Want your coffee to actually taste strong—not just hot and dark?
As someone who brews coffee daily and experiments weekly with methods like French press, Moka pot, and AeroPress, I’ve tested dozens of ways to make coffee stronger at home—without turning it bitter or undrinkable.
I spent a lot of time comparing brewing methods, grind sizes, roast levels, and coffee ratios so you can make bold, flavorful coffee using whatever setup you already have.
Quick Answer: How to make strong coffee
To make strong coffee at home, use more ground coffee per cup, choose a medium or dark roast, and grind your beans fresh.
You can also try double-brewing, using a fine grind for espresso, or brewing with a French press, Moka pot, or AeroPress for maximum strength—without bitterness.
In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to make coffee stronger naturally using simple, proven techniques that work across all brewing styles—from pour over to espresso.
How to make stronger coffee at home (6 proven methods)
There are several ways to make coffee stronger at home, such as adding more coffee, double-brewing, a darker coffee roast, and using fresh coffee beans.
Below, you’ll find more information about all the above-listed ways to make your coffee taste stronger!
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1. Use a strong coffee roast
But first, let’s talk about the best coffee roast to use if you want to make stronger coffee at home.
I recommend using medium and dark-roasted coffee beans if you want a strong cup of coffee.
These coffee roasts pack a robust flavor and are vital if you want a stronger cup of joe in the morning.
Lighter coffee roasts have been roasted to a lower temperature, keeping more unique flavors intact but resulting in a mellow taste.
But what about the caffeine?
Check out this great experiment by James Hoffmann, World Barista Champion and author of The World Atlas of Coffee.
He tested the caffeine levels in light, medium, and dark roasts using pour over brewing and found this:
To investigate whether darker roasted coffee contains less caffeine, we roasted the same coffee beans to three levels: light (slightly underdeveloped), medium (normal roast), and dark (into the second crack).
Brewing each as a pour over to matching extraction levels, we found:
– Dark roast: 72 mg of caffeine per deciliter
– Medium roast: 67.5 mg per deciliter
– Light roast: 62 mg per deciliterThis suggests that darker roasts may have slightly higher caffeine concentrations—at least under pour over conditions.
The increase may be due to dark roasted beans’ reduced density, which requires more beans by weight to achieve the same mass, and their increased porosity, which facilitates greater caffeine extraction.
So, if you want to make stronger coffee at home, medium and dark roasts are the way to go!
Have a look below to see the difference in roast level:
As you can see from the photo above, the medium roast is lighter, but the stronger taste is very much there.
2. Add more coffee ground per cup
Using more coffee in your brew results in a stronger-tasting cup of coffee. The more coffee beans you use, the more powerful your coffee will taste.
To make stronger coffee, you should use at least 25% more ground coffee than you’re used to.
By adding more coffee, you can easily taste the difference and adjust the amount of ground coffee per serving as you go. Have a look below for the amounts I recommend per cup of coffee:
| Coffee Brewer | Standard Dose | Stronger Dose |
| French Press | 20g | 25g |
| Chemex | 21g | 26g |
| Hario V60 | 18g | 22g |
| Moka Pot | 20g | 25g |
| AeroPress | 17g | 21g |
As you can see, the amount of ground coffee is increased, making for a more robust coffee.
I suggest playing around with the amounts to taste until you’ve reached your desired taste!
3. Adjust your grind size for maximum extraction
Finely grinding your coffee beans for optimal extraction will make your coffee stronger.
It’s best to use lower-temperature water so you can extract all the delicious coffee flavors without leaving any bitterness.
I recommend using a fine grind only to brew strong espresso coffee, using an espresso machine, Moka pot, and AeroPress.
For example, brewing coffee with a fine grind using a Chemex will result in an over-extracted coffee that isn’t enjoyable.
Because the steeping time is longer, the water will extract too much flavor, leaving your coffee with sour notes, which is not optimal.
So, if you want a stronger coffee using the Chemex, Hario V60, and French press, I suggest using any of the other tips, as this will result in a better cup of coffee.
4. Try double-brewing coffee for extra strength
Double-brewing coffee is a technique for making a stronger-tasting cup of coffee.
You can double the amount of coffee, or you can reuse the already-brewed coffee grounds and brew another batch with them, using the freshly brewed coffee.
