Brewing a great coffee
Whats right for you, is right!
Lots of people will happily share with you the right way to make the “perfect” cup of coffee. But the great thing is that coffee is as diverse as we are, there certainly is no coconscious on what makes the perfect cup, but there are some ways to brew your favourite cup a little better.
Pour Over
Pour over coffee is back in fashion, one of the best methods to draw out the more subtle flavour of a given coffee. Trial and experimentation is certainly required as you try different blends, grinds and quantities in search of the perfect flavour for your taste.
Hint: use a finer grind for smaller poring cones and a larger grind for larger poring cones.
French Press
The assured method for those in search of a full-bodied brew. Everyone is familiar with the classic French press coffee but as the beautiful aroma fills the room may be tempted to rush things and plunge too soon, for a full flavour be sure to leave the grinds to soak for five minutes, before slowly depressing the plunger.
Hint: leave the grinds to circulate for about five minutes. A coarse grind is recommended.
Espresso
The iconic espresso and espresso derived varieties such as cappuccinos and Americanos birighten so many days but require quite technical equipment, thankfully great machines have become more affordable and reliable in recent years. Contrary to reputation a serving espresso generally has less caffeine than a cup of coffee made by other methods.
Hint: use a finer grind for smaller poring cones and a larger grind for larger poring cones.
Aeropress
A hugely popular, more recent addition to the line up. Areopress devotees will reliably tell you about the virtues of this method. Aeropress makes a tasty coffee, similar to a French press and is perfect form making coffee in small batches for one or two people.
Hint: a fine to medium grind is recommended. If you are new to Aeropress you may consider going for a slightly lighter roast than your usual preference as the process intensifies the flavours.
Auto Drip / Filter
A great way to make tasty coffee for a larger group. Filer coffee has a mixed reputation we have all experienced the stewed stale coffee which has been kept warm for hours but it doesn’t have to be like that. The Auto drip is a great way to make delicious coffee for larger groups of just don’t leave it stew.
Grind: grind on the fine side of medium.
Moka Pot
That iconic octagonal stove top moka coffee pot. A simple and reliable way to make a strong coffee. That said its easy to get very wrong. To make a great coffee with this method we recommend you pre heat the water before placing the pot on the stove, don’t over pack the coffee basket and ensure that you don’t put it on too high a heat.
Hint: don’t over pack the basket, pre heat the water, brew on a moderate heat.
Percolator
For our purposes we are talking about Electronic automatic Percolators, the kind with an old fashioned reputation and a loyal following. Well made peculator coffee will make a robust coffee, which is generally quite strong as it is essentially double brewed.
Electronic percolators can give a consistent result and are less prone to over extraction than the stove top versions which take a little more attention.
Grind: Very coarse ground, medium roast.
Ibrik
If you want the thickest coffee possible then the traditional copper Turkish Coffee Pot is one to try. This method is not one everyone will be familiar with but has been hugely popular and virtually unchanged for centuries. This method of coffee making is often called “boil based” even though it is vital that at no stage do you actually boil the water.
Grind: extremely fine ground coffee, medium roast.
Guide to Coffee Grinding
to experience the best from your coffee it is equally important to have the correct grind. Improve your coffee experience, check out our quick grind guide.