What You Need to Make Stupendously Good Coffee at Home

Just gonna go ahead and level with you: if you can possibly grind your own coffee beans at home, you should really do it. When those beans break open, they release their oils — and that's where the flavor and aroma come from. The packaged, preground stuff just can't compete on a freshness level. You can bet that noted homemaker and perfectionist Martha Stewart grinds her own beans, which just happen to be Martha Stewart 10 oz. Martha's Blend Whole Bean Coffee ($10).

Why choose a burr grinder over a blade grinder? A burr grinder grinds evenly, whittling whole coffee beans down to uniform size; a blade grinder can't achieve that level of consistency. That means that when you use a burr grinder such as the Capresso Infinity Silver Conical Burr Coffee Grinder ($100), you'll have the ability to choose just how fine (or not) you want your grind — and that, friends, leads to a better-tasting cup.

Then again, there's a time for ground coffee. (For instance: 7:30 a.m., Tuesday morning, you just woke up, and you're due at work in half an hour.) Illy Ground Espresso Classico Medium Roast ($15) is from a name that's practically synonymous with Italian espresso, and the ground espresso lets you make a latte or cappuccino pronto.

An elegant, almost sculptural form makes the Chemex 6-Cup Pour Over Coffee Maker ($44) iconic among coffee-lovers. So does the coffee it brews. Yes, you'll need a special filter and a bit of patience to make a cup. And sure, you'll need to carefully pour hot water in circles, watching for the coffee to bloom. But then, you'll have a cup of coffee so nuanced and flavorful that you'll savor every sip. There's a reason every fancy coffee shop in the world has Chemex; your kitchen should have one, too.

Some people might think that filtering one's tap water for coffee is a step too far. Meanwhile, coffee aficionados know that the purer the water, the more flavorful the brew. The ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready Pour Pitcher ($40) removes impurities and taste from water, allowing you to savor your beans the way they're meant to be enjoyed. An extra step? Sure. But why settle?

If you're at the point of weighing your coffee beans before grinding them, then precision matters to you, right? Good thing the Zwilling Enfinigy Digital Kitchen Scale ($50) is highly accurate, easy to use, and beautifully designed. The glass surface is ultrasleek, as is the digital display — so you'll feel like you're making coffee in a caffeinated utopia.

Contrary to popular belief, not all espresso makers are machines. For decades, Italians have made espresso on their stovetops, using elegantly simple devices to get things percolating. One such item, the Epoca 3-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker ($15), gets the job done when it's 2 p.m., deadlines are looming, and you just need your third shot of the day.

Then again, maybe you prefer an actual espresso machine but don't have room for a full-size one. Consider this Breville the Bambino Stainless Steel Espresso Maker ($300). Despite its wee footprint, it's powerful enough to make espresso and steam milk — and to make it seem as though there's a coffee shop tucked into your kitchen.

How sleek is this futuristic-looking Zwilling Enfinigy 12-Cup Drip Coffee Maker ($200)? So sleek. It features an integrated burr grinder for optimally fresh beans, plus a milk frother in case you like things foamy. And if your brain doesn't kick into gear until after your second cup, good news: It also has an auto-shutoff feature in case you forget to turn it off before leaving for the day.

A quick lesson in chilled beverages: cold brew is cold coffee, but iced coffee is not cold brew. (You follow?) Therefore, to make a proper cold brew — with all of its delicious, low-acidity smoothness — you'll need to make cold-brew concentrate. More specifically, you'll need this OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker ($31) to do it for you. Start its slow-dripping magic before bed, then wake up to the good stuff.