brewing the perfect cup of coffee:
tips from our resident Q grader

At happy®, we believe every sip should be a little moment of bliss. We admit it, we think coffee is pure magic…and if you’re reading this, we’re guessing you feel the same way. To help you achieve the happiest of coffee experiences, we sat with our resident Q Grader and genuine coffee savant, Michael Giudice –a 21 year coffee professional– to learn his secrets for brewing the perfect cup of happy®. Here’s what he had to share:

Oh, and for the conversion curious, 8 oz = 1 cup.

for the happy pod™ squad (aka k-cups): easy peasy brewing

Did you know that the amount of water you use when making any cup of coffee can dramatically alter its taste? Well, now you know. If you’re using single serve pods, here are some tips to turn your next mug all the way up to 11. OK, here’s how to live your best pod life:

Dark Roast: Brew with 8 oz or less of water for the boldest flavor.
Light Roast: Go for 10-12 oz of water to let the brighter, more delicate notes shine.
Medium Roast: Anything goes! It’s the crowd-pleaser that’s ready for anything. Freestyle at will.
Next level: Don’t try to fill your 16 oz mug using just one pod. Instead, brew twice! Use one pod for the first 8 oz of water, and then a second pod with another 8 oz to get the quantity-and-quality situation just right.. Your taste buds will thank you.
Adding creamer? Stick to 10 ounces or less for the most flavorful balance.

instant coffee: serve it hot, cold, or creamy, it’s your call

happy® instant coffees are all about convenience and versatility. Our instants are specially blended to bring the magic with either hot or cold water–it’s a sipper’s choice, and we don’t judge. Whether you’re short on time or on the go, here’s how to get the most out of these little gems:

Play it straight: mix one sachet with hot water (6-8 oz) for a classic cup.
Add warm milk (6 oz) for a luscious morning treat. Hit the frother for a little something fancy.
Some like it cold: Add to cold water and/or cold milk for an iced coffee in a pinch.

ground coffee: how do you brew?

The universal grind of our ground coffee is designed to work with a variety of brewing methods. You do you! Here are a few helpful smile-inducing hints to get the perfect cup:

Drip Coffee: happy® universal grind shines when it comes to drip coffee. Perfect for pourover or electric brew methods, flat-bottom or cone filters work equally well. The magic ratio? 1 rounded tablespoon of coffee for every 8 ounces of water.
Percolators: A great option if you’re into a retro vibe. Also the hottest cup of coffee you may ever pour. We feel a perc time under 4 minutes delivers the best tasting cup.
French Press: The universal grind requires more pressure to plunge, and tastes best at about a 3 minute dwell (dwell: the amount of time you let the coffee steep before pressing down the plunger).

whole bean: your cup is a blank canvas

For those who love the ritual and aroma of grinding their own beans, our whole bean coffee is going to make you, well, really happy. Here’s the scoop: anything goes! You can grind it to suit any brewing equipment. The size of the grind should match your preferred brewing method.

Drip coffee: medium grind, similar to granulated sugar
Percolators: a bit on the coarse side, like sea salt
French Press: even coarser, like breadcrumbs
Aeropress: aim for that medium-fine to fine sweet spot, somewhere between table salt and powdered sugar
Turkish, Greek or Vietnamese: extra fine, like powdered sugar