Kite Micro Roasting · Brew Guide

Balance is
the key.

Not brightness. Not complexity. Not strength.
When everything in your cup makes sense together — that's the target.

What balance means
Sweetness
Holds the cup together
The foundation. If sweetness is there, everything else has something to sit on.
Acidity
Adds life, doesn’t bite
Brightness is good. Sharp sourness is not. The difference is usually grind or temp.
Body
Weight without heaviness
A balanced cup has presence. It coats the palate without sitting too heavy.
Finish
Cleans up, lingers gently
A good finish disappears clean. No lingering bitterness, no abrupt cut-off.
The 5 variables
01
Ratio — how much coffee vs. water
Start here. Filter: 1:15 to 1:17 by weight. Espresso: 1:2 to 1:2.5. This is your baseline before anything else.
If everything tastes wrong, adjust ratio first before touching anything else.
02
Grind — how fine or coarse
The most impactful variable. Finer = more extraction (stronger, more bitter). Coarser = less extraction (lighter, more sour). Move in small steps — half a click at a time.
One variable at a time. Change grind, then taste. Don’t change two things at once.
03
Temperature — how hot the water is
Lighter roasts need higher heat (93–96°C) to unlock flavour. Darker roasts extract at lower temps (88–92°C). If your filter coffee tastes flat or papery, your water is probably too cool.
04
Time — how long the extraction runs
Filter: 3–4 minutes total. Espresso: 32–42 seconds. Time is a result, not a starting point — fix ratio and grind first, and time follows. Your machine, grind, and dose will all shift what’s “right” for you.
05
Technique — how you pour or pull
For filter: a slow, steady spiral pour keeps extraction even. Start with a bloom. Blooming time and water weight depend on several factors — how fresh the coffee is, how it was processed, and your setup. A very fresh coffee will bloom more aggressively. For a starting point: 30 seconds, twice the coffee weight in water. From there, watch what happens and adjust.
For espresso: even distribution and level tamping matter more than tamping pressure. Taste first, then adjust one thing at a time.
Something’s off — fix it
Bitter · Heavy · Harsh
  • Grind coarser
  • Lower water temperature 1–2°C
  • Shorten brew time
  • Use slightly less coffee
  • Pour more slowly and evenly
Sour · Thin · Weak
  • Grind finer
  • Raise water temperature 1–2°C
  • Extend brew time slightly
  • Use slightly more coffee
  • Make sure you’re blooming fully
If the cup tastes both sour AND bitter at the same time — adjust your ratio before anything else. Usually too little coffee, or uneven extraction from poor distribution.
Filter & espresso
Filter
Pour over
V60 · Kalita · Origami · Aeropress
Ratio1:15 – 1:17
GrindMedium-fine
Water temp90–94°C
Total time3–4 minutes
BloomStart: 30 s · 2× weight
Blooming time and water amount depend on the coffee’s freshness, origin, and process — these aren’t fixed values. For simplicity, start with 30 seconds and twice the coffee weight in water. Pour in slow spirals from centre outward. Let the bed drain before the next pour.
Espresso
Espresso
Any machine · Moka pot with adjustments
Ratio1:2 – 1:2.5
GrindFine
Water temp91–94°C
Shot time32–42 seconds
Pressure~9 bar
Distribute before tamping. Tamp level, not hard — pressure matters less than evenness. Aim for a golden crema and a sweet finish. Shot time is a guide, not a rule — your grind, dose, and machine will tell you where the balance is. If the shot runs fast, grind finer. If it stalls, go coarser.
The numbers here are a starting point, not a destination. Your grinder, your water, your kettle, even the humidity — they all affect the result. Make one adjustment at a time. Taste. Adjust again. Balance isn’t a setting. It’s a direction you move toward with your setup.
A note on calibration
Every setup brews differently. Grind settings that work on one grinder mean nothing on another. Water hardness changes extraction. Altitude changes boil point. This guide gives you the variables and the direction — what you do with your specific equipment is your calibration. Start here. Adjust from what you taste, not from what a number says.