No. Commenting requires being signed in. You can read comments without an account but you need to sign in to post.
The Inbox tab shows beans and recipes that friends have sent directly to you using the Send to Friend feature. Each item shows who sent it, what they sent, any message they included, and when it was sent. Unread items show a gold dot and the Inbox button shows a badge count when you have unread items.
Notifications (the bell icon in the nav) tell you when something happens around your posts and your account. You hear when someone reacts to or comments on your post, replies on a post you commented on, sends you a friend request, accepts yours, or sends you something through the Inbox. You also hear what came of a comment you reported, when a comment of yours is removed, and when your account is suspended or that's lifted. The bell shows a badge count when you have unread notifications.
Opening the notifications panel marks all current notifications as read automatically. The badge clears when you open it.
The Brew Calculator supports Pour Over and V60, Chemex, Espresso, Cold Brew, French Press, AeroPress, Moka Pot, and Drip Machine. Each method has its own default ratio, grind guide, recommended temperature, and a built-in stage timer that walks you through the brew step by step.
Each brew method has a staged timer built in. For pour overs it walks you through the bloom and each pour with individual countdowns. For espresso there is a shot timer that counts up with a target zone highlighted so you know when to stop. Tap the Start button when you begin brewing and the timer handles the rest.
Dose is the amount of dry coffee you put in. Yield is the amount of liquid in the cup at the end. For most brew methods these are directly calculated from the ratio. For espresso they are treated separately because the puck absorbs a significant amount of water. The calculator shows both and lets you adjust either.
The Espresso Drinks Calculator is part of the espresso section. It lets you dial in the milk and espresso ratios for standard drinks like lattes, flat whites, cappuccinos, cortados, and macchiatos based on your espresso yield. Adjust the yield and all the milk volumes update proportionally.
The calculator shows a recommended temperature for each method. As a general guide: pour over and Chemex work well at 93 to 95 degrees Celsius, French Press at 93 to 96 degrees, AeroPress at 80 to 85 degrees, espresso at 90 to 96 degrees depending on the machine, and cold brew uses room temperature or cold water over a long steep. The Brew Calculator displays the target range for the selected method.
Yes. Once you have dialled in your preferred settings for a method, you can save them as a recipe in the Recipes tab. Set the drink type, shots, milk, and other details and save. The recipe is stored in your account and synced across devices when you are signed in.
All three are espresso with steamed milk but the ratios and textures differ. A latte is the largest and milkiest, typically 200 to 250ml with a thin layer of microfoam on top. A flat white is smaller at 150 to 180ml with a higher ratio of espresso to milk and very thin velvety microfoam that blends fully into the drink. A cappuccino is traditionally equal thirds of espresso, steamed milk, and foam, producing a drier lighter texture with a thick foam cap. The Milk Guide in the Guide tab covers these in detail.
Whole milk steams easiest and tastes richest. For plant-based options, barista oat milk is the best for hot drinks and produces latte-art quality microfoam. Standard grocery oat milk separates and tastes grainy when heated. Almond milk is better cold than hot. Soy milk steams reasonably well but has a strong flavor. Always look for barista edition plant milks for hot espresso drinks.
Cold foam is frothed cold milk served on top of iced drinks. To make it at home use cold low-fat milk or skim milk and froth with a handheld frother for 20 to 30 seconds until thick and stable. You can also use a French Press by adding cold milk and pumping the plunger rapidly for 30 seconds. Flavored cold foams are made by blending a small amount of syrup or sweet cream into the milk before frothing.
A cortado is a small drink of equal parts espresso and steamed milk, usually 60 to 90ml total. The name comes from the Spanish word for cut, meaning the milk cuts the intensity of the espresso. It is similar to a small flat white but with even less milk and no thick foam layer. If you find lattes too milky but straight espresso too intense, a cortado is often the perfect middle ground.
A burr grinder is essential. Blade grinders chop unevenly and produce a mix of fine dust and large chunks that extracts inconsistently. For hand grinders the 1Zpresso Q2 and Timemore Chestnut C2 are excellent value. For electric grinders the Baratza Encore is the most recommended entry-level option. The single biggest upgrade most beginners can make is switching from a blade grinder to a burr grinder.
