How We Approach Brewing Different Coffees

When it comes to coffee brewing, there’s so many ways to approach it. With different processing methods, brewers and countless variables at play, it can all start to feel a bit overwhelming.

So how do you decide what to do, and how to get the best out of each coffee? If you’ve been in a bit of a rut, feeling unsure where to start, or simply just need some clarity, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a simple and approachable guide explaining exactly how we approach brewing different coffees.

From classic washed coffees to funky anaerobics, this post cuts through the noise, giving you simple framework to brew each new coffee with confidence.

Washed. Natural. Fermented

To get your head around this philosophy, there’s really just one thing to understand: Some coffees need encouragement.
Some need restraint. It helps to break things down by processing method — washed, naturals, and ferments.

Each of these methods naturally give different levels of output, so they require different inputs.

Washed coffees tend to give less upfront. They’re lighter, more subtle, and take a bit more work to fully open up. To get the best out of them, you need to put more in.

Natural coffees give more. They’re fuller, more saturated, and generally easier to extract. Therefor, they don’t need as much to reveal themselves.

Fermented coffees give a lot, very quickly. They’re intense, expressive, and highly extractable. With these, less is more.

Input Output Principle

Here’s the one rule to follow:

Low output → add input

High output → reduce input

To expand on that a little — if a coffee naturally has low output, you need to do more work to bring it out. If it’s not offering much in terms of intensity, you gently push it there.

For example, a washed coffee is naturally less intense, a little more shy. So you encourage it. More agitation, slightly higher temperature, or more frequent pours — these all help increase extraction and bring more out of the cup.

Now flip that. Fermented coffees already have a lot to give, so you don’t need to do much to extract them. In fact, doing too much often pushes them too far. With coffees like this, restraint is key. Lower temperatures, reduced agitation, fewer pours.

Let the coffee lead

So when you’re approaching a new coffee, the question is simple: does it naturally give a lot, or is it holding back? The processing method is usually the first clue.

If it gives less, do more.
If it gives more, do less.

How to apply this in the real world

So what does “more” or “less” actually look like when you’re brewing? Think of input as the amount of work you’re doing to influence extraction. That can be things like grind size, water temperature, agitation, and how you pour.

If a coffee needs more input (like a washed): Grind a little finer
Use slightly hotter water
Agitate a bit more 
Use more pouring intervals  You’re essentially helping the coffee open up and give more.

If a coffee needs less input (like a ferment): Grind a little coarser
Lower the temperature slightly
Reduce agitation (gentler pours, less movement)
Reduce amount of pouring intervals Here, you’re holding things back so the coffee doesn’t become overwhelming.

You don’t need to overcomplicate it. Just start somewhere in the middle, taste, and adjust.

If the cup feels quiet or underwhelming → add a bit more input

If the cup feels intense or a bit too much → pull things back

Small changes go a long way. Over time, this becomes intuitive. You’ll start to recognise how a coffee behaves and adjust without overthinking it.

Here's the Instagram version of this post — simplified and saveable.