Stop Making Bitter Coffee And Calling It Strong: Learn How To Make Your Coffee Stronger Properly

A regular strength cup of coffee isn’t enough for you anymore? You’ve been wondering how to embolden your coffee’s flavor but can’t seem to decide where to begin. There are ways and that’s why we’re here with our How to Make Stronger Coffee article. First things first, let’s clear the most obvious confusion – stronger coffee shouldn’t be a bitter or burnt-tasting concoction at all. If it’s properly brewed, it will have a rich delicious flavor. So, read our article till the end if you want to make a rich stronger brew in your home comfort.

Before going into the various ways to make stronger coffee at home, we should briefly inform you of what’s considered a stronger coffee.

Strong coffee is about enhanced flavor and added caffeine content.

For stronger flavors, adjust your water-to-grounds ratio. Use a darker roasted bean. You can even add spices and a few other elements before or after brewing. We’ll discuss these later in this article.

Added caffeine content can be extracted by using lighter roasted beans or with a longer brewing time. The lighter the bean roast, the more caffeine it will contain. A lighter roast contains more mass and thus offers more caffeine. The caffeine content also increases when you brew ground longer in water.

1. Go for richly flavored roasted beans. Dark roasts, French roasts, will produce the strongest cups of coffee. Arabica and Colombian beans are particularly best suited for this purpose. Use Colombian beans with special care as they tend to be more bitter-tasting compared to Robusta beans.
2. Use fresh whole beans whenever possible. Since you need strength, using fresh beans will concentrate the flavors better.
3. If you use an automatic drip brewer, apply a regular grind size. If you make coffee with an espresso machine then use finer grounds. For a French press, the ground should be coarse. The point is different brewing machines need different grind sizes for optimal strong extraction.
4. Pour-over methods, such as Chemex or French press will guarantee you strong coffee. And without the burnt taste.
5. Roasting your own whole beans in a popcorn popper can also help you preserve the strength of your coffee. Take the green unroasted beans to the popper and then start the machine. Once done popping, pour the beans into a colander and cool them off fast and thoroughly.
6. Grind your beans to the appropriate size for your preferred brewing methods. The best way to use a burr grinder at home is for this. Only grind up enough to use at once. So the rest of the beans can stay as fresh-tasting as possible.
7. The longer you let the coffee grounds and warm water sit together, the more oils and flavors will be extracted.
8. When using automatic drip machines, you can add a pinch of salt to your coffee grounds before brewing. It will make the coffee smoother and less bitter.
9. Change the ratio of water to coffee, regardless of the method. For example, the standard ratio of coffee to water is 1:3. Change it to a ratio of 2:3 for a stronger-tasting cup of Joe. But, avoid this if you’re already using dark-roasted coffee.

As our tastes in coffee vary so much around the world, it’s a trial and error process in the end. To achieve your target result, use proper measurements of bean size, time, and amount of the ingredients while experimenting.

Use any of the 3 methods at home mentioned below for a stronger-tasting coffee.

Espresso Maker: The most recommended method to “how to make the coffee stronger at home” question is using a manual/ semi/ full-automatic espresso machine that features a quality espresso shot. A most long-term cost-effective way for you while not sacrificing an ounce of coffee quality; a proper espresso machine can solve your strong coffee issue.

Moka Pot: Stovetops, especially the Moka (Espresso) pots are your all-time cost-effective coffee-making option. The Moka pots are specialists in making richly flavored and strong-tasting coffee. It’s also distinctive from drip coffee.

Drip Coffee Maker: This type of coffee maker is also a good option. Use the ones that come with an insulated carafe.

For the standard (12 ounces) serving sizes, we can also see the brewing times for them.

• The espresso machine takes 20-30 seconds.
• Drip coffee takes 4-6 minutes.
• Moka Pot And French Press require 3-5 minutes.

The espresso method, it’s faster and served in a smaller size. So, it has lesser caffeine content but is strong in flavor and aroma. The drip coffee and the French press differences are minimal. Because their time and serving sizes are almost similar.

