Grinding, water, freshness and coffee quality
Grinding, ratios, freshness and reading a label. Get the basics clear before changing another brewing setting.
By Baltissima · updated 18 October 2026
Water, a grinder and one small change.
Weigh coffee and water rather than changing everything together. In filter brewing, 1:16 describes dry coffee and input water: 15 g gives 240 g water. For espresso, 18 g → 36 g describes dose and beverage in the cup, not reservoir water. Choose the correct calculator mode.
Water matters to flavour and equipment. Follow the manufacturer’s requirements; do not add random salts to a machine. Grinder settings are not a universal number of clicks. Finer grinding can change extraction and flow, but an uneven bed or filter also affects the result. Time is a clue, not a competition.
Keep dose, water and device fixed. Change only the grind by a small step. Record flavour and flow; evaluate the next trial in the same way.
Input water or finished beverage?
Did I change just one parameter?
Freshness starts with good questions.
Beans continue to change after roasting. The preferred moment depends on the coffee, packaging and method; “medium roast” does not describe an identical process across producers. A roast date helps compare packs but cannot replace storage conditions. Best-before dates and sensory freshness after opening are different information.
Protect coffee from air, moisture, heat and light. Close the pack after measuring a serving; grind just before brewing if possible. Match pack size to actual use. We do not assign roast-to-order, a dispatch interval from roasting or a universal freshness window to Baltissima without confirmation.
Record the opening date and daily dose. Calculate how long the pack lasts and compare the aroma of servings prepared with the same method.
Roast date or best-before date?
How quickly do I use an opened pack?
Quality, caffeine and label promises.
Specialty is not an automatic stamp on every coffee. SCA’s definition emphasises distinctive attributes and value; CVA separates physical aspects, sensory description, quality impressions and product information. Scores, certification and personal taste answer different questions. Organic, fair trade and direct trade also need their own evidence.
Caffeine depends on material, dose, preparation and serving size. Intense flavour cannot reveal its amount. Decaf means a caffeine-reduction process, not automatically absolute zero. Education does not mean we offer such a product. We make no treatment claims or advice for pregnancy, illness or medication.
Choose one claim on a pack. Check whether it describes ingredients, origin, a score or certification, and whether the producer supplies supporting information.
Certification or marketing description?
Do I know the actual serving size?
Three Baltissima coffees in practice
How can I check coffee freshness?
Check the dates and information on the bag you receive. If you need the current batch’s roast date before buying, contact us. A best-before date and a roast date are different pieces of information.
How should I store an opened bag?
Close it tightly and keep it dry, away from sunlight, the oven and strong smells. Use a dry spoon. Repeatedly bringing a cold bag into a warm room can cause condensation; choose stable everyday storage conditions.
Which coffee should I choose for a bean-to-cup machine?
Choose whole beans for the built-in grinder. Never put ground coffee in the bean hopper. Use a separate ground-coffee chute only if the manual allows it. Bursztynowa is our suggestion for a first cup with milk.
Taste again as the coffee cools. Record the dose, water and time so you can repeat a cup you enjoy. If it is too astringent, try a coarser grind; if watery, check the ratio first. Change just one setting to make the comparison useful. Different brewers give different results, so use the numbers as a starting point. Water matters too: use fresh drinking water without an obvious unwanted smell.
Brew it your way
Filter: 15 g coffee / 250 ml water, 92–94 °C, 2:30–3:00 min.
French press: 30 g coffee / 500 ml water, 4 min, coarse grind.
Espresso: 18 g coffee → 36 g beverage in 25–30 s.
Moka: fine grind, no tamping. Measure water using the valve and your model’s instructions; remove from heat at the first sputter.
These are starting points, not batch-tested recipes. For a bean-to-cup machine, start with the manufacturer’s instructions. Change one setting at a time and compare the taste.