A
Little History
From the 17th century
until the early part of this century, coffee was generally made by
placing the ground coffee in water and boiling it. You may have heard of
some of the tricks people used to make the coffee grounds settle into
the bottom of the pot, such as dropping an eggshell or bread crust into
the coffee pot. People boiled coffee and tea during that time more for
their health than any other reason
Water was often
contaminated and boiled water was safer to drink. People didn't know
that, of course, but they did know that they did not get sick as often
drinking boiled coffee or tea. In fact, it was considered by some to
have curative powers.
In the early 20th century,
however, it was discovered that the taste of coffee was much better if
you added the water to the coffee grounds after the water had boiled.
That discovery was the start of coffee brewing. Today there are many
methods for grinding, measuring and brewing coffee.
How
Much Coffee to Use?
Select a good measuring
scoop using the same scoop each time, make your measures level and you
will be able to accurately repeat the measure each time. Rule of
thumb: use 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6-8 ounce cup of
water. Adjust to taste. Refer to our section on grinding to determine
the proper coffee to water ratio for your specific brewing method.
Water
The single biggest
ingredient by volume in coffee is water! So it only stands to reason
that the quality and taste of the water you use to brew your coffee will
have a major impact on the final product. Start with fresh, cold water.
Bottled waters are often too acidic and plain tap water is also often
loaded with unpleasant tasting elements. For many the best choice is
filtered tap water. Tap water has the advantage of being highly
oxygenated and filtering eliminates the impurities that can harm the
coffee's taste. Investing in a good filtration device is another must
for the true connoisseur.
If you don't want to use
filtration, then use fresh, cold water that is pleasing to your taste.
Grinding
We strongly recommend that
you invest in an electric coffee grinder. Starting with whole beans,
ground fresh is the secret to really good coffee. There is no
substitute! You will be amazed at the added flavor and aroma you will
experience from grinding your own coffee beans before each brew.
Blade grinders are the
most common and most popular. While blade grinders work well, it is
necessary to make certain the coffee is ground evenly, and that the
grinder doesn't run too long because the blades will heat up and rob the
coffee of some of its flavor. The real connoisseur should buy a grinder
that can be set for specific grinds like those in supermarkets and
coffee specialty shops.
If you use a blade
grinder, the best method is to count seconds. You will quickly learn
just how long to run your grinder to obtain the correct degree of grind.
Counting is the most accurate method to operate a blade grinder.
Counting keeps you from over grinding or under grinding your coffee.
Grinding effects the amount of surface area exposed to the water and the
flow rate of the water through the coffee. It's important to get the
grind right for the type of brewing equipment you are using.
-
French
Press: Grind your coffee
coarse, use a tablespoon of coffee per 10 ounce cup. There are many
sizes of French presses.
-
Espresso:
Grind your coffee extra fine. You will know you have reached the
correct grind when you can make a finger print in a small amount
held in the palm of your hand.
Put 8-10 grams of ground coffee per 2 ounce shot in a stovetop
espresso maker. Put 7 grams of ground coffee per 1.5 ounce shot in
an electric espresso maker.
-
Conventional
Electric Brewers: Grind your
coffee medium to fine. Use 3/4 to 1 cup of coffee per 10 cup pot.
-
Manual
Cone Systems: Grind your
coffee medium to fine, in a basket-type brewer, Use 3/4 cup of
coffee per 10 cup pot.
-
Percolator:
Grind your coffee coarse. 4
ounces of specialty coffee will yield 15 10-ounce cups of coffee. 8
ounces of specialty coffee will yield 30 10-ounce cups of coffee. 1
pound of specialty coffee will yield 60 10-ounce cups of coffee.
Brewing
Methods
…
General Hints:
-
Keep
your brewing equipment clean. Clean brewing equipment means that the
final cup will not have unpleasant odors and tastes from old coffee
and sediment.
-
Make
certain the water is the right temperature, 195F - 200F degrees.
-
Never
boil your coffee.
-
Never
re - pour over used grounds, the coffee will not become stronger,
only more bitter.
-
Stir
your coffee after brewing, this assures an excellent mix.
-
Serve
coffee immediately after brewing. If this is not possible, hold in a
thermal container to maintain freshness and flavor.
Electric Drip
This is the most popular
method in use today. There are a number of good models. Pick one that
suits your taste and style but look for one that can heat the water to
the required 195F - 200F degrees. If the water temperature isn't high
enough, you will not get the best brew.
Manual Drips
The advantages to a manual
drip brewer are that the brewer can control the flow rate by how fast
they pour the water into the filter and the water can be properly heated
to the right temperature before starting the brewing process.
French Press
This is a good method to
use for quality coffee. Just be certain to purchase a good unit made
from hi-quality glass. Some people may not like this method because of
the sediment that can remain in the final cup but it does provide an
excellent brewing method.
Two keys to making good
coffee using the French Press method are: 1) remember to preheat the
container with hot water prior to making the coffee and 2), failure to
clean the container. If you pour boiling water into a container that is
not preheated, your water temperature can drop as much as 20 degrees and
this seriously effects the final cup. Likewise, failure to clean the
container effects the final cup taste.
Vacuum Method
The vacuum method is
distinguished for producing excellent brewed coffee. In this method,
water boils and goes into an upper chamber where it is held for a few
minutes. The device is removed from the heat and as the water cools, a
vacuum is created which pulls the coffee through the grind. Advantages
to the vacuum method are that the water reaches boiling temperature and
the method does not require quite as precise a grind as some of the
others, making it easier for many to use.
Percolators
There are still many of
these around. They are not recommended. Percolators boil the coffee
which is not a method that gives good results for the final cup.
Filters
…
Gold
Filters:
Great
at keeping sediment out of the final cup but you will need to adjust
your grind to their flow rate. Also, gold filters need to be kept very
clean and must be hand-washed because they are so soft.
…
Paper Filters:
Paper
filters are designed to be fast flow because the filter industry is
aware that most brewers use electric drip machines and that they tend to
over grind their coffee. Slowing the flow down is a good way to improve
the final cup's taste by lengthening the extraction time. There are some
filters available which are designed to do this.
…
Natural
vs. White Paper Filters:
Oxygen
whitened paper filters are environmentally preferred over bleached
filters. Natural paper filters tend to have a taste that can be detected
in the final cup by some people. There is no difference in the flow rate
between bleached and unbleached filters however, select the one you
prefer.
Final Note:
If you really want to know what is happening in your
brewing
process, examine the spent grounds. They can tell you a
great deal about the brewing process and help you solve
problems.
Back to
Top
  
  
Back to
Top
HOME
bisuzscoffee@cox.net
Please E-Mail for
information
 
Copyright @ 2002 - 2006 All Rights Reserved |
BiSuz's Coffee Services
|
