Coffee 202
French press
French press, or plunger pot coffee is the most economical way to produce an outstanding cup of coffee. Press pots can vary in cost from twelve bucks to about a hundred bucks. Here is where I would really emphasize the requirement to purchase a burr grinder. A really good burr grinder. But once you have made the plunge (no pun intended), you will see that it was worth it. When you get to french press coffee the consistency and size of the grounds are of the utmost importance. Work with your grinder to produce different particle size grinds until you have mastered the machine. Set it up for a medium to medium fine for the french press depending on the strainer size. Nylon filters will handle a smaller particle size, while metal strainer will need a more coarse grind. Belladora coffee here at The Nine Bar was blended and developed with the french press in mind, as well as espresso. I drink it that way every day. It is important to start with fresh Belladora, but not too fresh. Two days after roasting should be good. After roasting, coffee expels Carbon dioxide, this is why even though I vacuum seal my beans after cooling them, the bags blow right back up like mylar balloons. This method of packaging helps to preserve the fresh roasted beans so they are at their fullest potential when you open the bag. The reason you don't want to use fresh roasted coffee less that two days old is because this Carbon dioxide is rushing out of the grounds like mad producing a nice frothy brownish foam that looks cool, but might produce some unwanted pressure in the pot and/or push some grounds up and over into your water. So, with that being said.
First.
Make sure you have these items in reach. 1. French press. 2. Near boiling water. 3. A real silver Tablespoon. 4. Grinder. 5. Fresh (between 2 and 10days old) "Nine Bar" coffee.
Second.
Heat up your highest quality water to a near boiling state, just as it starts to roll take it off the burner. (Some home water dispensers have a hot water dispenser that will heat the water to about 185-195 degrees and this works well.) Ideally you want the temperature between 195 and 200 degrees. After you take the water off the burner, place your silver spoon in the water with the end of the spoon exposed so you can grab it later. Be careful, it will be hot. Heat up extra water so you have leftover to pour into your favorite coffee cups to preheat them!
Third.
You will have preset the grinder to a medium grind, right? Grind your coffee.
Fourth.
Use a full rounded tablespoon to 4 ounces of water. So three rounded tablespoons for a 12 ounce carafe as a rule, but you can experiment to your taste. You can also use a measuring tablespoon, but keep your silver tablespoon handy.
Fifth.
Take the silver spoon out of the water. Be careful not to burn yourself. Pour your water over the top of the grounds making sure you are soaking every bit of the top of the mound as the carafe fills. Fill to the appropriate level. Usually it is to the bottom of the silver band.
Sixth.
Optionally, you can stir the beverage to ensure proper extraction. Or, you can wait till step eight and stir after one full minute of steeping to stir.
Seventh.
Place the top of the presspot on top with the plunger all of the way up. Don't press it down yet, but make sure that steam and heat do not escape this trap you laid out for the coffee.
Eighth.
Let time heal all wounds. In this case three to five minutes depending on the grind. (Hence, the crucial need for an consistent grind.) I usually take mine to four minutes.
Ninth.
Place one hand on the handle and lid, and the other on the top of the plunger. Begin to depress the plunger slowly and deliberately keeping an even level of the filter. There will be some resistance, and it will increase toward the end of the press, so know where it stops. It usually takes about twenty seconds to fully depress the plunger.
Tenth.
I would recommend serving your coffee in preheated cups. Dump your water out of the cup from earlier and replace with your fresh french pressed coffee. Prepare as you like and enjoy!
