What We Use to Brew Colombian Coffee at Home

What do we use to brew Colombian coffee at home? That’s a question we get all the time on our specialty coffee experiences and coffee roasting workshops.

And it goes beyond the basics. People want to know what they should start with, but if they already have those basic items, they want to know what they should buy next.

If you’re searching on Amazon for coffee brewing methods and other coffee gear and scratching your head about what to buy next, let us help you.

The following list is our favorite gear, as well as a few items that we have on our wish list. **Read more about our recommendations at the bottom of the page

What inexpensive brewing methods and coffee gear can you begin with?

Grinders

Brewing starts with a good grinder. There are a number of inexpensive blade grinders, but we love burr grinders. They don’t heat up the way blade grinders do, and they truly grind the coffee beans rather than chopping them. That improves the flavor immensely.

The cheapest of the burr grinders is a hand grinder. These small grinders are efficient at doing their job and easy to travel with. In fact, if you love the Aeropress brewing method, many of the slimmer grinders fit inside an Aeropress.

However, keep in mind that hand grinding enough coffee for a cup does take a bit of elbow grease – and hand grinding for several cups is a downright…well…grind. So opt for a hand grinder if you’ll be making just one cup at a time. This Java Presse grinder works well – it’s silent, easy to travel with or use at work, and has adjustable grind settings.

 If you’ll be making more than one cup, you can consider a larger grinder.

We use the Oxo Brew grinder at the office. At an entry-level price but with reliable grinding capacity, this is an easy to use conical burr grinder that gets the job done.

The Baratza Encore grinder is another excellent entry-level burr grinder. It has 40 grind settings that make sure you’ll get exactly the grind you want while producing little noise and heat.

Brewing methods

Aeropress

Easy to travel with and easy to clean, the Aeropress is a favorite of many baristas. However, keep in mind that it does make just one cup of coffee at a time.

And if you’d rather not use bleached paper filters, check out these metal filters, which produce fantastic coffee. 

Hario V60

Considered one of the best ways to get a balanced cup, the Hario V60 is going to help you achieve good body with balanced acidity and a pleasant sweetness.
We personally like the fancier models like this copper one.

The Chemex is one of the most beautiful coffee brewing methods, creating a clean and balanced cup. You can get them in sizes ranging from 3 cup to 13 cup, and with or without the cute wood decoration (called a collar) that keeps your hands safe from the hot glass. Don’t forget to buy the filters, which come folded, unfolded, bleached or natural. 

Kettles

This Bonavita kettle heats up in record time and the gooseneck means you can direct the water exactly where you want it to go. The holes in the lid are useful to stick in a thermometer to be sure of the exact temperature (thermometer not included).

You can also get the kettles without the heating element. We love the look of this Barista Artisan kettle.

And we love how reliable this Gator Coffee kettle is.

Scales

You can start out with any digital kitchen scale you have. It just has to be a small one because you’ll be measuring small amounts of coffee at a time.

When you want to get more precise with your measurements – and have a timer incorporated, consider the Hario V60 scale.Coffee storage

You’ll need to keep your beans as fresh as possible. Please don’t store them in the freezer or refrigerator, where all the barely noticed smells will creep into your coffee beans.

That’s why you should use a canister that keeps out the oxygen – but doesn’t expose your beans to foreign smells. The Airscape coffee canister has an airtight lid that keeps your coffee fresher longer. The lid removes oxygen and locks it out. And it comes in nifty colors. The 64 oz version holds about a pound of coffee.When you’re ready to take your coffee experiences to the next level…

What exciting coffee gear should you get next? 

If you love science mixed in with your coffee, check out the Syphon brewer. It’s a great way to impress friends and have a gorgeous decoration for your kitchen counter. Just keep in mind that the learning curve for this method can be quite steep.

 If you’ve got some space in your kitchen and a love for cold brew, consider this Cold brew tower.
You can pick up the Hario V60 kettle, which has an easy to hold handle and works on any heating surface.

 You can also purchase it with the heating element.

The Baratza Vario grinder is made for commercial establishments, but it will give you complete control over your grind. It has a LED display, ceramic flat burrs, and the capacity to adjust the grind for 230 settings. What’s the benefit of ceramic burrs? They last longer than steel ones. And this grinder is super quiet.

Learn how to Brew Colombian Coffee

How do you use all these methods? You can find tons of videos on the Internet about coffee brewing. You could also buy our book, Permission to Slurp, that sets out some simple brewing guidelines so you can brew like your favorite barista.

You could also join us for a Specialty Coffee Workshop or a Roasting Workshop. Happy brewing!

**Flavors of Bogota is supported by our readers. When you buy a product using the links on this site, we may earn a small affiliate commission – at no extra cost to you. 

Here at Flavors of Bogota we only offer products we truly believe in and that we feel add value for our readers. These affiliate links help us maintain the website and continue to publish more coffee stories …  so thanks for supporting us!