How to make the perfect coffee
To make sure each cuppa joe is alive with aroma and rich taste, the first step is choosing the right grind to suit your style. As a rule, remember these top tips:
- Use fresh boiled water or filtered water at a temperature of 92-96°C
- Coffee is always best served fresh, ideally with freshly ground beans
- For a stronger brew, add more coffee
Making the perfect coffee
However you like it, here’s how to fine tune the art of making the perfect brew:
Filter method:
- Measure 2 tablespoons (2 x 10 ml) of ground coffee per 180 ml water (adjusting to taste)
- Follow manufacturer’s guidelines
- Enjoy as soon as coffee is ready
- Never leave on a burner to keep warm
Plunger method:
- Warm your jug with boiling water and discard
- Measure 2 level tablespoons (2 x 10 ml) of ground coffee per 180 ml water (adjusting to taste)
- Pour in freshly boiled water (not boiling), replace lid and allow coffee to brew for 3 – 4 minutes before depressing the plunger
Aeropress:
- Insert paper filter into the Aeropress detachable cap and use some hot water to gently wet the filter and cap
- Weigh out 15–18 grams of finely ground coffee (adjusting to taste)and bring 200ml of water to the boil
- Add coffee and add twice the weight of water to the grounds first, making sure coffee is saturated, while tamping slightly with the paddle. Let it sit 30 seconds
- Fill chamber with remaining water. After a minute, stir 10 times to agitate, then push water down through the filter into your cup or carafe
Making the perfect espresso
The espresso is a coffee purist’s dream and is brewed at a high pressure through a very finely ground and compact coffee. Its trademark natural layer of crema sits on the top of the coffee liquid below to produce a rich, velvety and aromatic delight.
Moka / Espresso pot
- Grind about 20-22 grams of coffee into fine espresso
- Boil water and fill the bottom half of the Moka pot with freshly boiled water
- Fill the pots filter basket with ground coffee and shake to settle the grounds evenly
- Place it into the bottom compartment and screw on the Moka pot’s spouted top (beware of the hot bottom chamber)
- Place pot on medium heat on your stove
- When water in the bottom chamber approaches a boil, pressure will push a stream of coffee slowly to the upper chamber. You’ll know it’s done when you hear a hissing bubbling sound
SHOP ESPRESSO POTS AND PLUNGERS
Espresso machine
- Grind your espresso to the consistency of a fine table salt (follow manufacturer guidelines)
- Preheat your cup with hot water, remove the portafilter and purge the grouphead with hot water
- Every espresso machine will vary in the brewing pressure and dosage weights, but a good benchmark is 7g for a single shot and 14g for a double
- Tamp the ground coffee to seal it in evenly, and give it a gentle spin to smooth grounds for an even extraction
- The brewing times for a single shot should range from 18 – 25 seconds. If your time is off, adjust your grind to compensate