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Perfecting the Brew There are many ways to brew coffee. In all of the brewing methods, you are simply combining ground coffee and hot water, extracting the flavor and caffeine, and removing the grounds from the water.
Remember, it is better to brew coffee too strongly than too weakly. Brewing it too weakly overextracts the coffee and can result in a bitter brew. Of course, this presumes that you are using good quality coffee. I think many people have gotten into the habit of brewing coffee weakly because they use cheap, low grade coffee or coffee that is overroasted and bitter, and brewing that coffee at the proper strength is unpleasant.
I'm often asked what my strongest coffee is. At first I thought that an odd question; if you want stronger coffee, put more coffee in your brew. But what I think people mean by that, is a coffee that you can use less of to produce flavor. That usually means very dark roasted coffee with a burnt taste. The burnt flavor comes through even in dilute form. In fact it's difficult to drink at regular strength. I assiduously avoid any burnt taste in my coffees. Even my French Roast is just slightly dark. I try to get the dark roasted flavor without the bitter taste (and that's not easy).
The Open Pot Method
The simplest brewing method is the Open Pot method, where you bring the water to a boil, let it cool to about 200° F, and add coarsely ground coffee. You then let it steep for three to four minutes and pour it through a strainer.
The French Press Method
The French Press is a variation of the open pot method but with a built-in strainer that you plunge through the coffee after it has steeped for three to four minutes. If the coffee is too finely ground, coffee grinds will seep through the filter (plunger).
Be careful never to force the plunger as you could break the glass. The French Press method produces wonderful coffee. Drawbacks include the time it takes as you have to time it and get the water to just the right temperature, and it will have more suspended particles (colloids and some fine coffee grounds) in the coffee than a filtered brew. This is not all bad as it adds lots of flavor, but don’t drink the last few ounces of coffee from your cup or you will get a very nasty last mouthful as everything settles in the bottom.
I personally feel this is the best method of brewing coffee and really getting the full flavor of the bean. If you seek coffee that can taste as rich as it smells, try this method. The temperature of the water is very important in this method of brewing and should be just under the boiling point. Bring the water to a full boil and let it sit for about 30 to 60 seconds before pouring it into the French Press. When you drink it, be aware that the coffee will probably be hotter then the coffee made by drip brewing method.
The Drip Brewing Method
Drip Coffee is easy and excellent. The most important thing to avoid with drip coffee makers is letting the coffee pot sit on the burner for more than 5 to 10 minutes or the coffee will start taking on a burned taste. I strongly recommend a cone filter system. The added ground depth allows the coffee to steep and develop longer, and it produces a noticeably richer brew.
Store the coffee in a thermos, or, better yet, buy a coffee maker that comes with a thermal carafe and brews the coffee right into it. Avoiding the heating plate on typical coffee makers is a must. For a very clean coffee with no grit, use paper filters. Both bleached and unbleached filters are offered. I haven't found any difference in taste between the two, so choose based on cost or your personal philosophy about using bleached products. If you desire coffee that tastes more like the French press coffee, use a re-usable mesh filter (some coffee makers include this "gold filter" in the box).
The Water to Coffee Ratio
The ratio of coffee to water should be approximately 7 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee to 24 fl. oz. of water. This of course varies; some coffees taste better brewed a little weaker, some stronger. By and large, it's best to brew coffee with this ratio and dilute it later if it's too strong. |
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