Starbucks barista champions reveal 4 secrets to brewing perfect coffee at home

Starbucks barista champs reveal the four fundamentals to brewing the perfect cup

By Emily Caldwell Published July 29, 2025

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Following the first-ever Starbucks Global Barista Championship, Starbucks Baristas posted a pair of videos answering the most popular questions asked by coffee fans. The videos, which are posted on TikTok and Instagram, feature North-American barista champion Adrian and Asia-Pacific barista champion George answering the web’s most popular coffee questions. In these videos, these two Starbucks champions shared four key fundamentals for perfect coffee: Grind, water, proportion, and freshness.

First and foremost, these Starbucks baristas agree that understanding these four fundamentals is a key “blueprint” for brewing the best possible cup of coffee. The first fundamental is your coffee grind, which refers to the size and consistency of ground coffee beans. The grind of your coffee beans correlates to the brewing method to ensure proper taste. The second fundamental is your water, which refers to the quality and temperature of the water you’ll use to brew your coffee. The baristas agree that coffee brews best with clean, filtered water that is about 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.

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The third component to pay attention to when brewing a great cup of coffee is proportion, which refers to the ratio of coffee grounds to water used. “A balanced ratio will ensure a balanced cup of coffee; baristas recommend two tablespoons of coffee for every 6 ounces of water,” they share. Lastly, the baristas share that many coffee drinkers neglect the fourth and final fundamental: freshness. Freshness can refer to the quality of coffee beans used, based on how recently they were roasted and ground. “Using freshly roasted and ground coffee is ideal as it retains the most aroma and flavor.”

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Emily is a freelance journalist with a focus on food, travel, health, and fitness content. She loves to travel to new…

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