Buy good coffee beansThey say you should consider these 4 variables to make coffee suited to your taste:
Grind your coffee just before brewing
Store your coffee properly
Use the right proportion of coffee to water
Focus on technique
Use quality tools
The grind size of your coffee beansThey say it's less about science and more about art.
The temperature of your water
The amount you agitate your coffee grounds during brewing
The ratio of water to coffee
The article is adapted from this book, which is only available on iBooks so far. The book's authors Michael Haft and Harrison Suarez have a youtube channel. Here's their video on how to use a pour over coffee maker:
I admit I've never even considered being that accurate in my measurements. I've never owned a scale that could be used this way. I think I'm going to be satisfied with coffee that's "good enough".
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Yikes, my coffee is made purely by guess and by gosh. While I don't measure I do the rest of the "pour over" pretty much as they do including wetting the filter. After fiddling around I find that I use a different grind (not as fine) for the French press. I think the most important thing is starting with GOOD beans in the first place.
ReplyDeleteDarla
with pour-over i do measure the coffee but just eye the water. and i've never wet down the filter before, but i will from now on. i agree: good coffee is the base requirement. this folgers "gourmet" i'm drinking this morning won't win any prizes. it's drinkable, but not up to the better beans we've been trying lately.
DeleteI can appreciate that there is an "art" to making coffee despite the fact that I am a tea only drinker and my husband drinks only instant.
ReplyDeleteif we just spoon out the coffee and pour water over it, this method is as easy as instant (except you put the coffee in a filter instead of directly in the cup). some people like instant better, though.
DeleteI'm pretty basic...I usually buy ground coffee. Set it up the night before to brew just before I get up. Of course, this morning I woke to a steaming pot of hot water. Forgot a step....dang. Hate it when that happens.
ReplyDeleteHappy Tuesday.
reminds me of the time we forgot to make sure the basket was seated good in the drip machine. water went everywhere except into the carafe lol
Deletewow. that's quite a ritual to go through for coffee...and I don't like mine very strong either...I am with you, I think I'll just go for my easy, already ground, drip coffee maker! great jazz music in the video, though!
ReplyDeletei like trying to do it "right," but i'll never be in this league lol
DeleteThe only time I actually grind coffee beans is the only time I EVER have Starbucks, and that is their Breakfast blend and the Christmas blend. Other than that is YUBAN straight out of the can. I don't have strong coffee unless I'm making a latte.
ReplyDeletewe use beans sometimes but already-ground coffee most of the time. i don't think i've ever tried yuban. i'll have to pick some up :)
DeleteWow, I never considered all those variables when making coffee. This makes me think that I should put more effort into my coffee-making. Happy Tuesday!
ReplyDeletesee, it's that whole "effort" thing that i don't much like ;)
DeleteI grind every bean right before making my coffee. I'm pretty anal when it comes to coffee. I know a clean pot is essential. I never use a paper filter. I hate them because they leave a taste. I use a mesh filter and clean it after each use. However, I've never considered measuring my beans. I just know by the amount I place in my grinder and the number of cups of water I add to my coffee maker. Guess I'm not as anal as I thought (grin).
ReplyDeleteAmazing that you focused on coffee and I focused on tea today. I bet lots of readers will be more careful with their preferred drink in the future (grin). Thanks for showing me the way!
some people do take their coffee seriously! i don't think i'll ever get there, but it's fun to watch the rituals other people follow.
DeleteWOW, I don't drink coffee but loved this anyhow. Who knew there was so much to learn about coffee. My parents only use a coffee pot and can of coffee, so I learned from your post today, thanks so much for sharing this!! Happy T day to you!
ReplyDeletethere's a whole series of those videos at youtube. i learned a lot, too! happy t day :)
DeleteLOL! My first very non-politically-correct thought when I saw this was: this is what happens when men are let loose in the kitchen! Then I remembered how anal & mathematical I get myself about my baking temperatures (compared to mum-in-law & every other master-baking woman I know who uses a finger or an elbow).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I have one tip: store your ground coffee in the fridge, not the pantry. It makes a lot of difference if you are not a home-grinder.
Very interesting. I don't weigh the beans or wet the filter but we have good tasting coffee anyway. Buy beans from Starbuck's and grind right before using. Melitta pot carafe got broken yesterday so we're in the market for a new machine.
ReplyDelete