Grind size controls the rate of extraction. Finer grinds have more surface area and extract faster. Coarser grinds extract slower. Each brew method has an optimal extraction time and grind size is the primary way you control it. Too fine and you over-extract (bitter). Too coarse and you under-extract (sour, flat). The Interactive Grind Guide in the Guide tab shows the right size for each method.
Yes, if you want consistent results. Volume measurements with scoops vary too much between bean densities and grind sizes. A basic kitchen scale that measures in 0.1 gram increments is all you need and they cost very little. Weighing both your coffee dose and your brew water is the fastest path to reproducible, dialled-in coffee.
Significantly. Coffee is 98 to 99 percent water, so its mineral content directly affects extraction and taste. Distilled water extracts poorly and produces flat coffee. Very hard water over-extracts and can taste bitter or chalky. Filtered tap water is sufficient for most people. If you want to go further, Third Wave Water mineral packets added to distilled water create an ideal mineral profile for coffee extraction.
Coffee absorbs the character of where it grows through a concept called terroir - the combination of altitude, soil, climate, and farming practices that shape the bean before it is ever roasted. Ethiopian coffees taste like Ethiopia. Kenyan coffees taste like Kenya. Understanding origin is one of the most reliable ways to predict what a coffee will taste like before you try it. The Origins Guide in the Guide tab covers the major producing regions in depth.
The major regions are East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi), Central America (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama), South America (Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia), and Asia and Pacific (Sumatra, Java, Yemen, Papua New Guinea). Each region has characteristic flavor profiles shaped by altitude, variety, and processing traditions. The Guide tab has an interactive Origins section that covers each region in detail.
Arabica is grown at higher altitudes, is more delicate, and produces complex, aromatic coffees with higher perceived acidity. Almost all specialty coffee is Arabica. Robusta is hardier, grows at lower altitudes, has more caffeine, stronger and more bitter flavors, and is used primarily in commercial blends and instant coffee. When a bag just says coffee with no origin, it is usually Robusta or low-grade Arabica.
Single origin means the coffee comes from one specific country, region, or even a single farm. This lets the unique character of that place come through clearly in the cup. A blend combines beans from multiple origins, usually to create a consistent flavor profile that is more balanced and predictable. Blends are the backbone of most commercial espresso. Neither is objectively better. Single origins are great for exploring flavors. Blends are great for everyday reliability.
Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water heated together until the sugar fully dissolves. The standard ratio is 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water. Combine in a saucepan over medium heat, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove from heat. Unlike granulated sugar, simple syrup blends instantly into both hot and cold drinks with no graininess. Once cooled, store in an airtight glass jar or bottle in the fridge for up to one month. Almost all flavored coffee syrups start with this base.
Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and immediately stir in 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract, or split and scrape a vanilla bean pod directly into the mixture while it heats for a more intense flavor. Let cool fully, then strain through a fine mesh strainer and store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to one month. For a richer version, substitute brown sugar for white to make a vanilla brown sugar syrup.
Combine 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of water, and 2 cinnamon sticks in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the brown sugar fully dissolves, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the cinnamon. Remove from heat and let cool before removing the cinnamon sticks. For a deeper flavor, let the cinnamon sticks steep in the cooling syrup for up to 3 hours before straining. Store in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. This is the base for a brown sugar oat milk latte - two pumps of syrup, oat milk, espresso over ice.
Combine 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, and 2 tablespoons of dried culinary lavender in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and let the lavender steep for another 15 to 30 minutes - taste as you go and stop when the floral flavor is where you want it. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a glass jar, discarding the buds. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Use in iced lattes, hot lattes, or matcha drinks.
Add 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water to a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Do not stir - swirl the pan gently if needed. Cook until the mixture turns a deep amber golden color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully add 1/2 cup of warm water (it will bubble vigorously), then stir until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract once slightly cooled. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. This is a true caramel syrup rather than a simple syrup - it has more depth and a slightly bitter edge that pairs beautifully with milk drinks.
Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of hazelnut extract (start with 1 and taste before adding more - hazelnut extract is strong). Let cool fully and store in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to one month. For a more natural version, toast 1/2 cup of raw hazelnuts and add them to the simmering syrup, then strain after cooling.
