Three things, in order.
Most people buy this kit in the wrong sequence. This is the order that actually improves the coffee.
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Buy a grinder.
Grinding fresh does more for the cup than any other purchase, and it is not close. Pre-ground coffee is stale within days, whatever the bag says. If you buy one thing, buy this.
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Then buy a scale.
Coffee is measured by weight, not by scoop — a scoop of a light Ethiopian weighs noticeably less than a scoop of a dark Brazilian, so the same scoop gives you a different dose every time. Without a scale you cannot repeat a good brew, or work out why a bad one went wrong.
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Before either, clean what you already own.
Most disappointing coffee at home is a cleaning problem, not an equipment problem. Old oils in a grinder or a group head will spoil the best beans we can roast. It costs a few euro and it is the cheapest improvement available to you.
THE SETS
Four kits we would actually put together for you, each with a bag of coffee in the box. Cheaper than buying the pieces, and you do not have to guess which pieces.
Hotel coffee is a choice.
The Whirly 01S is a rechargeable burr grinder small enough for a bag. It will grind its way through a bag of beans on one charge, and it does not much mind whether it is standing on a kitchen counter or a hotel windowsill.
Pair it with an AeroPress — plastic, unbreakable, and a full cup in about two minutes — and something to drink it out of.
The whole kit weighs less than a laptop. It means the coffee on the third morning of a work trip is as good as the coffee at home, which is not a small thing.
All three, and a bag of coffee, are in The Travel Set — €239 instead of €267.70.
Frequently asked questions
A grinder. It is not close.
Coffee goes stale within days of grinding, whatever the bag claims. A hand grinder for €109 will do more for your coffee than a €500 machine fed with pre-ground beans.
After that, a scale. Then, honestly, nothing for a while.
If you would rather not assemble it yourself, The First Setup is that exact list in one box — grinder, scale, brewer and a bag of coffee — for €199.
Chestnut C3S MAX — the one most people should buy. Handles filter and cafetiere well, and espresso if you are patient with it.
Chestnut S3 ESP — built for espresso. Finer adjustment at the fine end, which is where espresso lives and where cheap grinders fall apart.
Whirly 01S — rechargeable and electric, in a body small enough to travel with. Buy it if you move around, or if you would rather not grind by hand at seven in the morning.
If you are unsure, ask us. We drink all of them.
Work through it in this order. It is nearly always one of the first three.
Is the kit clean? Old coffee oils go rancid and they will ruin a fresh bag. Purge the grinder, backflush the machine, wash the pitcher. Most disappointing home coffee stops here.
Are you weighing it? If you are using a scoop, your dose is different every time and so is the cup.
Is it stale? Check the roast date on the bag. Ours is printed on every one.
Then, and only then, adjust the grind. Sour and thin means grind finer. Bitter and harsh means grind coarser.
Yes. Choose collection at checkout and it will be waiting for you at any of our nine Dublin cafés the next business day. It is free and there is no minimum order.
Trinity Street · Styne House · George's Dock · Merrion Row · Mount Street Lower · Pembroke Street Lower · Anne Street South · Shelbourne Road · Leinster Street South