There are lots of different recipes and instructions across the internet, but there are some basic things you can do that can lead to great cup of coffee. Here are our top 5!
To make the most out of each coffee, be sure that your main ingredient, coffee, is fresh and of high quality, comprehend what and how much to extract from the grounds to the cup, understand the ratio (the strength in the cup), have your water in good quality and in the correct temperature, and last but not least, be sure to have the correct detergents
Coffee:
Get to know your coffee, where does it come from? Where and how was it cultivated and harvested? How was it processed? Is it organic? Keep in mind sustainable coffee makes good and therefore tastes good. Also the roast profile and the roast level, it´s perfect to understand where time and temperature are utilized to get the most out of it. Last but not least, the packaging, the coffee should always be kept in the original package, this package should be stored in a tight container.
Extraction:
How much do you manage to move from the grounds to the cup? not all the compounds are extracted at the same rate, for this you need to consider the following:
Grind level: choose the level based on your method and device. Use a decent grinder, not one of those blade versions that you can get with 10 € from the local market.
Method: infusion, immersion or pressure?
Device: automatic batch brewer, Chemex, Siphon, Aeropress, Vandola, French Press, Hario V60 and similar, espresso machine.
Blooming is most easily to be controlled when brewing manually. We bloom to prepare the coffee for brewing and to get rid of excessive CO2.
Agitation can be introduced if we want to enhance the extraction. By agitation we create turbulence – movement of water of coffee grounds.
Water
The water temperature has an effect on the extraction so play around with it to see how it effects on the brew. Clean, fresh drinking quality water is the starting point. Then you have to evaluate, if there are any unpleasant substances or if the mineral balance is correct or needs to be adjusted. The water temperature should be between 90-96 °C
Coffee to water ratio:
This is the amount of coffee grounds and water you use to make one brew. The ratio should be 55 g/1000 hot water ml ± 10 % and the optimum ratio is 1:20, according to the SCA.
The strength of coffee means the amount of coffee solubles in the brew, the opposite of strong coffee is watery coffee.
Clean equipment:
We all know how dirty coffee tastes, dull and a bitter flavor, but keep that brush going and use a decent cleaning agent to make the most out of each cup.
So many different methods, so many different flavours!
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