Replace the sugar in a standard lavender syrup with raw honey. Combine 3/4 cup of honey, 3/4 cup of water, and 2 tablespoons of dried culinary lavender. Heat gently over low to medium heat - do not boil, as boiling honey can reduce its flavor complexity. Stir until the honey dissolves fully, simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and steep for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. The honey adds a floral sweetness that layers beautifully with the lavender.
Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat and add 1/2 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract. Start conservatively - peppermint extract is potent and the flavor intensifies as the syrup cools. Taste and add more in small increments if needed. Let cool fully and store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to one month. Pairs well with mocha drinks and iced lattes.
Combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup, and 3/4 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the maple syrup is fully incorporated. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. The maple adds a warm, earthy sweetness that pairs especially well with cold brew and iced lattes with oat milk.
Most simple syrups last 3 to 4 weeks in the fridge in a sealed glass jar. Syrups made with fruit or dairy will have a shorter life of around 1 to 2 weeks. Honey-based syrups last 2 to 3 weeks. Always discard a syrup if it looks cloudy, has any mold, or smells off. To extend shelf life slightly, add a small splash of vodka (about a teaspoon per cup of syrup) - it acts as a natural preservative without affecting the flavor.
Swing-top glass bottles (also called Grolsch-style bottles) are ideal - they seal tightly, pour easily, and stay less sticky than screw-top jars. Small 250ml to 500ml sizes work well for home use. Standard mason jars with lids work perfectly fine too. Always let the syrup cool completely before sealing and refrigerating, as sealing hot syrup can create condensation and shorten shelf life.
Yes. Coconut sugar works as a 1:1 substitute for white or brown sugar and adds a subtle caramel note. Honey works well but should be heated gently rather than boiled. Maple syrup can be used directly or combined with a small amount of water. Agave nectar dissolves easily and has a neutral flavor good for delicate syrups like lavender. Each alternative will produce a slightly different flavor profile, which can be a good thing - experiment and find what you like.
White granulated sugar produces a clean, neutral sweetness that lets other flavors like vanilla or lavender come through without interference. It makes a perfectly clear syrup. Brown sugar contains molasses, which adds a warm caramel and toffee depth that pairs beautifully with cinnamon, vanilla, and espresso-based drinks. Light brown sugar is more subtle, dark brown sugar is richer and more intense. Raw sugar (such as turbinado or demerara) sits between the two - less refined than white, with a mild caramel edge and slightly larger crystals that take a little longer to dissolve.
Demerara is a raw cane sugar with large golden crystals and a distinct toffee and butterscotch note from residual molasses. It dissolves more slowly than white sugar so requires a bit more stirring, but the flavor payoff is worth it. It pairs exceptionally well with cold brew, dark roast espresso, and whisky-inspired coffee drinks. If you have ever tasted a particularly complex caramel note in a specialty coffee drink, demerara syrup is often behind it.
Muscovado is an unrefined cane sugar with a very high molasses content, giving it a dark, almost sticky texture and a bold, deep flavor reminiscent of toffee, dark rum, and black treacle. It makes the most intensely flavored brown sugar syrup you can produce at home. A small amount goes a long way. It pairs best with dark roast espresso, cold brew, and chocolate-forward drinks. Use it sparingly at first - it is significantly more powerful than regular brown sugar.
Coconut sugar comes from the sap of coconut palm flowers, not the coconut fruit itself. It does not taste like coconut. The flavor is mild and slightly caramel-like, similar to a light brown sugar but with a more subtle depth. It has a lower glycaemic index than white sugar and dissolves well in syrups. It produces a slightly darker, lightly caramel-toned syrup that is a good everyday alternative to brown sugar without the intensity of demerara or muscovado.
Yes, with a few adjustments. Honey is sweeter than sugar so you can use about 3/4 of the amount the recipe calls for. The most important thing is not to boil it - high heat destroys the complex flavor compounds that make honey interesting. Warm it gently over low to medium heat just until it dissolves into the water. Raw honey and wildflower honey produce the most interesting syrups. Acacia honey is mild and nearly flavorless if you want sweetness without honey character. Buckwheat honey is dark and earthy and pairs well with cold brew.
