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At Joe Bean, we believe your morning coffee should feel like a small daily celebration—not just a caffeine fix. But we also know the struggle: you pick up beans you love, brew at home, and… it’s just not the same as what we serve you at our roastery.
That’s why we’re big fans of coffee makers that have earned the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Certified Home Brewer seal. It’s more than a fancy badge—it’s proof that the machine is designed to bring out the best in your beans, every single time.
Here are some of the specifications the SCA looks for when certifying a home brewer.
Exact Heat & Timing
The ideal brew temperature sits in a narrow band—typically 195 to just over 205°F—and the contact time lands between 4 to 8 minutes. Too fast or too slow, and you risk tossing away those nuanced flavor notes.
Even Extraction Through Turbulence
It’s not just about water — it’s how water travels through the grounds. Good brewers promote just enough movement to wet each particle evenly, ensuring consistent extraction.
Balanced Strength (TDS) + Yield
The “Golden Cup” lives in a sweet spot of extraction yield and strength: aiming for around 18–22% of solubles dissolved—a balance of flavor complexity without bitterness or thinness.
Repeatability Matters
Quality brewers aren’t one-hit wonders. They’re tested across different units and brew cycles to ensure every pot tastes the same—whether it’s batch #1 or #100.
Clarity and Smooth Finish
Nobody wants grit at the bottom of the cup. Certified machines keep sediment to a minimum, delivering that smooth, clean finish we crave.
Holding Temp Without Burn
Post-brew, the coffee stays pleasantly hot—staying within a safe range without resorting to rapid reheat. It means preserving those delicate aromatics all the way through.
Why It All Adds Up
When a brewer earns the SCA’s nod, it means you’re getting engineering, testing, and standards that are rooted in real sensory science—not marketing buzz. Those “Four T’s” of brewing—temperature, time, turbulence, and total dissolved solids (TDS)—aren’t just letters; they’re the pillars behind every dependable, delicious cup. We spend a lot of time sourcing, roasting, and tasting to bring you coffees that excite us. The right brewer ensures you get to experience them the way we intended—full of flavor, aroma, and joy.
To see which models earned the SCA's Certified Home Brewer seal, visit sca.coffee/certified-home-brewer
