Brewing Guide

WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU PURSUE THE PERFECT CUP.

This simple guide makes it easy to get started with a few of our favorite brewing methods. In just a few minutes, your morning cup will be the best part of your day.

 

Before we get started, there are a few universal tips to keep in mind no matter what brewing method you’re using.

 

QUALITY: First and foremost, use good quality coffee like this. The cost of good coffee versus bad coffee comes out in every cup.

 

FRESHNESS: Fresh coffee is key. Coffee starts to loose flavor a couple weeks after roasting, so make sure you’re buying coffee with a current roast stamp. To preserve freshness and flavor, buy whole bean coffee and grind just before brewing. Store coffee in a cool, dry place away from heat and moisture, an airtight container is ideal.

 

WATER: Such a simple thing, but if the water your brewing with tastes good, so will your coffee. If your water carries the esssence of plastic pipes, so will your coffee. Use fresh spring water, or filtered water and avoid using tap water unless your water is really good.

 

CLEANING: No matter how basic your brewing tools, it’s important to keep them clean and free of oil residue as this makes your coffee taste bitter and stale. Boo.

 

BREWING: Which brew method is best? The one that suits you and that you will use! There are so many options to explore, have some fun trying them out. Your inner coffee geek will soon find flavors and preferences you never noticed before.

 

FRENCH PRESS

1.  Heat spring water to just off the boil, 195 - 200  degrees.  Add coffee at a 1:15 ratio, which would be 32 g (6 Tbsp) for 2 cups of water. Using a burr grinder, grind coffee to a uniform texture of sea salt or sand. Add coffee to the french press.


2.  Add just enough hot water to cover the grounds. Stir and let sit for 30 seconds until coffee blooms, releasing carbon dioxide.

 

3.  Add the remaining hot water and let it brew for 4 minutes.

 

4.  Slowly press the plunger down, press slow and easy, and don’t press all the way to the bottom. This prevents any grounds finding their way into your cup.


5.  Pour coffee into a warmed mug and enjoy. Oh the smell!

POUR OVER

1. Heat fresh spring water to just off boil, 200-205 degrees or let water rest about 45 seconds after boiling. Place the paper filter into the receptacle and wet the filter to remove the paper taste. Discard the water. Add medium course ground coffee resembling sea salt to the filter at a 1:16 ratio, or 25g of coffee to 400g water. This is about 3 tablespoons coffee to 14 ounces of water.


2.  Slowly pour just enough hot water to cover the grounds, start in the middle and make concentric circles moving to the outer edge. This allows the coffee to bloom and release carbon dioxide which inhibits extraction. 


3.  Once the coffee has bloomed begin pouring the remaining water in 3 or 4 pulses, moving in slow even circles. Keep the grounds evenly saturated for an even extraction and maximum flavor.


4.  When most of the water has drained out of the filter remove it. If your ground are level you’ve done a good job at pouring evenly and you’ll have a delicious cup of coffee!


5.  Pour coffee into your favorite cup and enjoy.

MOKA POT (Stove Top Espresso)

1. Add fresh spring water to the line in the bottom of the brewer or until water reaches just below the safety valve. We recommend preheating the water to avoid the moka pot overheating and ‘cooking’ the coffee, but this is not mandatory.


2. Grind your coffee to the consistency of table salt and fill the brewing basket to the top, leveling the grounds with your finger. This will be about 15-17 grams of coffee.


3. Insert the brewing basket into the bottom of the brewer, making sure the rubber gasket is sitting evenly. Screw the top and bottom together and don‘t over tighten.

 

4. Put the moka pot on medium heat, taking care the handle is not exposed to high heat. When the water in the bottom boils you will hear a puffing sound, this is the coffee bubbling into the upper section of the pot. When the bubbling sound stops your coffee is ready. Keep in mind the moka pot will be hot, a towel or hot pad may be handy.

 

5. Pour your delicious coffee into your favorite cup and enjoy.

HOME ESPRESSO

1. Turn on your machine and fill with fresh spring water. Fill the portafilter with 14-16 grams of finely ground coffee, the grinds should have a fine table sugar consistency. Lightly tap the portafilter to distribute coffee evenly and firmly tamp the ground coffee with about 30 lbs of pressure.

 

2. Lock the portafilter onto the brew head of your machine and press the button or lever to brew (see your machines documentation for specific directions).

 

3. Let extraction go for 25-30 seconds, you should end up with a double shot, or two ounces of espresso within this time.                 

 

4. Note: if your espresso comes through to fast (under extracted, sour taste) or to slow (over extracted, bitter taste) you may slightly adjust the amount of coffee or the grind size to hit the 2 ounces in 25-30 second sweet spot.

 

5. Pour your espresso into a warmed mug and marvel at the creama. If desired add steamed milk, cream or foam, and enjoy.

FUN COFFEE FACTS

1. 65% of Americans drink coffee every day, 48% of these coffee drinkers consume 3-5 cups per day totaling 491 million cups a day. Read full article.


2. Half of the world’s coffee is produced in South America. Read full article.

 

3. 41% of coffee drinkers use a pod coffee machine, 39% use a drip coffee maker, 13% use an espresso machine, and 7% prefer pour over coffee. Read full article.

 

4. Together, Starbucks, Dunkin’ and Panera Bread own more than 70% of coffee shops in the US. Read full article.

 

5. 11.8 million tons of coffee are consumed globally every year. Read full article.