Caster sugar (also called superfine sugar) has smaller crystals than standard granulated sugar and dissolves faster, which means it reaches a smooth syrup stage more quickly. For hot syrups made on the stove there is no practical difference - both dissolve fully with heat. Caster sugar is more useful if you are making cold syrups or quick syrups that do not involve extended heating. Standard granulated sugar is perfectly fine for all the syrup recipes in this guide.
Turbinado is a raw cane sugar similar to demerara - both have large golden crystals with residual molasses and a mild caramel flavor. The difference is subtle: demerara tends to be slightly crunchier and more intensely flavored, while turbinado is a touch lighter and milder. They are largely interchangeable in syrup recipes. Both dissolve well with heat and produce a warm, lightly caramel-toned syrup that works beautifully in cold brew, iced lattes, and any drink where you want more depth than plain white sugar provides without the full intensity of muscovado.
Agave nectar comes from the agave plant and has a neutral, clean sweetness that is slightly milder than honey and dissolves effortlessly in both hot and cold liquids without any heating required. This makes it ideal for quick cold syrups and drinks where you just want to add sweetness without cooking anything. It is about 1.5 times sweeter than sugar so use less - roughly 2/3 of the amount a recipe calls for. Light agave is nearly flavorless and works well in delicate syrups like lavender or vanilla where you do not want the sweetener to compete. Amber agave has more character and pairs better with caramel and spice-forward drinks.
For the best cup, you want beans that were roasted within the last 2 to 4 weeks. Right after roasting, beans release a lot of CO2 which can actually interfere with extraction - this is why very freshly roasted beans (within 2 to 3 days) can produce uneven results. The sweet spot for most beans is 7 to 21 days post-roast, when the CO2 has settled but the complex volatile compounds that carry flavor and aroma are still intact. After about 4 to 6 weeks the beans start going noticeably stale. After 3 months they are significantly degraded.
The roast date is the specific day the beans were roasted, printed by the roaster. It is the most useful piece of information on a coffee bag because it tells you exactly how fresh the coffee is. A best-before date tells you nothing about freshness - it only tells you the legal minimum shelf life, which is typically 12 to 24 months and is not a useful guide for specialty coffee. Always look for a roast date, not a best-before date. If a bag only has a best-before date with no roast date, that is usually a sign of lower-quality commodity coffee.
Degassing is the process by which freshly roasted coffee releases carbon dioxide that built up during roasting. The CO2 escapes from the bean gradually over the first week or two after roasting. During this period, if you try to brew, the escaping gas creates turbulence in the coffee bed that can push water away from the grounds and cause uneven extraction - this is called channelling. This is why very fresh beans (within 48 to 72 hours of roasting) can taste oddly bright, sharp, or uneven. Most specialty roasters recommend letting beans rest for at least 5 to 7 days before brewing, and up to 2 weeks for espresso which is particularly sensitive to CO2.
That small valve on specialty coffee bags is a one-way degassing valve. It lets CO2 escape from the beans without letting oxygen in. Without it, the CO2 from freshly roasted beans would inflate and eventually burst the sealed bag. The valve is a good sign - it means the coffee was sealed while still fresh and actively degassing. Bags without valves are usually either pre-ground (which degasses much faster and does not need one) or filled with older coffee that has already finished degassing.
Store whole beans in an airtight container away from light, heat, and moisture at room temperature. A ceramic or opaque container with a one-way valve or a tight-sealing lid is ideal. Do not store coffee in the fridge - the temperature fluctuations and moisture from condensation when you remove and replace the container cause faster staling, and coffee absorbs fridge odors through its porous surface. Freezing is acceptable for long-term storage only if you divide beans into single-use airtight portions and thaw them completely before opening - never refreeze. For beans you are actively using, room temperature in an airtight container is correct.
