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pourover kettle pouring water into a dripper
Photo: Sarah Kobos

5 Cheap(ish) Things to Upgrade Your Coffee Experience

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“Oh! The coffee’s good today,” is something my husband or I murmur on occasion as we slowly come alive with our first sip of the morning. On most days, though, the coffee we make at home is just good enough. We make it the same way every time, but whether or not we achieve coffee nirvana on any particular day is anyone’s guess. It mystified me for years—until I decided to get to the bottom of it.

It turns out that even with quality beans, it’s hard to be a good home barista without the right tools. Some of these things are admittedly pricey but also entirely worth it, according to coffee experts. For instance, a burr grinder, which chops and grinds beans into a consistent coarseness, starts at about $100. Meanwhile, a reverse-osmosis filtration system, which reduces the mineral content in hard water (check the United States Geological Survey site to see if you have it), can cost well over $100.

Luckily, just about everything else is quite affordable. Here are five cheap(ish) things that can vastly improve your coffee-drinking experience.

The right storage container

These durable, well-sealed plastic containers fit easily in most cabinets. They come in many sizes, can stack securely, and are easy to scoop or pour from.

Oxygen interacts with coffee and creates stale flavors. If your beans or grounds come in a sturdy valve bag—which are foil-lined and resealable, with a circular blister near the top—it’s actually best not to transfer them to a storage container. “The bag is enough to keep oxygen out,” said Peter Giuliano, chief research officer at the Specialty Coffee Association. In fact, dumping your coffee elsewhere can disrupt the layer of carbon dioxide that surrounds and protects it.

However, if your beans are in a non-valve bag, you’ll need an airtight container. We like the durable and tightly sealed Rubbermaid Brilliance Pantry Storage Containers. In any case, keep your beans in a cool, dark spot (avoid cabinets above or near the stove). Light, heat, and moisture are kryptonite to your beans.

A kitchen scale

If you need something that reads in 0.1-gram increments, the LB-3000 was the most accurate pocket scale we tested.

Beans and grounds vary in shape and size—they don’t settle into that tablespoon or coffee scoop the same way every time. This means you can end up with differing coffee-to-water ratios. Sometimes you end up with good coffee, and sometimes you don’t.

“It seems weird and fussy, but a scale is a powerful thing,” said Giuliano. “It can improve consistency a lot.” The American Weigh Scales LB-3000 Compact Digital Scale, which takes up little counter space, is the most accurate 0.1-gram scale Wirecutter tested. (For something that’s even cheaper but less specialized, we crowned the Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale our budget pick in our guide to kitchen scales.)

A pour-over dripper

The Kalita Wave’s flat bottom ensures the most even extraction—and the best-tasting coffee—of all the pour-over drippers we’ve tested.

Buying Options

$24 from Amazon

Drippers, which cafés use to make high-end coffee, cost around $25. With a slow pour, you’ll have full control over how evenly your coffee is saturated with water, allowing for more even flavor extraction. “You also get to have precise control over other variables, like the temperature of your water, which can affect the flavor of your coffee,” said Marguerite Preston, Wirecutter’s senior appliance and kitchen editor.

Wirecutter’s tests showed that the Kalita Wave 185 Dripper consistently makes great coffee, even if you’re not an expert. (Wirecutter’s guide to the best pour-over coffee gear also offers guidance on the best technique).

A favorite mug

A staff-favorite mug we like for its modern take on the classic diner mug. We're fans of its muted color options and bargain price.

Buying Options

$4 from IKEA

A staff-favorite mug we love for its classic diner design, durable construction and impressive insulation.

For the most flavorful cup of coffee, drink it hot—but not too hot, said Brad Barnes, director of consulting and industry programs at the Culinary Institute of America. You want the ability to not only smell it but also let the coffee linger on your tongue for a while without getting scalded.

We recommend a wide range of mug options, but our cheapest recommendation is the IKEA Dinera Mug - 10 oz, which we love for its bargain price and modern take on the diner mug. If you’re willing to spend just a little more on a classic diner-style mug, we also like the Highwave Cafe Classic Mug.

Descaling solution

Buying Options

$13 from Amazon

A vinegar-water solution (as described in this post on why you should regularly clean your coffee maker) will do, but if playing kitchen chemistry is keeping you from good coffee hygiene, a prepared solution might help. “Descaling once a month will greatly improve the taste of your coffee,” Giuliano explained. Preston suggests the Urnex Dezcal Coffee and Espresso Descaler and Cleaner, which can be used on coffee and espresso makers as well as kettles.

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