Coffee lovers seem to be eternally searching for that perfect cup of coffee. There are many factors that need to be considered in the brewing process that will optimise the goodness of your brew:
- brewing method,
- the roast and grind of coffee beans,
- the ratio of coffee to water,
- water temperature,
- the brewing time, and
- heat retention
I’ll be writing more about each of these in the coming weeks, but what I really want to focus on now is the cafétière brewing method (for obvious reasons!).
(For those of you who just want the steps for great coffee, skip to the bottom of this posting!)
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How do you brew?
Many experts would argue that the cafétière is best way to
brew coffee. Unlike other methods, it allows for greater extraction of all the
flavours and oils, and you have greater control of the water temperature. When
you’re talking coffee, temperature of the water is key.
You want to make sure that your cafétière is clean – make
sure that there are no left-over grounds hiding anywhere (like between the
layers of the plunger!). This can lead to a build-up of coffee oil residue
which can give your coffee a bitter and rancid flavour… and no one wants that!
TIP! Most plungers come apart by unscrewing them so that you
can wash each part separately.
The Roast and Grind
How your coffee tastes depends on where the beans are grown,
how they are roasted and how coarse they have been ground. One of the best things about coffee is how many different places coffee is
grown and how these growing conditions effect the flavour of the beans.
I would
encourage you to step-outside of your comfort zone and experiment with trying
different growing regions, different roasts, and different blends of coffee.
For example, there is an incredibly delicious Cost Rican coffee made by Brit
(www.cafebritt.com) that is grown on the slopes of the Poas Volcano. Thanks to
the growing climate, the coffee has a wonderful earthy quality as result of the minerals in the soil.
When grinding beans for use in a cafétière, you want to ensure that your beans are a
slightly coarse grind. The coarse grind allows just the right amount of coffee to be extracted from the beans. If its ground too finely, a lot of the fine ground 'dust' will pass through the mesh plunger and will muddy the coffee. It will also lead to over-extraction make the coffee very bitter and strong. If the coffee is too coarse, then not enough flavour will be extracted, resulting in weak, thin coffee. A bit like Goldilocks, the grind of coffee needs to be 'just right'!
It’s preferable to buy whole beans and grind as you use
them. Once the coffee has been ground, the oils are released with exposure to oxygen over time, the oils will begin to oxidize and lose their
depth of flavour. If you do have to buy coffee that is ready-ground, or you must grind a
large batch at once, make sure you store in an air-tight container to preserve
the freshness as much as possible.
How much coffee to use?
Generally speaking, you want to
use about ½-1 tablespoon of ground coffee per cup (or one of the standard
coffee scoops). For example, I have an 8-cup Bodum Kenya coffee pot (www.bodum.com), and I use 4 scoops of ground
coffee. Obviously, you can add more or less to taste.
One of the most important parts of brewing coffee in a
cafétière is the quality of the water and the temperature.
Filtered or bottled water is best. Tap water contains
different chemicals and minerals (like chlorine) that can have a huge effect on the flavour of the coffee. Always make sure you fill your kettle
with fresh, cold water. Re-boiled water as it has lost a lot of the oxygen
content which will greatly effect the extraction process.
The ideal temperature of the water for brewing coffee is
between 195-200oF (90-93oC). After the water has boiled,
let it sit for a minute or so to let it cool slightly. You never want to pour boiling
water directly onto the grounds because you’ll actually burn the oils, making
the coffee taste bitter.
TIP! Pour the hot water over the back of a spoon as you’re
pouring into the cafétière. This will help prevent the grounds from being
scorched!
If the water wasn’t at the right temperature, you’ll know
once you’ve had your first sip! If your coffee tastes bitter, or slightly
‘thick’ on your tongue, chances are that the water was too hot – the oils have
probably been scorched or the coffee has been over-extracted. It could also be
that the coffee was too finely ground and you’re drinking up some sediment.
On the other hand, if your coffee tastes a bit flat or thin and watery, then
it’s likely that your water wasn’t hot enough or the grind of coffee was too
coarse to draw out all those lovely delicious flavours.
Holding in the goodness - Heat retention
Another crucial thing to consider is heat retention. Coffee
begins to lose its taste as it cools. Because cafétières are generally made of
glass, heat is lost quite quickly. By wrapping your cafétière with a Couva
(www.couva.co.uk*), the coffee remains at the optimal brewing temperature for
longer, allowing for all of the delicious flavours and oils to be extracted
during brewing.
TIP! It is very
important to wrap your Couva BEFORE pouring in the water! I don’t want
anyone scalding themselves by trying to get the Couva in place once the hot
water is in the cafétière!
Once it’s been plunged, the coffee will stay at the optimal
drinking temperature for longer, preventing rapid flavour loss.
Tick Tock! Brewing Time!
The average recommended brewing time is around 4 minutes. However, the length of time the coffee brews will have an effect on the taste – the longer the grinds are in contact with the water, the stronger the coffee.
So, vary your brewing time according to how strong you like your brew.
Then take the PLUNGE and enjoy!!
The Couva Coffee Couture steps for
great cafétière coffee
Step 1. Wrap your Couva* around your cafétière.
Step 2. Use about ½-1 tablespoon or 1 coffee scoop of ground coffee per cup. For example, if you have a medium 8-cup cafétière, you’ll need about 4 scoops of ground coffee.
Step 3. Boil some freshly drawn cold water (filtered or bottled if you can). Once the water has boiled, let it sit for about a minute. This allows it to cool slightly, preventing the coffee grinds from getting scalded. Pour the hot water onto the coffee.
Step 4. Stir and let the coffee brew for about 4 minutes (depending on how strong you like your brew).
Step 5. Gently press on the plunger.
Step 6. Pour and enjoy! Thanks to Couva, your coffee will stay at the optimal drinking temperature for longer!
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*Our online store will be up and running soon! If you want more information about where to get a Couva of your own, please email me at Emily@couva.co.uk |