The most reliable test is smell. Fresh beans smell intensely aromatic the moment you open the bag - complex, rich, and immediately identifiable as coffee. Stale beans smell flat, dull, cardboard-like, or faintly rancid. The second test is the bloom. When you pour hot water over fresh grounds during brewing, you should see an active bubble and rise as CO2 escapes. Stale beans barely react - the grounds just sit there. A flat, sluggish or non-existent bloom is a clear sign your beans are past their best. In the cup, stale coffee tastes flat, papery, and lifeless even when brewed correctly.
Yes. Dark roasts go stale faster than light roasts. The roasting process breaks down the cellular structure of the bean, making it more porous and more vulnerable to oxidation. Dark roasted beans have been through more heat and structural breakdown, so they lose their volatile compounds more quickly after roasting. A dark roast may taste best within 1 to 2 weeks of roasting, while a light roast can remain vibrant for 3 to 4 weeks or longer. This is one reason specialty roasters tend to favour lighter roast levels - they preserve more of the original bean character and have longer peak freshness windows.
Dramatically faster. Grinding dramatically increases the surface area of the coffee exposed to oxygen - a typical grind produces hundreds of small particles where previously there was one whole bean. This accelerates oxidation and CO2 release to the point where pre-ground coffee starts going noticeably stale within 15 to 30 minutes of grinding. Pre-ground coffee in a sealed bag is already significantly stale by the time you buy it, even if the bag is sealed. Grinding fresh immediately before brewing is one of the highest-impact changes you can make to coffee quality.
Cold brew is made by steeping coarsely ground coffee in cold or room temperature water for 12 to 24 hours. Iced coffee is simply hot brewed coffee poured over ice. The difference in the cup is significant. Cold brew produces a smoother, lower-acid, naturally sweeter concentrate because the slow cold extraction pulls different compounds than hot water does. It never goes through the volatile flash-cooling that can make iced coffee taste sharp or bitter. Cold brew is generally more forgiving to make and keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
For a concentrate (which you dilute before drinking), use a 1:4 to 1:5 ratio of coffee to water by weight - 100g of coffee to 400 to 500ml of water. This produces a strong concentrate you dilute with milk or water 1:1 when serving. For a ready-to-drink cold brew you can pour straight over ice, use a 1:8 ratio. The Brew Calculator has a cold brew setting that adjusts these ratios automatically. Starting with a concentrate gives you more flexibility since you can adjust strength when serving.
The standard range is 12 to 24 hours. 12 to 14 hours produces a lighter, brighter result. 18 to 20 hours is the sweet spot for most people - full extraction, smooth, and sweet. 24 hours produces a bolder, heavier concentrate. Steeping longer than 24 hours can lead to over-extraction with bitter or astringent notes, though this depends on grind size. Cold brew is forgiving - an extra hour or two rarely ruins it. Stir or swirl the container once or twice during the steep if you can.
Extra coarse - the coarsest setting on most grinders, similar to cracked peppercorns or very coarse sea salt. The long steep time compensates for the open grind and extracts fully over 12 to 24 hours. Using a finer grind with the same steep time will over-extract and produce a bitter, astringent result. If your cold brew tastes bitter, grind coarser before adjusting anything else. The Interactive Grind Guide in the Guide tab shows what extra coarse should look like.
The minimum is a large jar or container, coarse ground coffee, and cold water. You can steep directly in a mason jar and strain through a paper coffee filter, a fine mesh strainer, or a nut milk bag when done. Dedicated cold brew makers like the Toddy or OXO Cold Brew Maker have built-in filters that make straining cleaner and easier, but they are not necessary. A French Press works very well - steep in the press, then plunge and pour. Whatever method you use, double-straining through a paper filter after the initial strain produces the cleanest, most sediment-free result.
Cold brew concentrate keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container. Ready-to-drink cold brew (already diluted) is best within 5 to 7 days. The long shelf life compared to hot coffee is because the cold extraction process produces fewer of the compounds that go rancid quickly, and the lack of heat means the coffee never goes through the oxidation that happens when hot coffee cools. If your cold brew starts tasting flat or sour before the 2 weeks are up, it usually means the beans were stale to begin with.
