Preparing and enjoying a great cup of coffee is one of life's simplest, most transporting pleasures, and few things as simple as brewing coffee provide such rich rewards. Preparing coffee is actually a lot like cooking with fresh produce; start with the best, freshest ingredients, take care to do it well, and you will produce something astonishingly delicious.

 

 

Brewing Basics

• Use freshly roasted and just-ground coffee.
• Brew with water heated to between 195 and 205F. A safe bet is using water just off the boil.
• Use one ounce of freshly ground coffee per 16 fluid ounces of water, which equals about 30 grams of coffee per 16 fluid ounces of water. Adjust to taste.
• Store whole-bean coffee in an airtight container and keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heat, cold, and moisture. Avoid storing your beans in the fridge or freezer, as these places can facilitate odor contamination and damaging condensation.

 

 

Brewing Methods

French Press Pot
Manual Pour Over Drip
Pourover Brewer Basics video
Chemex
"Japanese" Iced Coffee
Iced Cascara

 

 

Five Steps to Greener Brewing

1. Go Organic.
Choosing organic can reduce coffee’s carbon footprint by one-third.

2. Use a Mug.
Paper cup = paper taste, and 58 BILLION paper cups hit landfills annually.

3. Measure.
Heating excess water can double a cup’s carbon footprint.

4. Handcraft Every Cup.
Hand brewing via French press or drip cone improves taste and efficiency.

5. Waste (Not).
Compost – don’t trash – grounds and filters.