When buying ground coffee at a market or grocery store, always buy from a brand that states the type of grind on the bag. If you’re buying coffee from a roaster or local shop, state to them your preferred brewing style and they’ll give you the proper grind size.

Grind types that are best for stronger coffee:

• Drip coffee maker with a coarse grind.
• Espresso maker with fine ~ very fine grind.
• French press with medium ~ coarse grind.

We still recommend you grind the beans at home by yourself. The fresh, small grind batches and proper storing in an opaque container will best preserve your coffee quality.

For every 1 tbsp. of ground coffee, generally, 3 ounces of water is added. So, 1^st brew your coffee with this 1:3 ratio. Once done, add another tbsp. of ground coffee to make it a 2:3 coffee-to-water ratio mix. Now, brew for the 2^nd time. Once, done, enjoy your stronger double-brew coffee.

You can add espresso shots to your regular coffee. This method is also known as the Red Eyeshot. It amps up the flavor and caffeine content while making it a mouthwatering concoction.

Just add a pinch of salt to your cup/mug before pouring your brewed coffee into it. In this way, you enhance the coffee flavor as the salt cuts down the bitterness. Bonus tip: you can also do this to save your bitter bad brewed pot of coffee and make it drinkable.

With delicious flavor, Vanilla extract not only works as a topping but also works as a flavor amplifier!

Cocoa works greatly with coffee from the very beginning. Add a teaspoon of cocoa powder before or after brewing. It makes the coffee rich and chocolatey without adding extra calories.

After brewing, add 1-2 tbsp. of unsalted butter to your cup of coffee (237 ml = 1 cup). Butter provides essential nutrients for your body. Also, butter in your coffee will make you feel fuller for a longer period with a slower but sustained high-energy kick. All the things you should be having from a cup of coffee.

Add 1 tbsp. / 14 grams of coconut oil to your cup of hot coffee. Stir it thoroughly to let that oil incorporate well into the coffee. It’s an alternative to the aforementioned butter method. Funny enough, you can add both of them also in your cup of coffee – which will make it even better.

• Espresso: The coffee grounds are compacted and under high pressure, the hot water is forced through them. Espresso is a thick rich coffee with crema. It’s strong yet carries less caffeine than regular coffee. A standard single shot of espresso carries 63 mg. of caffeine (in about 1 oz. of water).
• Macchiato: Made with a double shot of espresso and little steamed milk. A small-sized macchiato has 80 mg. of caffeine content in it.
• Americano: It’s made with 1/3 espresso and 2/3 water. It carries between 94 – 150 mg. of caffeine.
• Mocha: Made with 1/5 steamed milk, 2/5 espresso, 2/5 chocolate, and whipped cream. A 12 oz. of mocha holds 152 mg. of caffeine content.
• Latte: It follows a mixture of 2/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and milk foam on top. A 16 oz. latte has 173 mg. of caffeine.
• Cappuccino: You’ll get 1/3 espresso, 1/3 hot milk, and 1/3 milk foam in a cappuccino. It has the same amount of caffeine as the 16 oz. latte (173 mg.).

If you desire and enjoy added strength from your coffee with more caffeine in it, then you consider:

1. A light-roasted coffee ground.
2. A longer brewing period.

On the other hand, there are 3 main ways to have your coffee with a stronger flavor.

1. Using a darker roasted coffee ground.
2. Use different brewing methods and find the one that suits you best. 
3. Change the water-to-ground ratio for your coffee.

Indonesian Arabica , Tanzanian Arabica Peaberry , and Nicaraguan Arabica  are our natural choice for making stronger coffee. You can also go for various Brazilian dark roasted Arabica  beans too!

If you buy from a local roaster, ask them what types of dark roast they have. They can help you pick according to the flavor and roast that you desire for stronger coffee.

On a fun note, do you know you can eat coffee beans?

Making strong coffee starts with picking the great beans and their grind sizes. Once you move past these two steps, you can explore and experiment with various brew methods, coffee-to-water ratios, and brew lengths. Adding extra coffee beans is always a welcome move. We hope these tips and discussions will help to brew strong, flavorful coffees at home every time.

Enjoy Your Coffee!