Yes, but some work better than others. Medium to dark roast beans tend to produce the most crowd-pleasing cold brew - smooth, chocolatey, and sweet with low perceived acidity. Light roasts can produce interesting cold brew with more fruity and floral notes, but the result is more divisive and can taste thin or overly acidic to some palates. Natural process beans (dried with the fruit on) often produce particularly sweet and complex cold brew. Avoid very old or stale beans - cold brew amplifies staleness and produces a flat, hollow-tasting result.
Cold brew concentrate is cold brew made at a high coffee-to-water ratio (typically 1:4 or 1:5) that is too strong to drink straight. You dilute it before serving, typically 1:1 with water or milk. The advantage of making a concentrate is flexibility - you can adjust strength when serving and it keeps just as well as regular cold brew. To serve: add ice to a glass, pour equal parts concentrate and your liquid of choice (water, oat milk, regular milk), stir, and add any syrups. Barista oat milk poured directly over cold brew concentrate with no dilution water is a popular approach that produces a very creamy result.
The AeroPress is a manual brewing device that uses air pressure to push hot water through coffee grounds, producing a concentrated, smooth, low-acid cup in about 1 to 2 minutes. It was invented in 2005 by Alan Adler. People love it because it is extremely forgiving - small changes in technique do not ruin the cup the way they can with pour over. It is also fast, inexpensive, easy to clean, nearly unbreakable, and portable. There is an annual World AeroPress Championship where competitors share thousands of creative recipes, which speaks to how much room it has for experimentation.
Medium-fine is the standard starting point - finer than a pour over grind but coarser than espresso. The beauty of AeroPress is that it is very tolerant of grind variation. You can go coarser and brew for longer, or finer and push through faster, and both can produce excellent results. If your cup tastes bitter, grind coarser or reduce brew time. If it tastes weak or sour, grind finer or add more coffee. The AeroPress rewards experimentation in a way that more precise methods like espresso do not.
The inverted method involves flipping the AeroPress upside down during brewing so the plunger end is at the bottom. This prevents water from dripping through the filter before you are ready to press, giving you more control over steep time and producing a slightly heavier bodied cup. You add water, stir, steep, attach the filter cap, flip over onto your cup, and press. It is a popular technique and worth trying once you are comfortable with the standard method. The main risk is spillage during the flip, which is easy to avoid with a confident motion.
Most AeroPress enthusiasts use cooler water than other brew methods - around 80 to 85 degrees Celsius (175 to 185 Fahrenheit). The lower temperature extracts differently than boiling water, producing a smoother and less bitter cup that many people prefer. James Hoffmann and other specialty coffee figures have written extensively about this. That said, the AeroPress works across a wide range of temperatures. If you prefer a brighter, more acidic cup, try 90 to 93 degrees. If you want smooth and round, go cooler. The Brew Calculator shows the recommended range.
A standard AeroPress recipe uses 15 to 18 grams of coffee to 200 to 250ml of water, producing a full cup. For a more concentrated espresso-style shot, use 18 to 20 grams with only 40 to 60ml of water and dilute with hot water or milk afterward. The AeroPress is flexible enough to brew anything from a light filter-style cup to a thick concentrate depending on your ratio and technique. The Brew Calculator covers the standard ratio and lets you scale up or down.
AeroPress is one of the easiest brewing devices to clean. After pressing, simply push the plunger all the way through to eject the coffee puck and paper filter directly into the bin. The puck comes out in a neat disc. Rinse the chamber and plunger under running water. That is all that is required after daily use. For a deeper clean, wash with mild dish soap once a week. The AeroPress is dishwasher safe on the top rack if you prefer. No oils accumulate the way they do in a French Press, which makes it one of the most low-maintenance brewing devices available.
For daily home use, a quick brush-out of the burrs and chute after every use keeps grounds from accumulating and going rancid. A deeper clean every 2 to 4 weeks involves removing the top burr (on most grinders this requires no tools) and brushing out all the coffee residue and oils with a stiff brush. Grinder cleaning tablets (like Grindz) can be run through periodically to absorb oils and dislodge stubborn residue. Rancid old grounds left in the grinder are one of the most common causes of mysteriously bad-tasting coffee.