It’s a fun technique that’s perfect if you want a strong cup of coffee but don’t want to go through any additional steps.
Does double-brewed coffee have more caffeine?
Double-brewed coffee has double the caffeine because double the amount of ground coffee is used to brew a cup of coffee.
The amount of caffeine in your brew depends on the brewing technique and the amount of coffee you use.
Even if you’re not using double the amount of coffee but are instead using the other technique, you’ll still retract more caffeine from the coffee.
Double-brewed coffee is the perfect way to start the day if you need a boost of caffeine.
Tip: If you’re interested in learning more about this technique, you can find more information here.
Just keep in mind that: Double brewing = double caffeine. Monitor your intake.
5. Use freshly roasted whole beans for more flavor
Making strong coffee at home isn’t as hard as you might think.
If you’re a fan of extra-bold brews, you probably already know that most pre-ground coffee is too weak to compete with freshly ground coffee.
You’ll need to grind your beans at home to make the best strong coffee.
Freshly roasted coffee beans make for a better-tasting coffee because most flavors are still in the coffee beans.
The longer you wait to finish the batch of coffee, the less flavor it retains. It is best to finish a bag of roasted coffee beans within eight weeks. After that, the flavors will diminish.
It’s also worth noting that grinding your coffee beans before brewing is the best way to make stronger coffee at home.
This all has to do with how fresh the coffee beans are.
If you instead use a pre-ground coffee that has been in its packaging for up to a year in some cases, there will be significantly less flavor compared to a batch of freshly roasted coffee.
So, the best combination for strong coffee is having a fresh batch of whole-bean coffee and grinding it fresh right before brewing a cup of coffee.
6. Choose the right brewing method for strong coffee at home
Choosing the right coffee brewer to produce strong coffee can be hard if you’re unsure what to look for.
If you want to make strong coffee that is still enjoyable, I recommend brewing coffee with a French press.
The French press uses a steeping technique that you can’t find anywhere else.
The coffee it produces has much more flavor because the coffee grounds are steeped with water, which is much different from brewing coffee with a Chemex that uses a filter.
I can also recommend a Moka pot to make espresso coffee or an AeroPress, which is more versatile.
The AeroPress can produce espresso-like coffee but also a regular cup of coffee to start your mornings.
If you want to learn how to brew coffee with the above-listed brewers, my beginner’s guide to brewing coffee has more information.
How to make coffee stronger without bitterness
The best way to make the coffee stronger without adding bitterness is to use medium-roasted coffee beans and double-brewing the coffee using a pour over method.
Medium-roasted coffee beans are less robust in flavor but still have strong coffee notes, so they are the best to double-brew.
As I discussed above, the French press produces the strongest coffee, as the coffee grounds are steeped in hot water.
Instead of using a pour-over method, like the Chemex, to double brew your coffee, you’re left with a strong coffee that isn’t bitter.
The filter of the Chemex makes for a more mellow coffee than the French press, but when double-brewing your coffee, you get the best of two worlds without adding bitterness to your strong coffee!
FAQs about making stronger coffee
Before I close off this article, let’s quickly go over a few key questions people have when looking to make stronger coffee without sacrificing taste.
Who knows, maybe this will answer one of the questions you had as well!
Does using more coffee make it stronger?
Yes. Increasing your coffee-to-water ratio is one of the most effective ways to make your brew stronger.
How do you make coffee stronger without adding bitterness?
Use medium-dark roasts, double brew through a filter method (like Chemex), and avoid overheating the water.
Is strong coffee bad for you?
Not necessarily. Just be mindful of total caffeine intake—especially if you’re drinking multiple cups daily.
Conclusion
Now you know how to make coffee stronger—without the bitterness.
The best method depends on your setup. Whether you’re using a French press, Moka pot, or AeroPress, these proven techniques help you extract bold flavor without sacrificing smoothness.
Even small adjustments—like tweaking your grind size or switching roast levels—can make a big difference in strength and taste.
Stronger coffee doesn’t have to mean harsh or over-extracted. With the right approach, you can get a rich, intense brew that goes down easily
Do you have a favorite trick for making your coffee stronger? Please share it in the comments—I’d love to hear your method!
Want to go deeper? Check out my full guides on brewing strong coffee with an AeroPress or Moka pot for step-by-step tips.
Strong coffee drinks to try
Ready to try something new? Try one of these coffee recipes below:
