1 post tagged “coffee”
Have you ever wondered how to brew a really great pot of coffee? No? You just dump in the Folgers and the water and push the button on your automatic drip coffee maker? That's cool. You don't have to get any more advanced than that if you don't want to. I'm not going to begrudge you your typical morning coffee, I'm just saying that if you want to make something better, I can tell you how.
There are only two things you need to make coffee--water and coffee grounds. Like most things, the higher quality those two ingredients, the better your results. Some people use bottled water to make their coffee. A lot of coffee houses use a reverse osmosis filtration system. I'm lazy and cheap, so I use tap water that's gone through a Brita filter. I'm sure Pur or any other sort of water filter would work just as well. You can use a pitcher if you like or just hook a filter up to your faucet like I do. Run the water for a little bit so you're getting fresh, cool water that hasn't been sitting in your pipes for hours.
Coffee beans are much more complicated. I could go into a whole thing about where coffee is grown and by whom and how long the beans have been picked before they've been roasted and how long they've been roasted before they get to your kitchen, but I won't. It's actually not hard to find quality beans now that the idea of gourmet roasted coffee has filtered through most of the Western world. You can get brands like Starbucks in pretty much any grocery store, places like Trader Joe's have their own special roasts, and if you've got a small coffee house/roaster in your town, even better.
We're going to start with two pretty consistent, mass-produced brands--Starbucks and Trader Joe's. I always recommend getting whole beans instead of pre-ground, just because the coffee's tastier that way. Plus, you can freeze whole beans for later use without much loss of quality, unlike pre-ground coffee which goes wonky in the freezer.
Now, I'm not saying you should keep your coffee in the freezer and pull it out every morning when you want to grind it. The temperature and humidity changes the beans go through when you do this can make them lose a lot of flavor. Instead, figure out how much coffee you can use in a week and keep that in a dark, airtight container in your cupboard and put the rest in the freezer. You only want the beans to thaw once, so never take out more than you can use in a week. For me, it's about half a pound, but that's because there's only one of me and I usually have more than one type of coffee out and ready for grinding at one time. Most people and households can easily go through a pound of coffee a week.
You need to grind your coffee beans to different consistencies depending on how you're going to make them. This is because the longer the coffee is in contact with the grounds the bigger the grind needs to be. Espresso grind is very fine since the water goes through it in a matter of seconds. Drip coffee grounds should be medium because they're in contact with water for over a minute. French press grounds should be even more coarse than that, and percolator grounds should be the most coarse of all. It sounds complicated, but it's really not, especially if you have a coffee grinder that does all the work for you. I have a blade grinder, which is supposed to be horrible but, really, I've used the (much) more expensive conical burr grinders, and I think my little $20 blade grinder works better and makes a more consistant grind, plus it's easier to clean. Just get a grinder with seperate settings on it for Espresso, Drip, and French Press/Percolator grinds, put in as much whole bean as you need, press the button, and you're golden.
The two easiest and most common ways of making coffee, are with a drip coffee maker and a French press, so we'll go with those two for now.
My coffee maker's not fancy, just a regular old 12-cup Coffee Mate with a basket filter. Paper filters keep a lot of the coffee oils from getting into your pot, which is both good and bad--the oils are very flavorful, but they make cleaning your carafe a pain in the ass. It's a tradeoff.
I ground up enough for 2 Tablespoons of coffee per 6-ounces of water. This is pretty average for drip coffee makers, and a lot of them come with 1- or 2-Tablespoon scoops to make things easier. If you want your coffee stronger, by all means add more scoops. If you want it less strong, don't add fewer scoops; coffee that is brewed too weak will be bitter, so you're better off just adding hot water to the finished, brewed coffee to make it less strong.
One thing about drip coffee makers--it's tempting not to clean them. You finish the coffee, rinse out the carafe, toss out the filter of old grounds, and you think you're good. Actually, if you don't keep it clean, the old coffee residue will end up making your new batches of coffee taste stale, and nobody wants that. Give the carafe and the filter holder a good scrub every time you use them and your coffee will taste better.
Also, only make as much as you think you can drink in about an hour. Coffee breaks down quickly after it's made, and the longer it's on the heat source, the worse it's going to taste. Sure, you can microwave what's left over, but be honest--microwaved coffee's always a little rank. It's best just to brew a little bit throughout the day instead of reheating the old stuff.
It has a few basic parts--a metal/plastic base and handle combination, a tempered glass carafe, and a stainless steel filter/press combo. It's actually really easy to clean when you're done because you can throw all the parts into the dishwasher.
Here's how you make coffee with a French press. Using your grinder with the grind settings, grind up some whole bean coffee on the coarse setting. Add 1 rounded Tablespoon per 4-ounce cup. My coffee press is just a little 4-cup one from Pottery Barn. It's by Bodum, a decent, popular brand, and I think it cost something like $19.
Put the appropriate amount of coffee into the bottom of your clean, dry press, and set your water to boil. You want the water to be about 200°F (that's about 93°C). You can use a thermometer if you want, or you can do like me and cheat. Bring water to a boil in a teapot, take it off the heat and let it rest for about 10 to 15 seconds, and then pour it slowly. The temperature should be just about perfect. The grounds will float to the surface, but if you want them to sink you can give them a quick stir (or swirl the carafe) and they'll sink to the bottom. Fill the press up to the bottom of the top metal band, put on the lid, and set the timer for 3-5 minutes. I tend to like it best at a 4 minute brew, but you can experiment and see what you like. After the timer goes off, press the plunger down slowly. It should take you approximately 15-20 seconds to press the plunger down. Your coffee is done! Pour it into your mug and enjoy.
The second thing you'll notice is that French press coffees aren't as clean as drip coffees. There will usually be sediment at the bottom of your mug. This turns some people off, but I like it as it adds to the cup's richness.
When I make coffee in a French press, I like a robust, dark coffee with low acidity, as I think those coffees are best complemented by the press method. The last coffee I had in a press was Starbuck's Organic Shade Grown Mexico. Made in a press, the medium bodied coffee becomes even richer, with a thick, caramel-like taste and a very clean aftertaste. This is one of my favorite coffees ever, especially for after dinner, since it's so smooth and if eaten with desserts containing citrus, has a great hint of cinnamon.
Most people know Starbucks for their espresso drinks, and I'll admit that on certain days I'd cut a bitch to get a double tall latte, but I think their roasted coffee is often overlooked. It's unfortunate, since they have a lot of really good roasts. The easiest way to pick one is just to ask someone who works there for recommendations, since even the high school kids behind the counter get hours of training about coffee roasting and brewing, and most stores have at least one "coffee master" who has done even more extensive training.
And, yes, I know, I know, Starbucks is the devil, only not really. I think they've done a lot to bring an appreciation of gourmet coffee to the masses. Studies have shown that once a Starbucks moves into a location, the independant coffee shops around them do better, not worse. So don't feel guilty popping into a Starbucks once and a while--they've got some good products and they really are willing to help you find what you like. And then go to the independant roasters and try some of their stuff, too, because a lot of it is too good to miss. There's a small roaster here in town that makes the best Tanzanian Peaberry I've ever had in my life.