After brewing, add a small amount of cold water to the press and swirl to loosen the grounds, then pour the slurry directly into the bin rather than the sink (grounds clog drains over time). Disassemble the plunger - unscrew the mesh screens and plates, wash each piece with dish soap, and rinse thoroughly. Oils from coffee accumulate in the mesh and on the glass if not cleaned regularly, producing a rancid flavor that ruins fresh coffee. A thorough disassembly and wash once a week is sufficient for daily use. The glass carafe can go in the dishwasher.
Descaling removes limescale deposits that build up from mineral content in water and block the internal workings of the machine over time. Most home espresso machines have a descaling cycle in their settings or manual. Use a purpose-made descaling solution (citric acid or Cafiza-style products) diluted in water according to the manufacturer's instructions. Run the descaling cycle, then run at least 2 full cycles of clean water through the machine afterward to flush all residue. For most home machines with average-hardness water, descale every 2 to 3 months. If you use very hard water, descale monthly.
Backflushing cleans the group head and shower screen by forcing soapy water back through the system in reverse. It requires a blind basket (a basket with no holes) inserted into the portafilter. Add a small amount of espresso cleaning powder (Cafiza or similar), run the machine in short cycles as per the manufacturer's guide, then repeat with clean water to rinse. Not all home machines support backflushing - check your manual. Machines with a three-way solenoid valve (most prosumer machines) benefit most from regular backflushing. Do this weekly for machines used daily.
Rinse immediately after use with hot water - most residue washes away before it sets. For a deeper clean, wash with mild dish soap and a soft brush or sponge. Do not use abrasive scrubbers on glass drippers. Chemex recommends against soap for the glass carafe, preferring a rinse and occasional clean with ice, salt, and lemon juice to remove staining without chemicals. The wooden collar on a Chemex should not be submerged - wipe it clean with a damp cloth. Most ceramic drippers are dishwasher safe. For metal mesh filters, soak in hot water and scrub gently to remove built-up oils.
After pressing, push the plunger all the way through to eject the coffee puck and paper filter into the bin in one clean disc. Rinse the chamber and plunger under running water. Wash with mild dish soap once a week. The AeroPress is dishwasher safe on the top rack. No deep cleaning or disassembly is needed for regular use - it is one of the most maintenance-free brewing devices available.
After every shot, knock out the puck and rinse the basket under hot running water immediately - espresso oils set quickly and become harder to remove. Once a week, soak the basket in a solution of hot water and espresso cleaning powder (Cafiza or similar) for 20 to 30 minutes, then scrub with a small brush. The tiny holes in the basket can clog with compacted coffee oils over time, which affects flow rate and shot consistency. A clean, well-maintained basket is one of the most underrated factors in consistent espresso quality.
The most important thing on the bag is a roast date within the last 2 to 4 weeks. After that, look for origin information - country, region, and ideally the specific farm or cooperative. Processing method (washed, natural, honey) tells you a lot about what to expect in the cup. A tasting notes section written by the roaster gives you a rough flavor preview, though these are aspirational guides rather than guarantees. Avoid bags that only show a best-before date with no roast date, or generic descriptors like smooth or bold with no origin information.
For a beginner exploring what coffee can taste like, single origin beans are more educational - each one tastes distinctly different and helps you understand how origin, processing, and roast level affect flavor. Ethiopian coffees, Colombian coffees, and Guatemalan coffees all taste noticeably different from each other. A blend combines beans from multiple origins for consistency and balance. Blends are often designed to taste good across multiple brew methods and milk ratios, making them reliable everyday coffees. Neither is better - start with single origins to explore, use blends when you want reliability.
Direct from specialty roasters is almost always the best option - the coffee is freshest, the roast dates are clear, and you are supporting independent businesses. Many excellent roasters ship directly and include roast date information on every bag. Local specialty coffee shops often sell retail bags of the beans they use in their drinks. Subscription services from roasters like Trade, Onyx, or Counter Culture deliver rotating fresh roasts to your door. Avoid supermarket coffee unless it clearly shows a recent roast date - most supermarket coffee is roasted months before it reaches the shelf.
