Coffee Brewing Guides

The key to a really good cup of coffee can be summed up in one word: freshness. It is critical to use freshly roasted, freshly ground beans. The quality of the coffee making equipment, and even the coffee itself, will be irrelevant if it is stale.

The next step is to use clean equipment because grounds and coffee oils can become rancid. Use good water - freshly drawn, and the purer and softer the better.

Water should be used at the proper temperature - not boiling, but approximately 88c and cups and utensils should be warmed beforehand.

It is also important that the correct grind of coffee is used for each method of making, see below.

Never re-use coffee grounds and drink the coffee as soon as possible after it is made.

 

Cafetiere

you will need:
kettle
cafetiere
(scales)
mug
ground coffee
timer

Use freshly drawn water
If you have a temperature setting on your kettle, set to around 90 - 95c depending on preference.
If you have a normal kettle, just leave it for a minute to cool down slightly after boiling before brewing the coffee, this will give a better flavour.
Heat the cafetiere and the mug for around a minute.
Always use freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee. Ground coffee once opened is best used within a week or two. Whole beans last longer once opened as the air cannot turn the oils in the coffee rancid so easily.
Always store the coffee in an airtight container (or resealable bag) to keep it fresher longer.
If you’re grinding your own coffee, use a burr grinder rather than a blade one, this gives a more consistent grind.
Coffee for cafetiere should be ground on a coarse setting so it resembles breadcrumbs.
Use 60g coffee/litre as a guide. So for an 8 cup cafetiere which is around 750ml use around 45g of coffee or 4.5 tablespoons.
Put the ground coffee in the warmed cafetiere and half fill with the hot water.
Stir the coffee before filling the cafetiere to the top.
Put the lid on and leave to brew for around 4 minutes, no longer than 5.
Plunge carefully and serve immediately.
Remember to clean the cafetiere after each use.



Aeropress

you will need:
kettle
aeropress
aeropress paper filters
mug
ground coffee
timer

Aeropress is a really easy way to make great coffee for one at home, work or on the go

As with all coffee brewing you need freshly drawn water and freshly roasted and ground coffee.
This time the coffee needs to be much finer, between paper filter and espresso grind is my preference for aeropress.
The scoop that comes with the aeropress is a pretty good guide as to how much coffee to use but you can adjust to make it stronger if required. It is around 17g per scoop.
Use water that is just off boiling, around 90c.
Put a paper filter in the brew basket of the aeropress and attach to the brewing chamber. (you can also get reusable mesh filters and this makes a fuller bodied coffee)
Rinse these with the hot water to heat the aeropress and rinse the paper filter before brewing.
Heat the mug you are going to brew into.
Place the aeropress over the mug and add the scoop of ground coffee
Fill up the aeropress with the water to the number 4 on the side of the brewing chamber
Stir with the aeropress stirrer
Put the plunger on at a slight angle then draw it up slightly to create a seal.
After a couple of minutes plunge the aeropress slowly and steadily.
It will hiss when it is finished extracting so ideally stop just before.
Take the filter basket off and pop the coffee grinds and filter paper into the compost.
Enjoy!
Remember to rinse the aeropress for the next use.

If you like brewing aeropress there is always the world aeropress championships to compete in!

www.worldaeropresschampionship.com