Brewing a basic cup of coffee doesn’t take much skill. If you want something more from your morning cup, though, you’ll need to turn to technology for assistance. Consider these four ways technology can help you brew better coffee.

Heat Water to the Perfect Temperature for Coffee

Water temperature plays a crucial role in the flavor of coffee. According to the National Coffee Association, you should heat your water to 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction. If the water is too cool, it can’t extract the essential oils from coffee beans, which results in a flat flavor. If you use too much heat, you can damage those same flavor-imparting oils. Keeping the temperature in that sweet spot between 195 and 205 degrees will extract the perfect flavors for a full-bodied cup.

Several companies make kettles that heat water to precise temperatures. Designs from Bonavita are popular because they have accurate thermometers, digital displays, and quick heating times. Plus, the Bonavita electric kettles have gooseneck spouts that will help you control the flow of water as you pour it into your French press, Aeropress, or other brewing device.

Grind Coffee Fresh Every Day

The local coffee shop where you buy beans will grind them for you. Depending on how soon you brew the ground beans, though, you could lose a lot of flavor. It’s better to purchase a small coffee grinder for your home so you can grind your beans fresh every time you make coffee.

There are many home coffee grinders, so you should pay attention to a few key features before you decide which model to buy. You’ll typically get better results from a burr grinder that can give you a consistent grind. Here are some highly ranked models:

• Baratza Preciso
• Breville Smart Grinder
• Hario Coffee Mill Slim Grinder

Burr grinders tend to cost more than blade grinders, so keep that in mind while shopping. The Breville Smart Grinder, for instance, retails at about $200. Choose a manual burr grinder like the one from Hario if you want to save money. It takes more work, but you can purchase one for about $25.

Use Precise Recipes for Amazing Coffee

Image via Flickr by Olgierd Pstrykotwórca

Brewing a perfect cup of coffee isn’t that different from making a cake. As long as you follow a recipe, you can do it with just a little practice. Some people find the idea of coffee recipes laughable since it’s just grounds and water, but there are still plenty of factors to consider.

The Baristame – Coffee Guide PRO app has some of the most precise recipes you can find. Short of getting a job at Intelligentsia, this is the best way to learn how to make amazing coffee. The app tells you everything you need to know:

• How much coffee to use
• How long to steep the coffee
• What brewing process will work best for you

Baristame focuses on manual brewing methods like Chemex, French presses, and V60 Drip. When you start to brew, choose your method and what kind of coffee drink you want to make. It will tell you how much coffee and water to use. It even has a timer that tells you when your coffee is ready. In other words, it takes all the guesswork out of brewing perfect coffee drinks.

It helps to use a smartphone that lets you multitask so you don’t have to stop everything else just to make coffee. The Samsung Galaxy Note5 has a 5.7-inch screen that makes multitasking easy. The Galaxy Note5’s Quad HD Super AMOLED screen even adjusts to the lighting of any environment, which will really make an app like Baristame easy to view.

Let Coffee Brew Itself

A smart coffee maker will brew your morning cup before you get out of bed. The Mr. Coffee Smart Coffeemaker is one of the most affordable options. You can use the free Wemo appliance control app to create a brewing schedule or tell it to brew a cup whenever you need it.

For something really special, check out the internet-connected Blossom One Brewer. It costs about $5,000, though, so it’s only for people who are really committed to coffee.

Many people consider coffee a necessity. If you enjoy the flavor as much as the kick of caffeine, you’ll want to use technology to improve your brewing technique.