Fair trade is a certification that guarantees farmers received a minimum price per pound of coffee above commodity market rates, along with community development premiums. It is administered by third-party certifying organizations. Direct trade is an informal term used by roasters who purchase beans directly from farms or cooperatives without an intermediary, often at prices above fair trade minimums and with ongoing relationships with farmers. Direct trade is not certified by any third party - it relies on the roaster's transparency. Both aim to improve farmer livelihoods, but direct trade relationships can be more flexible and sometimes result in higher quality and higher prices for producers.
Certified organic coffee is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers and is certified by an accredited third-party organization. It does not inherently mean better quality - some of the world's best specialty coffees are not certified organic because certification is expensive and many small farms cannot afford it, even if their practices are effectively organic. Buy organic if it matters to you, but do not use it as a proxy for quality. A clear roast date and good origin information are more reliable quality signals.
Medium roast is the most accessible starting point - it has enough sweetness and body to be satisfying without the sharp acidity of light roasts or the heavy bitterness of dark roasts. Colombian and Brazilian single origins at medium roast are particularly approachable. Once you are comfortable there, try a light roast from Ethiopia or Kenya to experience how dramatically different specialty coffee can taste. Dark roast is a personal preference - many people love it, but it tells you less about the underlying bean quality and origin character than lighter roasts do.
Quality specialty coffee typically costs between 15 and 30 dollars per 250g bag, with exceptional microlot or competition-grade coffees going higher. Below that range you are likely getting commodity-grade coffee regardless of what the packaging says. The premium price reflects better farming practices, more careful processing, smaller batch roasting, and fresher delivery. The cost per cup when brewed at home is still significantly lower than buying the same quality from a coffee shop. If a bag claims to be specialty and costs significantly less than 12 to 15 dollars per 250g, look at the roast date and origin information carefully.
A microlot is a small, separately harvested and processed batch of coffee from a specific section of a farm, a single picking date, or a particular experimental processing method. Because of the small quantity and careful handling, microlots often showcase unusually distinctive or high-scoring flavors. They are typically more expensive than standard single origin coffees from the same farm. When a roaster labels something a microlot, they are usually signalling something worth paying attention to - a unique variety, an experimental natural process, or an exceptional harvest from a particularly high-altitude plot.
Yes. Craft and Cup is a Progressive Web App which means you can add it to your home screen and use it like a native app - no app store required. On iPhone, open Safari and visit mycraftcup.com, tap the three dots in the bottom right, tap Share, then tap Add to Home Screen. On Android Chrome, you should see an install prompt automatically.
Apple only allows Add to Home Screen from Safari. If you are using Chrome, Firefox, or another browser on iPhone, you need to open Safari to install the app. The app will show you a banner with a Copy Link button so you can easily paste the URL into Safari.
Not currently. It is available as a web app at mycraftcup.com and can be installed to your home screen as a PWA. A native app may come in the future.
Some features work offline - you can browse beans and recipes stored locally, and use the brew calculator. Features that require the cloud like signing in, syncing data, and AI flavor analysis need an internet connection. The app will show an offline banner when you lose connection.
Magic link is a passwordless sign in method. Enter your email address and tap Send. You will receive an email with a link - tap it and you are signed in. No password needed. It is especially useful on mobile where typing passwords is inconvenient.
Check your spam or junk folder first. The email comes from Supabase Auth and may be filtered. If it is not there, wait a few minutes and try again. There is a rate limit of a few emails per hour to prevent abuse. Make sure you typed your email address correctly.
If you sign in with magic link using the same email address as your Google account, Supabase will link them automatically. You can then use either method to access the same account and data.
First check your internet connection - the AI analysis requires a connection to work. If you are online and it still fails, the message on the form says why. If you have used all 10 of this month's free flavor maps, they come back at the start of next month. Otherwise, try rewording your tasting notes with more detail.
Make sure you are signed in on both devices with the same account. Beans only sync through the cloud when you are signed in. If you created beans while signed out, they are stored locally on that device only. Sign in and the app will offer to migrate your local beans to the cloud.
Try clearing your browser cache and reloading the page. On desktop, press Ctrl+Shift+R (or Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) for a hard refresh. If the issue persists, check that your browser zoom is set to 100 percent.
When you delete a bean or recipe, an undo banner appears at the top of the list for 5 seconds. Tap Undo to restore it. If the undo window has passed, the deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed.
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