French press, or plunger pot coffee is the most economical way to produce an outstanding cup of coffee. Press pots can vary in cost from twelve bucks to about a hundred bucks. Here is where I would really emphasize the requirement to purchase a burr grinder. A really good burr grinder. But once you have made the plunge (no pun intended), you will see that it was worth it. When you get to french press coffee the consistency and size of the grounds are of the utmost importance. Work with your grinder to produce different particle size grinds until you have mastered the machine. Set it up for a medium to medium fine for the french press depending on the strainer size. Nylon filters will handle a smaller particle size, while metal strainer will need a more coarse grind. Belladora coffee here at The Nine Bar was blended and developed with the french press in mind, as well as espresso. I drink it that way every day. It is important to start with fresh Belladora, but not too fresh. Two days after roasting should be good. After roasting, coffee expels Carbon dioxide, this is why even though I vacuum seal my beans after cooling them, the bags blow right back up like mylar balloons. This method of packaging helps to preserve the fresh roasted beans so they are at their fullest potential when you open the bag. The reason you don't want to use fresh roasted coffee less that two days old is because this Carbon dioxide is rushing out of the grounds like mad producing a nice frothy brownish foam that looks cool, but might produce some unwanted pressure in the pot and/or push some grounds up and over into your water. So, with that being said.
First.
Make sure you have these items in reach. 1. French press. 2. Near boiling water. 3. A real silver Tablespoon. 4. Grinder. 5. Fresh (between 2 and 10days old) "Nine Bar" coffee.
Second.
Heat up your highest quality water to a near boiling state, just as it starts to roll take it off the burner. (Some home water dispensers have a hot water dispenser that will heat the water to about 185-195 degrees and this works well.) Ideally you want the temperature between 195 and 200 degrees. After you take the water off the burner, place your silver spoon in the water with the end of the spoon exposed so you can grab it later. Be careful, it will be hot. Heat up extra water so you have leftover to pour into your favorite coffee cups to preheat them!
Third.
You will have preset the grinder to a medium grind, right? Grind your coffee.
Fourth.
Use a full rounded tablespoon to 4 ounces of water. So three rounded tablespoons for a 12 ounce carafe as a rule, but you can experiment to your taste. You can also use a measuring tablespoon, but keep your silver tablespoon handy.
Fifth.
Take the silver spoon out of the water. Be careful not to burn yourself. Pour your water over the top of the grounds making sure you are soaking every bit of the top of the mound as the carafe fills. Fill to the appropriate level. Usually it is to the bottom of the silver band.
Sixth.
Optionally, you can stir the beverage to ensure proper extraction. Or, you can wait till step eight and stir after one full minute of steeping to stir.
Seventh.
Place the top of the presspot on top with the plunger all of the way up. Don't press it down yet, but make sure that steam and heat do not escape this trap you laid out for the coffee.
Eighth.
Let time heal all wounds. In this case three to five minutes depending on the grind. (Hence, the crucial need for an consistent grind.) I usually take mine to four minutes.
Ninth.
Place one hand on the handle and lid, and the other on the top of the plunger. Begin to depress the plunger slowly and deliberately keeping an even level of the filter. There will be some resistance, and it will increase toward the end of the press, so know where it stops. It usually takes about twenty seconds to fully depress the plunger.
Tenth.
I would recommend serving your coffee in preheated cups. Dump your water out of the cup from earlier and replace with your fresh french pressed coffee. Prepare as you like and enjoy!
Drip coffee makers
By far, most people (even people who don't really drink coffee on a daily basis own a drip coffee maker. It's like that can opener in the cupboard, even though most cans nowadays come with a self opening system, we still have that old can opener. If you are one of those people, here's what you do to improve your coffee without having to go an purchase that new $250 drip coffee maker at the store.
First.
Clean your coffee maker, yes, clean it. I can't over emphasize the importance of this. There are a number of coffee cleaning agents on the market with their own directions. Regular cleaning will remove residue left over from the previous brews, and prevent new residue from appearing. This includes cleaning your water resevoir and the carafe. If you can, pull those things out and give em a good soap and water bath with a capful of regular bleach diluted into the sink basin of water. Rinse well. Stagnant water can produce all kinds of nasty little creatures that are not only unhealthy, but taste bad too. If you can't pull it out, make a solution of one half gallon water to 5 drops regular bleach and use the mixture to wipe off the interior of the resevoir, follow up by running water only through the brew cycle a couple of times to clear it out. Now, take a look at the brewhead. Its where the hot water comes out to brew the coffee. Is it dirty, oily, or otherwise have unknown crustations with eyes looking right back at you? Use the half gallon solution with bleach to wipe this off, and get a small toothbrush to clean the holes where the water is supposed to come out. When you are done with this, run a brew cycle of water a couple of times to clear out the residue.
