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.
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!
You may want to print this or forward it to the office !
Coffee Beans – Begin with fresh roasted JumpinGoat Gourmet roasted whole beans. Use only 100% Arabica Beans for best results, never use Robusta or blends with Robusta as these beans typically have a bitter flavor.
Water – Think about it…coffee is mostly water (about 99%), so it makes sense that the quality of your coffee is heavily dependent upon the quality of the water that you use. Don’t skimp ! Use only fresh filtered water (cold). If you have chlorine in your water use bottled water as an alternative. If you have well water, filter out any mineral content. For optimal brew extraction, maintain a water temperature between 199 degrees F. and 205 degrees F. Never brew with boiling, because it can scorch the taste of your coffee. It’s okay to boil the water, but set it aside and let it temp down before brewing.
Brewing: If you use a French press you will obtain a better result than paper filter brewers. The reason is because with French Pressing you extract the crema of coffee. Crema is brown foam that is desired by coffee experts. It’s the natural sugar in the bean, the essential oils, and the natural essence of coffee. Remember, use very hot water, but not boiling, in your French Press Coffee Maker. Whatever way you decide to brew…a clean coffee pot is essential and can make a substantial difference in the taste of your coffee.
Coffee Grinders – There are basically two different kinds of grinders: Blade Coffee Grinders (not good) or Burr Coffee Grinders (preferred). What’s the difference? Burr grinders crush the beans between a moving grinding wheel and a non-moving surface. Therefore, a burr grinder can be calibrated and it can better regulate the grind to the type brewing method you use. Consistent grind will yield better results and it will save you money over time because you will ultimately use a more precise amount of coffee for brewing.
Chop Grinders These grinders are good in a pinch and they are inexpensive but typically you cannot calibrate or control any appreciable level of consistency in your coffee grind. This type grinder can be easily identified as the blades look like the blades in a blender. The grind from a chop grinder will be uneven in size, leading to inconsistent brew quality, taste, and ultimately cost. Chop grinders are not recommended for gourmet coffee.
Coarse Grind: is used for French Press, percolators, and cold water brewing method.
Medium Grind (Drip): Used for electric drip and manual drip. The drip method is one of the most popular in the USA
Extra Fine Grind: used for espresso machines. Remember espresso is not a bean, it’s a brewing method. Example: Never say, I’d like an espresso roast. Instead say, I would like a roast suitable for brewing espresso. Also, any roasted bean (color) is fine for espresso.
Amount of Coffee – Professional’s use: exactly two (2) tablespoons (7 to 9 grams or 2 scoop of a standard coffee measure) of ground coffee beans for each six (6) ounces of water. For (4) 6 ounce cups of coffee, measure out 8 generous tablespoons (30 to 35 grams) of fresh ground coffee.
In Summary there are four essential components of a great cup of Coffee:
Perfect Coffee
Perfect Grind
Perfect Water
Perfect Brew
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The availability of coffee from some parts of the world has been questionable over the last year or so, and the industry has seen upwards of a 50% increase in pricing.
The questions around the “C” market have left us all wondering, “what’s next”, and if the volatility had some end in sight.
Coffee manufactures, and end users have been asking:
Is it available?
Will it be available?
How much will be available, and what’s the price?
These are very real questions, but now it seems some hint of an answer may be emerging about Kenya Coffee
Kenya Coffee season has experienced a steep decline in crop volume productions, so the 2010-11 marketing season may close early.
The Kenya market typically closes in July and Aug, but instead it will most likely close in May-June time-frame.
If you love that AA African Coffee that JumpinGoat sells, you may want to stock up.
This may not speak directly to availability, but remember, coffee is traded on “replacement value”…I’m just saying !
