Basal is an Australian owned and operated small business, crafting high-quality cases and bags designed to protect and carry your coffee gear and musical equipment with style and ease. Our Coffee Traveller is a fan favourite, and is made from waxed canvas and ballistic nylon for a lightweight and durable design, making it the perfect choice for on-the-go coffee brewing.

1. Using the wrong grind size Too fine = bitter and over-extracted. Too coarse = weak and under-extracted. Aim for a medium grind, like table salt.
2. Water that’s too hot or too cold Boiling water (100°C) can scorch the grounds, while cool water won’t extract properly. Ideal temperature: 92–96°C.
3. Skipping the bloom Not allowing coffee to “bloom” (initial pour that releases gas) can trap CO₂ and cause uneven extraction. Pour just enough water to saturate, wait 30–45 seconds.
4. Pouring too fast or unevenly Rushing the pour or favoring one side leads to uneven extraction. Use a slow, steady spiral from the center outwards.
5. Wrong coffee-to-water ratio Eyeballing it can result in inconsistent brews. A standard starting point: 1:15 to 1:17 coffee-to-water ratio by weight.
6. Using stale coffee Old beans lose aroma and complexity. Use freshly roasted beans within 2–4 weeks of roast date.

Water should ideally be between 195°F to 205°F or 90°C to 96°C for pour over coffee. This temperature range ensures proper extraction of flavours from the coffee grounds without scalding or under-extracting, leading to a well-balanced cup. Experiment with varying the temperature to see what brings the best out of your coffee and your equipment.

All of these manual brewing methods are excellent and each have their own merit. We recommend starting with an AeroPress because it's simple to learn, yet allows you to experiment and find a coffee taste you really love through altering variables like bloom time, water temp, ratio of coffee grounds to water...the list is wonderfully endless :)

The ideal grind size for pour over coffee is medium-fine, resembling coarse sand. This allows for optimal extraction without over-extracting or under-extracting the coffee, resulting in a balanced flavour profile.