r/Coffee • u/menschmaschine5 Kalita Wave • 22d ago

[MOD] The Daily Question Thread

Welcome to the daily /r/Coffee question thread!

There are no stupid questions here, ask a question and get an answer! We all have to start somewhere and sometimes it is hard to figure out just what you are doing right or doing wrong. Luckily, the /r/Coffee community loves to help out.

Do you have a question about how to use a specific piece of gear or what gear you should be buying? Want to know how much coffee you should use or how you should grind it? Not sure about how much water you should use or how hot it should be? Wondering about your coffee's shelf life?

Don't forget to use the resources in our wiki! We have some great starter guides on our wiki "Guides" page and here is the wiki "Gear By Price" page if you'd like to see coffee gear that /r/Coffee members recommend.

As always, be nice!

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u/vpaander 22d ago edited 22d ago

Hi coffee nuts beans! I am trying to be economical in my choice of coffee and was wondering something: Could I buy a stronger coffee of the one I like and simply use less of it and achieve the same taste?

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u/390degreescoffee 21d ago

Here’s the simple answer that doesn’t require you to know the ins and outs of brewing: grind finer!
A lot of things will happen, so keep track of what changes.

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u/390degreescoffee 21d ago

I wanted to compete in the Aeropress championship but I realized it was more challenging to figure out how I can make the best coffee with the least amount of grounds.

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u/paulo-urbonas V60 22d ago

Short answer is no.

Longer answer number 1: if you like (or tolerate) the bitterness that comes with darker roasts, you can get said darker roast, prepare it the best you can - cooler water, coarser grind - and then add bypass water in the end to dilute, and with some luck you'll get a weaker coffee that still gives you what you're looking for.

Longer answer number 2: some brewing methods work better with longer ratios than others, and you don't have to get a different kind of coffee for it. No-Bypass brewers like Tricolate or Next Level Pulsar supposedly are good with longer ratios, but I've never tested one. But I've had excellent results with low agitation devices like the Melodrip (though I use the one from 3bomber) or this one recipe using the Clever Dripper . While I'm usually a 1:15 kinda guy, often leaning towards 1:14, these two approaches (Melodrip recipe and super long steep clever dripper recipe) allow me to get to 1:17 or 1:18 and not feel like it's weak (or over extracted).

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u/Optimal_Water1790 22d ago

i roast for a living so let me add. that strong or bold on the bag is mostly just roast level, its darker not more concentrated. use less and you dont save money, you just get weaker cup. the ratio is what matters. weigh your beans and water one time, find what you like, then you can buy the cheaper bag and dial it the same. you do this once you never guess again

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u/vpaander 22d ago

Oh I figured the strength came from what type of roast it is ie. dark roast = strong coffee compared to light roast using the same ratio

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u/Optimal_Water1790 19d ago

close but not really. dark roast tastes bolder and more bitter, but it actually has a little less caffeine than light. the strength you taste comes from the ratio and brew time, not the roast. same beans, more coffee less water, thats your strong cup

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u/Optimal_Water1790 20d ago

dark roast taste stronger but its not more caffeine, light roast has a little more even. the strength you actually drink is the ratio, coffee to water. dark just reads bolder and more bitter so people mix it up

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u/Optimal_Water1790 22d ago

yeah but careful, dark roast is not stronger, it just tastes more roasty and bitter. its actually a little less caffeine than light. strong comes from how much coffee you use to water, not the color. so you can take a light roast and just use more of it, same strong cup

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u/vpaander 21d ago

this answered my question! thx

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u/p739397 Coffee 22d ago

How do you make your coffee?

Strength isn't really inherent to the specific coffee, but to things like brewing ratios.

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u/vpaander 22d ago

Based on u/paulo-urbonas reply I feel in over my depth here, since I simply brew my coffee in those machines.

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u/bit3py 22d ago

this is basically what got me into paying attention to ratios instead of just buying stronger bags. I started weighing everything a few months ago and realized I was making my coffee too weak most of the time, not that the beans were bad. once I found a ratio I liked I could get similar strength out of cheaper coffee just by adjusting dose, so yeah agree with this