We get it. Some mornings, you just want your coffee fast. Others, you want it to taste like you had time to make it to the cafe. What if we told you that a few small tweaks could get you somewhere beyond the middle that’s worth getting out of bed for?

Let’s get right to it. Here are a few of the best drip coffee tweaks to easily take your morning coffee routine to the next level.

1. Start With the Coffee

Remember, your brew is only as good as the beans. 

Think of the actual coffee you choose as your foundation. That foundation can expand based on what you enjoy. You can start with something familiar, like Homestead, or head into more adventurous territory by dipping into single-origin coffee to experience wilder (in a good way), more satisfying flavors. 

Top Coffee Beans for Drip Coffee

• Hair Bender: A sweet and balanced blend with notes of citrus, dark chocolate, and raisin  
• Hundred Mile: A clean and organic blend with notes of apple jam, toffee, and chocolate
• Holler Mountain: A hometown favorite with flavors of citrus, caramel, and berry jam
• Homestead: A sweet and delicious blend that balances chocolate, candied fruit, and nougat

New to coffee? Swing by one of our cafés and we’ll get you sorted. No café nearby? Take our coffee quiz and let it guide you to the perfect bag.

2. Keep Things Clean 

We won’t drag this drip coffee tip out, but as a reminder, please make sure your gear is clean. 

Why? Old grounds and coffee oils build up fast and don’t exactly add to the flavor. In fact, they can ruin your brew with bitter or sour notes. Remember, clean gear equals a clean and balanced cup. 

How to Clean Your Drip Machine:

• Dump the old grounds (seriously, every time)
• Rinse your carafe with a small drop of dish soap
• Wipe down the basket and lid

3. Don’t Run From the Grind

One of the easiest ways to improve your drip coffee is by using the right grind size. 

For automatic drip machines, you want a medium grind. Too fine (for espresso), and your coffee will over-extract and taste bitter. Too coarse, and it’ll under-extract, leaving your brew thin and sour.

In this case, we want to think fresh by grinding the coffee no more than 15 minutes before brewing. And if you're grinding at home, using a burr grinder or pre-ground coffee is most often better than using a blade grinder (blade grinders are the wild west when it comes to consistency, if we’re being honest).

A note on pre-ground coffee

We know it might be easier to get pre-ground beans, which is why we also offer pre-ground coffee. If you skip the grind, just make sure your pre-ground beans are labeled for a drip filter.

4. Perfect the Ratio

Want to know how to improve drip coffee super easily? Lock in your coffee-to-water ratio. It’s like seasoning your food—too little, and it’s bland; too much, and it’s… a lot.

A good starting point:

Use a 1:16 ratio — 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams (or ml) of water. In everyday terms, that’s about 2 rounded tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 oz of water.

Want to get precise with it? Grab a scale (it’s worth the investment) and measure your beans and water for consistent results.

A note on brewing water

Since drip coffee is about 98% water, the quality of that water makes a huge difference. Tap water can carry too many (or too few) minerals depending on where you live, throwing off extraction and leaving your coffee flat or overly bitter. Using filtered or mineral-balanced brewing water not only improves flavor but also keeps your coffee maker cleaner and reduces the need for descaling.

5. Treat it Like a Sketch

Making better drip coffee is a creative process. 

Even in our cafes, we rely on just a few key targets: a medium grind, water around 200°F, and a 4–5 minute brew time. But coffee isn’t static. It shifts with the beans, the weather, and even our moods.

Instead of trying to copy some hyper-precise Instagram brew, treat your routine like a sketch. Use those core techniques as your outline, then let your palate do the rest. What did you taste? What would you tweak?

Keep a little brew log nearby—nothing fancy. Just a few notes on what worked or what you’d try differently tomorrow.

You’re Ready to Perfect the Drip

Think of these drip tips as a means of making your morning more about you—your flavor, your vibe, your daily ritual. Nevertheless, you’re ready. 

Want to keep that perfect drip coming and one less thing to worry about? Let a coffee subscription take care of the heavy-lifting. Choose what you love, set your schedule, and never wake up to an empty bag again.