A Beginner’s Guide to Coffee Part 2: The Brew
THE SECOND PART TO OUR BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COFFEE, WHERE WE WILL BE SHARING OUR BREW GUIDES AND WHY WE LOVE EACH ONE!
Last month’s Blog covered the coffee bean, looking at how the flavour is impacted by altitude, process, country of origin and whether the bean is a blend or single origin (check it out if you haven’t already!). This month’s Blog will follow on from that, explaining how to brew a coffee.
It will cover the techniques, weights, grind sizes and timings for your coffee brewing method of choice. Of course, there are many other ways of brewing coffee not mentioned in this post, however here we’ll cover the AeroPress, espresso machine, V60, stovetop and French press; with a step-by-step guide to each, and some tips and tricks to bring out the best of your coffee with each!
AeroPress
Equipment
AeroPress
AeroPress filters
AeroPress scoop
Boiled water (preferably filtered)
A timer
Medium-fine ground coffee (select ‘AeroPress’/’paper filter’ if ordering pre-ground)
Your favourite mug
Method
Grind your coffee medium fine (if you’re starting with beans).
Boil fresh water in the kettle, switching it off just before it boils.
Put a filter into the cap and twist securely onto the chamber. Stand onto your mug.
Place 1 scoop (or 16-18 grams) of coffee into the chamber and shake to level out.
Start your timer, pour boiled water into the chamber up to the number 4, stir for 10 seconds, insert the plunger to create a vacuum, but don’t plunge until 1 minute.
Plunge gently and evenly until you hear a hissing sound.
Drink up!
Why we love it
Not only does the AeroPress create a deliciously smooth flavour, but it is compact and convenient with a very quick brewing time, making it one of the faster options on our list.
Our tips
While the AeroPress is designed for shorter brewing times, try out different lengths of brewing to see what lends itself to the particular coffee you are using. Letting it brew for a little longer might work better for your coffee bean!
Espresso
Equipment
Espresso machine
Tamp
Timer
Scales
Finely ground coffee (select ‘espresso’ if ordering pre-ground)
Your favourite mug or espresso cup
Method
Grind your coffee super fine (if you’re starting with beans).
Remove the portafilter from the group-head and purge with hot water.
Clean and dry the portafilter and weigh 18g of coffee. Put this into the portafilter.
Tamp your coffee grounds ensuring the tamp is flat and the weight evenly distributed so that the coffee is level and compact.
Insert the portafilter carefully and securely into the machine, start the timer and begin brewing at the same time.
An ideal run time is between 28-30 seconds (if weighing the brewed coffee, it should ideally weigh roughly 36g).
If steaming milk to have with your espresso, do so now (time to practice that latte art!).
Drink up!
Why we love it
What isn’t there to love about the espresso machine! The coffee making possibilities are endless; you can create the classic espresso which is delicious on its own, or you can start practicing your latte art skills by using the milk-steamer to create a flat white, latte, cortardo, the list goes on…
Our tips
Use a scale and weigh the coffee, don’t eye-ball it (trust us, it will make all the difference!)
If the coffee is running too fast, you likely need a finer coffee grind. If it is running too slow, you likely need a slightly coarser grind.
V60
Equipment
V60
V60 paper (the same size as your V60)
V60 scoop
Timer
250ml (enough for a mug) boiled water (preferably filtered)
15g medium-fine ground coffee (select ‘V60’, ‘pour over’ or ‘paper filter’ if ordering pre-ground)
Your favourite mug
Method
Place the V60 on top of the mug and put the filter paper in.
Pre-wet the filter paper with your boiled water (make sure to discard this water if it has been collected in the mug).
Scoop your 15g of coffee into the filter.
Boil the kettle, allowing it to cool for a few minutes.
Pour enough hot water to soak all the coffee grounds, then wait for around 30 seconds.
Slowly pour over the remaining water, making small circles (stop when it gets to around 2cm from the top so it doesn’t spill).
Wait for it to drain, allowing the coffee to cool down a little. This should take around 2.5 minutes.
Drink up!
Why we love it
The V60 can be very versatile, with the ability to adjust the amount of water, coffee and timings to your taste. Additionally, it promotes a clear and clean taste, allowing you to easily pick out the flavours in your coffee.
Our tips
This recipe is recommended by Hario (the make of V60 that we sell here at Prov) and creates roughly a mug of coffee. Many other recipes exist for a V60 so research the many others that exist if you want a stronger or weaker brew.
Stovetop
Equipment
Stovetop/Moka Pot
Fine-medium ground coffee (select ‘Stovetop’ or ‘Moka Pot’ if ordering pre-ground)
Near boiled water (preferably filtered)
Heat source (hob, gas stove, camp stove)
Your favourite mug
Method
Boil fresh water in a kettle, switching it off just before it boils.
Fill the basket of the stovetop with ground coffee so that it is evenly distributed and level.
Fill the base of the stovetop with hot water from the kettle to just below the steam valve.
Put the basket onto the base and screw on the top of the stovetop.
Place the stovetop onto your heat source.
Wait for the coffee to start coming into the chamber. Periodically lift the lid to check.
Remove the stovetop from the heat as soon as you hear a gurgling noise.
Drink up!
Why we love it
A more affordable and accessible way to make a super concentrated coffee, similar to an espresso.
Our tips
Try a finer grind is your coffee lacks flavour, equally try a coarser grind if it is bitter.
French Press / Cafetiere
Equipment
French press / Cafetiere
Boiled water (preferably filtered)
Timer
Coarse ground coffee (select ‘French Press’ or ‘Cafetiere’ if ordering pre-ground)
Your favourite mug
Method
Boil fresh water in a kettle, switching it off just before it boils.
Dose around 15g of coffee per cup of coffee you are making.
Start a timer for 30 seconds, pour around 250ml of your near boiled water per cup of coffee you are making, covering the grounds.
Stir the grounds.
Leave to brew for around 4-8 minutes.
Place the plunger on the jug, gently plunge and pour.
Drink up!
Why we love it
If you have a large cafetiere it can easily make coffee for a larger group of people in one go.
A simple and budget-friendly way to make coffee.
Our tips
Adjust the brewing time depending on your coffee, it you feel like it is too weak, let it brew for a little longer next time.
Our suggestions for starting your coffee brewing journey:
Come and check out the brewing methods in-person at the Coffeehouses. At both Little Prov and Big Prov we have a number of brewing methods on display with useful little info cards plus, if you have brewing questions, you can chat with our Team!
Head online and do your own research! There are plenty of blogs and videos that delve into the pros and cons of each brewing method and why it might be right for you.
Try as many methods as possible before you commit to one, some coffeehouses offer different brewing methods for your order so you can try them before you buy them. This might not always be the case and it will differ from place to place. We offer espresso and filter as standard but if it’s not too busy, we can crack out the V60 to show you how it works too.
If you’re brewing at home and need an on-hand guide to our recommended brewing methods, you can download our Brew Guide HERE. You can also ask for a printed brew guide in Big Prov if that’s more your style.
Written by Emily.
Sources used in this blog post
Hopefully you will have learned some extra tricks when it comes to how you brew your coffee and maybe feel inspired to try out a new technique! While these are our suggested methods, we would love for you to play around with the recipes a little until you perfect your brew. Each coffee bean lends itself to its own recipe whether this is slightly less or more coffee, a little less or more water, or a finer or coarser grind, so experiment and keep note of what works and what doesn’t.
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