Second.
Ditch the old paper filters. Paper filters will change coffee taste by adding its own taste. (And can there be any chemical residues in the paper from the manufacturing process)? Paper filters also restrict those wonderful oils and flavenoids that are really what the essence of coffee flavor is all about. Purchase the gold plated metal filter. Gold is inert and will not react to the hot water, or the coffee. I am not sure if they offer silver metal strainers. The metal strainer type filter will also let those wonderful oils pass through. Remember to keep these filters clean too. This leads me to the next thing.
Third.
The grind. This is a very important thing. Proper extraction rates occur here. You must get a good burr grinder. These have a great advantage over blade grinders due to the consistent particle size of the coffee grounds. They also don't tend to heat the coffee as blade grinders do when chopping the coffee. Heat added to unbrewed coffee grounds will alter the taste. Burr grinders can range greatly in price. And not all burr grinders are created equal, so do your homework and budget some good cash for a grinder that will perform for your given machine. It makes no sense to buy a $1000 espresso grinder if you only make drip coffee at home. Longer brew times require a coarser grind and shorter brew times require a finer grind. If the grind is too fine the result will be a greenish peanut-like flavor or if the grind is too coarse the flavor will be sour, bitter and unpleasant. A loose guide is to grind from medium to coarse for your drip coffee maker, medium for your french press, and medium fine to fine for espresso machines. This will vary slightly according to your own personal taste, and the size of the filters you use. It makes sense to keep the particle size larger than the strainer hole size.
Fourth.
Use only high quality water. Coffee is 98% water with 1.25% dissolved solids, so the quality of your water is extremely important for a good brew. The water should taste fresh, have no odor and contain no impurities. Water with 50 to 100 parts per million of dissolved minerals will produce the best tasting coffee.
Fifth.
The coffee to water ratio is important for a good result. Start with one rounded tablespoon per four ounces of water, or 2.5 ounces of coffee to 64 ounces of water and adjust slightly from there to taste, but be careful. A good cup of coffee requires a balance of coffee strength and extraction. Strength (amount of coffee soluble solids in water) less than 1% is too weak and greater than 1.5% is too strong. Extraction (amount of soluble solids removed from the ground coffee) is acceptable between 18% and 22%, but extraction below 16% creates a grassy or peanut-like flavor. Overextraction above 24% results in bitter astringent flavors.
Sixth.
Drink your coffee as soon as you brew it. Coffee will degrade immediately after it is brewed. Any heat applied to it from the warmer below the carafe will begin to change its chemical composition. I recommend keeping your fresh brewed coffee in its own stable temperature enviornment between 175 and 185 degrees in a thermos instead of on top of a heating element. Coffee that is left on a heating element for 30 minutes will have changed greatly, and after an hour, forget about it. And once it has gotten cold, its over. Do not reheat coffee, make a new pot.
Seventh.
Use only solid silver utensils for your coffee. This will not alter the taste of your coffee. Also preheat your coffee cup with hot water so the ceramic, or porcelain will not steal the heat away from the coffee.
By far, most people (even people who don't really drink coffee on a daily basis own a drip coffee maker. It's like that can opener in the cupboard, even though most cans nowadays come with a self opening system, we still have that old can opener. If you are one of those people, here's what you do to improve your coffee without having to go an purchase that new $250 drip coffee maker at the store.
First.
