Exactly How to Make Your Own Coffee at Home, From Pour Overs to the French Press

When it comes to a good cup of coffee, everyone has their favorite cafes and go-to coffee shops — but for those days when you're stuck at home or are simply too busy to go on a Starbucks run, knowing how to brew your own coffee at home can be a life-changing skill. Of course, if you're used to getting your daily caffeine fix from expert coffee makers (or by simply pressing a button on your automatic drip pot or Keurig machine), it might be a little daunting at first to learn how to make coffee at home. That's why we've rounded up all the different ways to manually brew your own homemade coffee, from a step-by-step guide on how to use your basic French press to the best way to make a perfect pour over.

Wondering which of these brewing methods is best? The short answer is that it depends on your needs and preferences. No matter what type of coffee maker you're using, though, the most important thing is that you're using high quality ingredients. Using fresh, whole coffee beans can make all the difference — as can grinding them well to the optimal grind size and consistency for the specific method. As for the best coffee-to-water ratio, a general guideline is a 1:17 ratio of coffee to water — or in other words, for every 1 gram of coffee, use 17 grams of water (use a digital scale to measure your ground coffee for better results). With these tips, you'll soon have a great cup of coffee no matter which brewing method you choose!