• My Favorite Cup
  Posted on Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 in Coffee – Comments: (0)

  Image via Wikipedia

  [/caption] I don’t think a day goes by where I’m not asked, “What’s your favorite coffee?” I suppose I’m always a little flattered that people trust my subjective notion of “taste” , but for me coffee is about infinitely more than taste. For me the cup is a great thing to embrace while reflecting, and planning.
• The Coffee Addiction
  Posted on Thursday, September 29th, 2011 in Coffee – Comments: (0)
  THE COFFEE ADDICTIONThe Coffee Addiction. September 29th Go inside an amazing Journey Scott Wapner Reports, “stakes are very high”, as CNBC tracks a single coffee harvest from the tropical rain forest to the concrete jungle, “a CNBC Original”…to the coffee shop on the corner. Discover the raw manpower, the incredible expense, and the intricate logistics behind “The Coffee Addiction”   a CNBC original Premieres September 29  only on CNBC 9:00 PM ET/PT coffeeaddiction.

THE COFFEE ADDICTION

The Coffee Addiction. September 29th Go inside an amazing Journey Scott Wapner Reports, “stakes are very high”, as CNBC tracks a single coffee harvest from the tropical rain forest to the concrete jungle, “a CNBC Original”…to the coffee shop on the corner. Discover the raw manpower, the incredible expense, and the intricate logistics behind “The Coffee Addiction”   a CNBC original Premieres September 29  only on CNBC 9:00 PM ET/PT coffeeaddiction.cnbc

Image via Wikipedia

 I don’t think a day goes by where I’m not asked, “What’s your favorite coffee?” I suppose I’m always a little flattered that people trust my subjective notion of “taste” , but for me coffee is about infinitely more than taste. For me the cup is a great thing to embrace while reflecting, and planning. It induces imagination, dreams, and even action. I almost always have a cup in hand while in the sphere of social media or Business

I have tasted about every origin of coffee in the world, and I’ve built a thriving business by always offering coffee from the top ten growing regions of the world, artfully roasted, and fresh on-demand.
That said, when I reach for my favorite cup I personally favor Brazilian coffee.

I can enjoy about any cup, but I love the sweet berry flavors, the rich creamy body, and the citric acidity of a Brazilian coffee. 

I don’t think I have ever tasted a more balanced, or bright cup of coffee.

Brazil Coffee

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Image via Wikipedia

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How to Perform the Process at Home

 Single hole filter brewing is essentially single cup coffee brewing. It is also referred to as pour-over brewing. The concept of single hole brewing or pour-over brewing is to allow for an even extraction of the full chemical profile of the coffee bean, thus producing a superb cup of coffee with full flavor and hints of underlying subtleties. While there are many kettles and filtercones available to assist in this brewing method, our recommended tools for this technique are the Hario Buono kettle and the Bonmac #2 single hole porcelain filtercone. The question is, what is the single hole filter brewing process and how can I do this at home?

HOW TO DO IT YOURSELF (USING THE BONMAC #2 AND HARIO BUONO KETTLE AS EXAMPLES):

Step 1: Place paper filter in the Bonmac #2 porcelain filtercone and rinse filter with hot to remove any “paper” taste from the filter. You will want to discard this filtered water. This step is simply to remove any trace of undesired filter taste.

Step 2: Heat water in the Hario Buono kettle (or other desired kettle). One ratio example is to use 13.5 gm. of coffee to 150 ml. of water. Another ratio you may want to try is 23 gm. of coffee to 250 ml. of water. Feel free to experiment with this ratio until desired taste preferences and results are achieved.

Step 3: Place the Bonmac #2 porcelain unit with filter in place over designated coffee mug. Add desired amount of coffee grinds to filter. We recommend a press coarse setting, as too fine a grind will lead to clogging. If you find clogging to be an issue, continue to try a coarser grind.

Step 4: Pre-wet the grinds for 30 seconds with a minimal amount of heated water from the Hario Buono kettle. Be sure to avoid the edges, aiming for the middle of the grinds and pouring in a circular motion.

Step 5: After 30 seconds, begin a slow, even pour of the heated water in a circular motion, starting with the center and circling outwards. Again, avoid the edges as possible, as well as pouring directly on the filter. I find it is best to pour in stop-start intervals, allowing time for the heated water to seep through and expand the grinds. The total infusion time will range between 2 to 4 minutes.

Step 6: Remove the Bonmac #2 after full infusion time and you’ve got yourself a fine cup of single hole filtered coffee.

That’s it! You have now completed the single hole filtered brewing process (also known as pour-over brewing) and the result is a full flavor, exquisite single cup. Now it’s your turn to give it a shot!

By now, you may have discovered that cold water process brewing of coffee produces a lower acidity brew. That’s great news for people suffering from acid reflux or other gastrointestinal ailments. But what is the cold water process all about and how do you perfect this technique at home?

It is really a very simple coffee brewing method and is more or less just an adjustment from your normal routine.

HOW TO DO IT YOURSELF :

Step 1: Grind your coffee beans to a coarse setting.

Step 2: Place your coarsely ground coffee in a container and add cold water. A good rule of thumb is approximately one pound of ground coffee to nine cups of cold water.

Step 3: Let coffee grounds and cold water steep for 12 to 24 hours at room temperature. Many prefer to let their mixture sit overnight. There is no need to stir.

Step 4: Separate the ground coffee beans from the water to create a liquid coffee concentrate. There are a variety of techniques and appliances to assist in filtering the mixture, including paper filters, metal sieves, French presses and commercial products such as the Filtron unit. I have even heard of people scooping the grounds out with a perforated spoon, albeit somewhat messy. Pick the filter method best suited to your needs.

Step 5: You now have a coffee concentrate able to produce multiple cups of coffee. Pour a small amount of concentrate in a cup and add hot water to produce a wonderful mug of low acid coffee. Simply experiment with the dilution ratio of water to concentrate to perfect the preferred taste. A good starting point would be 1 part concentrate to 3 parts water. From this point, it’s a tasting game. Adjust concentrate versus water as appropriate.

Step 6: Store remaining concentrate in the refrigerator for future use.

That’s it! You have now completed the cold water process brewing of your coffee beans. Most individuals find the taste comparison between hot brewed and cold brewed coffee very different. Because the acidity is lower, you may find a sweeter, smoother coffee without the “bite” (but without the heartburn as well!). Many of the subtle underlying flavors which are produced only by high temperatures will be deficient, as a cold brew process will extract a different chemical profile. Now it’s your turn to give it a shot!