How to Make Coffee Stronger (Without Compromising on Taste)

We’re not sure what’s worse: a weak-tasting coffee lacking flavor or one so weak that it doesn’t give us the energy kick we need to face the day. 

Have you been trying to figure out how to make stronger coffee? 

Then you’ve probably learned the hard way that clogging up your filter with five times the amount of grounds isn’t a solution.

Don’t worry: whether you meant stronger in flavor or caffeine levels, here are a few tips on how to make strong coffee at home.

1. Tweak the coffee-to-water ratio

Adding too much ground coffee will backfire as it’ll slow down the water, compromising extraction. However, that’s not to say that you can’t add a little more!

The recommended coffee-to-water ratio for most brewing methods is 1:15 or two teaspoons per cup of water. Why not try 1:14 or two and a half teaspoons?

2. Try a lighter roast for more caffeine

Despite one of the most popular coffee myths, dark roasts haven’t got more caffeine than lighter blends. If anything, when you measure them by scoops, it’s the other way around!

If you’ve already found the perfect ratio but wish to add a tiny bit more caffeine, opt for a light roast.

3. … Or just go for a more caffeinated blend!

Even better, let us do the hard work for you. Our extra caffeinated roasts are packed full of caffeine, up to twice the amount you’d find in regular coffee!

Basically, nothing will be able to stop you after drinking that liquid fuel.

4. … or a darker roast for more flavor

If, when wondering how to make coffee stronger, you meant flavor-wise, then go on the other opposite side of the roasting spectrum. 

Thanks to the longer roasting process, dark roasts develop a fuller body which translates into deeper flavors.

5. Try a different brewing method

If your old automatic dripper isn’t pulling out your grounds’ flavor, have you considered experimenting with different coffee makers? 

For example, manual pour overs can result in more flavor nuances whereas French press coffee is, generally, bolder and richer in taste.

6. Check the water temperature

Regardless of whether you’re brewing manually or with an automatic dripper, the wrong water temperature could be the reason why your coffee isn’t as strong as you wish.

The optimal brewing temperature ranges between 195 and 205°F. Maybe your old coffee maker can’t reach them or aims for the lowest option? 

• If you can tweak the temperature setting, bring it closer to 205°F (not any hotter though! Or else you’ll get an over-extracted coffee);
• If you’re brewing it manually, consider checking it with a thermometer until the coffee tastes as strong as you like.

7. Ditch stale store-bought coffee

At the end of the day, you can try any tip and trick on how to make strong coffee at home but the truth is… no matter how many variables you tweak, your coffee will still lack in flavor if you rely on store-bought grounds!

This is because they were roasted and ground god-knows-how-long-ago. By now, the volatile compounds responsible for enhanced flavors and aromas have all bean and gone (pun intended).

Why settle for a weak and mediocre cup when you can enjoy strong and outstanding coffee by relying on freshly brewed beans or grounds?

At Fire Dept. Coffee we always roast and grind our coffee to order: it doesn’t get any fresher than that!