Clean your coffee maker, yes, clean it. I can't over emphasize the importance of this. There are a number of coffee cleaning agents on the market with their own directions. Regular cleaning will remove residue left over from the previous brews, and prevent new residue from appearing. This includes cleaning your water resevoir and the carafe. If you can, pull those things out and give em a good soap and water bath with a capful of regular bleach diluted into the sink basin of water. Rinse well. Stagnant water can produce all kinds of nasty little creatures that are not only unhealthy, but taste bad too. If you can't pull it out, make a solution of one half gallon water to 5 drops regular bleach and use the mixture to wipe off the interior of the resevoir, follow up by running water only through the brew cycle a couple of times to clear it out. Now, take a look at the brewhead. Its where the hot water comes out to brew the coffee. Is it dirty, oily, or otherwise have unknown crustations with eyes looking right back at you? Use the half gallon solution with bleach to wipe this off, and get a small toothbrush to clean the holes where the water is supposed to come out. When you are done with this, run a brew cycle of water a couple of times to clear out the residue.
Second.
Ditch the old paper filters. Paper filters will change coffee taste by adding its own taste. (And can there be any chemical residues in the paper from the manufacturing process)? Paper filters also restrict those wonderful oils and flavenoids that are really what the essence of coffee flavor is all about. Purchase the gold plated metal filter. Gold is inert and will not react to the hot water, or the coffee. I am not sure if they offer silver metal strainers. The metal strainer type filter will also let those wonderful oils pass through. Remember to keep these filters clean too. This leads me to the next thing.
Third.
The grind. This is a very important thing. Proper extraction rates occur here. You must get a good burr grinder. These have a great advantage over blade grinders due to the consistent particle size of the coffee grounds. They also don't tend to heat the coffee as blade grinders do when chopping the coffee. Heat added to unbrewed coffee grounds will alter the taste. Burr grinders can range greatly in price. And not all burr grinders are created equal, so do your homework and budget some good cash for a grinder that will perform for your given machine. It makes no sense to buy a $1000 espresso grinder if you only make drip coffee at home. Longer brew times require a coarser grind and shorter brew times require a finer grind. If the grind is too fine the result will be a greenish peanut-like flavor or if the grind is too coarse the flavor will be sour, bitter and unpleasant. A loose guide is to grind from medium to coarse for your drip coffee maker, medium for your french press, and medium fine to fine for espresso machines. This will vary slightly according to your own personal taste, and the size of the filters you use. It makes sense to keep the particle size larger than the strainer hole size.
Fourth.
Use only high quality water. Coffee is 98% water with 1.25% dissolved solids, so the quality of your water is extremely important for a good brew. The water should taste fresh, have no odor and contain no impurities. Water with 50 to 100 parts per million of dissolved minerals will produce the best tasting coffee.
Fifth.
The coffee to water ratio is important for a good result. Start with one rounded tablespoon per four ounces of water, or 2.5 ounces of coffee to 64 ounces of water and adjust slightly from there to taste, but be careful. A good cup of coffee requires a balance of coffee strength and extraction. Strength (amount of coffee soluble solids in water) less than 1% is too weak and greater than 1.5% is too strong. Extraction (amount of soluble solids removed from the ground coffee) is acceptable between 18% and 22%, but extraction below 16% creates a grassy or peanut-like flavor. Overextraction above 24% results in bitter astringent flavors.
Sixth.
Drink your coffee as soon as you brew it. Coffee will degrade immediately after it is brewed. Any heat applied to it from the warmer below the carafe will begin to change its chemical composition. I recommend keeping your fresh brewed coffee in its own stable temperature enviornment between 175 and 185 degrees in a thermos instead of on top of a heating element. Coffee that is left on a heating element for 30 minutes will have changed greatly, and after an hour, forget about it. And once it has gotten cold, its over. Do not reheat coffee, make a new pot.
Seventh.
Use only solid silver utensils for your coffee. This will not alter the taste of your coffee. Also preheat your coffee cup with hot water so the ceramic, or porcelain will not steal the heat away from the coffee.
Espresso coming soon!
