Free tools for home baristas
Fix sour or bitter coffee in one tap
Tap how your cup tastes and get the exact fix. Then brew along with recipes from Hoffmann, Rao and Kasuya.
- Free forever
- No ads, no account
- Works offline
How did your shot taste?
Tap the square that matches. The pink one is the goal.
Your fix appears here
- 1Pull a shot and taste it, no milk.
- 2Tap the square that matches.
- 3Change one thing, brew again, repeat.
Everything for your next cup
Four tools, built to use with a scale in one hand.
- Espresso compassDiagnose any shot, lock your ratio and time it with the built-in shot timer.Open
- Pour over recipesHoffmann, Rao, Kasuya and Hedrick, scaled to your dose with a step-by-step timer.Open
- Flavor wheelTap a tasting note and see which origins, processes and varieties deliver it.Open
- Ratio calculatorCoffee to water for every brewer, from espresso to cold brew.Open
Brew along with the champions
Pick a recipe, set your dose, press start. The timer tells you when and how much to pour, and keeps your screen awake.
- James Hoffmann V60
- Tetsu Kasuya 4:6
- Scott Rao
- Lance Hedrick
Fix it for good
All guides- How to Dial In EspressoFrom first shot to sweet spot in five steps9 min read
- Why Is My Espresso Sour?Sharp, thin or salty shots, diagnosed and fixed8 min read
- Why Is My Coffee Bitter?Diagnose and fix over-extracted coffee8 min read
- Coffee Grind Size ChartEspresso to cold brew, with what to look for7 min read
Keep it next to your grinder
Install Brew Great Coffee on your phone. It opens like an app, remembers your recipe and works without wifi. offline ready
Use your browser menu: Install or Add to Home Screen.
Questions home baristas ask
What is the extraction compass?
It is a 3 by 3 grid of how coffee can taste: sour, balanced or bitter on one axis and strong, balanced or weak on the other. Tap the square that matches your cup and you get the specific change to make next, such as grinding finer, running a longer ratio or using less coffee. It works for espresso and for pour over or other filter coffee.
Why does my espresso taste sour?
Sour espresso is under-extracted: the water did not pull out enough of the sweet and bitter compounds to balance the acids. The fastest fixes are a longer ratio (for example 1:2.5 instead of 1:2), a finer grind so the shot runs slower, and a slightly higher brew temperature. Very light or very fresh beans make sourness more likely.
Why is my coffee bitter?
Bitterness usually means over-extraction: too much was dissolved from the grounds. Grind coarser, shorten the brew or the ratio, and lower the water temperature by a couple of degrees. Stale beans, dark roasts and dirty equipment can also taste bitter.
What is a good coffee to water ratio?
Espresso usually starts at 1:2 (18 g of coffee to 36 g of espresso). Pour over and other filter methods work best between 1:15 and 1:17, for example 15 g of coffee to 250 g of water. Cold brew concentrate uses about 1:5 to 1:8, diluted before drinking.
Is Brew Great Coffee free and does it work offline?
Yes. All tools are free, with no ads, no account and no tracking cookies. You can install the site as an app on your phone or computer and the compass, recipes and brew timer keep working without a connection.