While there are quite a few ways to make a cup of coffee, some are decidedly superior to others. While there is no one "all-purpose" grind, coffee grinds can be divided into two general groups: (French) Press Pot and Electric.
- (French) Press Pot , grind beans about 10 second in a blade grinder
(medium to coarse grind) - Electric Brewers, grind beans a bit longer, about 15-20 seconds in a blade grinder
(medium to fine grind)
Use two level (not heaping) tablespoons of ground coffee for each eight ounces of water, or two ounces of ground coffee per quart. After brewing, you can adjust the coffee's strength by adding hot water.
A definite sore point for us at Moonbeans Coffee:
We truly believe that a coffee's brewed strength is an individual preference,
so please use a measurement that YOU prefer, whether it be 1 heaping Tablespoon per cup brewed, or 2 level tablespoons.
Water
The largest component of what's in your cup, and therefore equally as important as the quality of your bean. Often times, a consumer will spend their time and hard earned money researching their select coffee, without considering how a waters’ chlorine content can affect the final taste of their cup. If tap water is unpleasant tasting or heavily chlorinated, use bottled or filtered water.
If using a French Press, let your kettle rest a moment after boiling to reach the best brewing temperature of 90°C to 96°C (195° to 205°F)
The Filter
For a rich, full-bodied cup of coffee, (French) Press Pots or gold filters for an Automatic Drip Coffee Maker are recommended, and here's why.
Paper filters add a papery taste and filter out some of the coffee's flavour. (Makes Sense!)
(Paper filters are good for larger quantities--restaurant urns, for example). If you use paper filters, rinse them with hot water to help wash out some of the papery taste.
Notes:
- Brew only as much as you need. Coffee can be kept warm on a burner or hotplate for only about 20 minutes before the flavour starts to become bitter.
- Reheating coffee is even worse.
- An airtight thermos preserves flavour for several hours if you filter the coffee first. However even filtered coffee will develop a thermos taste, depending on the type of lining within the thermos.
Brew it fresh instead for small effort and a big reward.
Step By Step:
French Press Pot Method
It is said that the best method of brewing coffee is using the French press pot method. Using this method, you will experience the true essence of your beans, tasting all of the oils and full flavour, as the natural oils are not absorbed into a paper filter.
Be sure to properly grind your coffee on a coarse grind. These grounds will be trapped just beneath the wire mesh filter. If ground too fine, you may experience the coffee being too thick, and sediment may arise.
- Begin with fresh roasted Moonbeans coffee
- Grind your coffee to a consistent, coarse grind
- Heat water in a kettle to 190 degrees (just before boiling)
- Measure out 1 level tablespoon for every 8 oz cup.
- Pour hot water over the grounds.
- Stir and cover.
- Let coffee steep for 4 minutes.
- Slowly press down handle, and the wire mesh acts as your “filter”.
- Pour, and begin enjoying your delicious cup.
Automatic Drip Brew Method
- Begin with buying fresh roasted Moonbeans coffee.
- Grind your beans at home just before brewing, usually a fine grind.
- Very Important!! Use filtered water in your coffee maker.
- Brew your coffee using dioxin-free paper filters or if using a gold or permanent filter, be sure to grind your coffee a little bit coarser than you would for an automatic drip pot. This will help eliminate any sediment that may settle in the bottom of your pot and your cup.
- After brewing is completed, remove your coffee from the burner and pour into a thermal carafe.
- Do not keep coffee on the burner.
