A STARTING POINT, NOT A RULEBOOK
Brewing is a conversation between coffee, water, equipment and the person making the cup. A recipe gives us somewhere to begin. The cup tells us where to go next.
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
The numbers below are useful starting points, not universal rules. Coffee can respond differently according to roast development, density, processing, age, grind distribution, brewing method, water chemistry and the sensory result you are looking for.
If the cup is too sharp, too bitter, too thin or too heavy, change one variable at a time and taste again.
STARTING POINTS
These ranges reflect the kind of starting points already used across NAAD's coffee guidance. They are intentionally presented as ranges rather than fixed recipes.
Begin here when you want a concentrated, syrupy cup. Small changes in grind can quickly change the result.
A useful starting point for a dense and velvety cup. Heat and flow can influence the balance as much as grind.
A starting point for a fuller cup. Let taste decide whether the next brew needs more or less extraction.
Useful when you want to explore how time, agitation and temperature shift the cup without changing the coffee itself.
A starting point for a smooth, mellow profile. Steep time and concentration can be adjusted to taste.
WHY RECIPES CHANGE
Different roast development changes how readily coffee extracts and how the cup presents itself.
Bean structure can influence how quickly water moves through and extracts the coffee.
Washed, natural and other processes can respond differently even when the recipe stays the same.
Coffee changes after roasting. The useful starting point can shift as the coffee develops.
Two grinders set to a similar size can still produce different particle distributions and extraction.
Minerals, temperature and chemistry influence how extraction happens and how flavour is perceived.
TASTE IS INFORMATION
Try a small increase in extraction — for example, a finer grind, more time or a change in temperature — then taste again.
Try reducing extraction — for example, a slightly coarser grind or shorter contact time — and compare the cup.
Consider whether concentration, grind distribution or extraction is limiting the texture you want.
Try a different ratio, grind or brew method. The goal is not maximum extraction; it is the sensory result you want.
FRESHNESS & RESTING
Coffee changes after roasting. Degassing, roast development, processing, packaging, storage and brewing method all affect how a coffee behaves.
Rather than treating one resting period as universal, use the coffee's flavour and behaviour as information. A coffee may become easier to brew and more expressive as it develops.
BREW · TASTE · LEARN
THE NAAD APPROACH
Start with a useful recipe. Taste what happens. Change one thing. Keep asking better questions.
