Oddly enough, probably the most important factor is probably the easiest to change cheaply. A cup of coffee is mainly made from water. If you use a bad tasting, foul smelling water source, well enough said. Filter your water. Better yet double or triple filter it.

Coffee is understandably another important factor. Use fresh fair trade coffee beans. Sealed packages are generally good for months, but once they’ve been opened, try using them in less than a week or so. For those of you that buy already ground coffee, well you will lose the flavor faster than leaving the beans whole as long as you can. Previously ground coffee’s taste will never be as good as grinding your own fresh coffee beans.

In the intro to this piece I mentioned possibly a grinder, ok now we know we need one. Burr grinders (many good ones in the $50-$200 range) are generally better (more consistent grind) than blade grinders (usually less than $30). However, if you have a blade grinder or only want to spend $20 on a grinder, find out the proper fineness that you should be heading towards by asking an experienced barista for some grounds, ground for your type of coffee maker. You can usually find a fair degree of accuracy by just timing a blade grinder. It doesn’t take a lot of practice to get a fineness close to what you are targeting.

As for the coffee maker, many coffee experts rely on a french press. I generally use an automatic drip with a thermal carafe. I personally believe that the most important coffee machine factors are cleanliness and not using a warming tray. You should regularly clean your coffee maker with a vinegar/water solution and rinse. What ever you do, don’t let your coffee sit on a warming tray to burn. I swear by my thermal carafe to keep my coffee warm.

I hope this has been informative. You don’t have to be a barista with thousands of dollars worth of equipment to make a good cup of fair trade coffee. You just need to do a few simple things correctly.

Enjoy!
Ian

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