The Avion coffee journal
16 practical guides to brewing, buying and understanding specialty coffee.
Beginner Coffee Gear: What to Buy First (and What to Skip)
A no-nonsense guide to the coffee equipment that matters most: burr grinder, scale, brewer, kettle and water, with a sensible order to buy them in.
Brew guides
Best Water for Coffee: Why It Matters More Than You Think
Water makes up about 98 percent of your coffee. Learn what hardness, alkalinity and chlorine do to flavor, and how to improve your tap water.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home
Make smooth cold brew concentrate at home with a simple 1:8 recipe, the best grind and steep time, storage tips and how it differs from iced coffee.
Espresso at Home for Beginners: Dose, Yield and Dialing In
A practical beginner's guide to home espresso: the 1:2 recipe, how to dial in grind size, what equipment matters and how to fix sour or bitter shots.
Three AeroPress Recipes for Everyday, Bright and Iced Coffee
Three tested AeroPress recipes, including a balanced everyday brew, a bright light-roast method and an iced concentrate, with grind size and timings.
How to Make French Press Coffee (Without the Sludge)
Learn how to brew rich, clean French press coffee: the right grind, water temperature, steeping time, and how to avoid silt and bitterness.
Coffee Grind Size Guide: The Right Grind for Every Brew Method
Find the right coffee grind size for espresso, pour-over, French press, AeroPress and cold brew, with a chart and tips for fixing sour or bitter coffee.
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: How Much Coffee per Cup
The coffee-to-water ratio explained with a simple chart for 1:15, 1:16, 1:17 and 1:18, plus how to adjust strength without ruining extraction.
How to Brew Pour-Over Coffee at Home
A step-by-step pour-over recipe with exact weights, timings and fixes for sour or bitter cups. Works with a V60, Kalita or any cone dripper.
Coffee basics
How to Read a Coffee Bag: Origin, Altitude, Process and Roast Date
Decode a specialty coffee bag label: roast date, origin, altitude, variety, processing and tasting notes, and what each tells you about the cup.
Coffee Processing Methods: Washed, Natural and Honey
What washed, natural and honey coffee processing mean, how each changes flavor, and how to choose a processing style you'll enjoy.
Single Origin vs Blend: Which Coffee Should You Buy?
Single origin coffee vs blends explained. Learn what each label means, how they taste, and how to choose the right one for espresso, filter or daily drinking.
Light vs Medium vs Dark Roast: What's the Difference?
Light, medium and dark roast coffee compared: flavor, acidity, body, caffeine facts and how to choose the right roast for your brew method.
How to Store Coffee Beans to Keep Them Fresh
How to store coffee beans: the four enemies of freshness, the best containers, whether to freeze coffee, and how long beans stay fresh after roasting.
Origins
Colombian Coffee Guide: Regions, Flavor Notes and Grades
Everything to know about Colombian coffee: main growing regions, typical flavors, what Supremo and Excelso mean, and the best ways to brew it.
Ethiopian Coffee Guide: Regions, Flavors and How to Brew It
A guide to Ethiopian coffee: Yirgacheffe, Sidama, Guji and Harrar, typical flavors, washed vs natural styles and the best way to brew them.