New Year. New Coffee Habits.

To kick your 2026 the best way possible, we’re sharing some helpful coffee habits and inspirations. These are super easy ways to improve your at-home coffee experience and level up your barista game. There’s no time like the New Year to start new routines!

Maybe you’re frustrated with your coffee routine at home; maybe you’re new to making coffee in general; maybe you’re a pro at making coffee, and you’re just curious about learning new tips. Whoever you are, we’ve got some great ideas to incorporate into your at-home coffee routine to elevate the quality of your coffee. Read on for our ideas!

One very easy way to improve the taste of your coffee is to start with really good water. It may seem so simple, and in a lot of ways it is. Simply using filtered water instead of tap water will improve the taste of your coffee noticeably. After all, in its most basic form coffee is only two ingredients: water and coffee.

So, a very easy habit you can introduce to your coffee routine this year is using better water. There are actually a few items on the market that you can buy to improve your water quality. From Third Wave Water tablets to investing in a reverse osmosis water filtration system, there are so many ways to improve the quality of water to brew better coffee. Of course, you can tailor this option to fit your budget and needs, but we recommend taking a look at your water!

Another great habit to incorporate into your coffee routine this year is to try new coffees! Any barista worth their salt will tell you: the best way to learn to taste is to taste as many different coffees as you can. The more you try, the more your palette will be able to discern between different coffees and pick out unique tasting notes. Plus you may find a new favorite coffee!

So this year challenge yourself to try new coffees, whether it’s from new countries or new roasters or by signing up for a coffee subscription service. We offer several subscription options! Check them out here. Or check out our favorite multi-roaster subscription service, Bean Box.

A third easy habit is to make sure your coffee is within the right date range. Coffee tastes best 2-4 weeks past the roast date. A lot of people are careful not to drink coffee that’s too old, but did you know that you should be careful not to drink it too soon after it’s roasted? Coffee needs to off-gas for about two weeks after it’s roasted. It’s not until it has rested and released those gases that its true flavors will come through. You can read more in-depth info on this here.

This year, pay attention to those roast dates. Make sure the coffee you’re about to brew has had at least two weeks to off-gas post-roast. You’ll notice more nuanced flavors in what you’re brewing!

There you have it: a few easy habits to incorporate into your at-home coffee routine this year! We think these simple changes lend big results. Keep us posted on how your coffee routine changes this year, whether it’s by using these tips or by something else entirely. We would love to know how it goes.

And Happy New Year from all of us at BonLife!