Coffee Brew Methods

Coffee Brew Methods

By C+S Crew

Coffee Brew Methods

There are plenty of accessible home brewing methods to explore, so let's find what works for you:

 A classic pour over with a ceramic dripper or a Chemex are simple, no-fail options for brewing drip coffee at home. If you love to explore single origin coffees without spending forever dialing in the best ratios, these brew methods are going to be your best friend. We recommend trying out our Costa Rica Las Lajas. A Chemex is an hourglass shaped brewer. A ceramic dripper sits on top of your mug and brews a single cup.

Chemex: 

-Set up your Chemex and place the filter in the top. Pour a small amount of hot water through the filter to rinse, and then pour it out, lightly holding the filter in place (it seals to the glass)

-Using a medium coarse ground coffee that (it should look like sea salt), add approximately 6 tablespoons of coffee to the filter, or if you have a scale, around 40-50g

-You'll be brewing for about 4 minutes, so start your timer and douse all the grounds until they "bloom", which is when the wet grounds expand after the first pour (it almost looks like a chocolate muffin cooking in the oven); if you're using a scale under your Chemex, this will be a pour of about 150-200g of water

-Around the 45sec - 1min mark, start a second pour in a circular motion to saturate all the grounds again, this time filling the top half of the Chemex a lot more, until it's about half an inch from the top of the glass wall, or about 400-500g of water

-At about 1:45 - 2min, make your third and final pour, around the same amount as your second pour, or until you reach around 700g on the scale

-Around 3-4min, you can put your remaining grounds and any sitting water in the filter in your compost, then transfer your brewed coffee to your cup, and enjoy! 

Ceramic Pourover: 

-Set up your ceramic pour over above your mug. Pour a small amount of hot water through the filter to rinse, and then pour it out of the mug

-Using a medium coarse ground coffee that (it should look like sea salt), add approximately 3 tablespoons of coffee to the filter, or if you have a scale, around 30g

-You'll be brewing for about 2:30-3  minutes, so start your timer and douse all the grounds until they "bloom", which is when the wet grounds expand after the first pour (it almost looks like a chocolate muffin cooking in the oven)

-Continue to saturate your grounds, pouring in a circular motion and filling the filter with water every 20-30 seconds or so until your mug is full (assuming your mug is about 10oz), or until you reach about 350g if you're using a scale

If you prefer something stronger, a moka pot or turkish coffee might appeal to you. The Captain and The Stoker are both great options for these brew methods if you're looking for a classic, stronger brew style.

Moka Pot

-Using a medium coarse grind, fill your filter basket with grounds, about 3 tablespoons if using a 4-cup moka pot

-Add water to the fill line in the bottom compartment of the moka pot

-Insert the filter basket into the bottom compartment of the moka pot so it rests above the water

-Screw the top and the bottom compartments together, being careful to not over-tighten, as it will tighten more due to pressure while brewing

-Place the moka pot on the stove on a medium heat, leaving the lid open while brewing

-The coffee will begin to stream out of the spout and fill the upper compartment with a deep colored coffee that will lighten as it brews; once the coffee becomes a pale golden color, remove the moka pot from the stove and close the lid

-Run the bottom of the moka pot under cool water if possible without spilling (or place in an ice-bath) to prevent over-extraction, and once the coffee is no longer coming out of the spout, you can serve and enjoy

Turkish Coffee

-Using finely ground coffee, put about 2 tablespoons of grounds in your cezve - or you can use a small pot - along with 1.5 cups of water, and 2 teaspoons of sugar if desired

-Mix the coffee, water, and sugar very well, dissolving the sugar

-Place your cezve or pot over medium heat until the coffee begins to rise and boil

-Remove from the heat and scoop the foam off the top, adding the foam to your serving cups before returning to the heat to repeat the process

-Once the coffee foams up again, remove it from the heat and carefully fill your cups, ensuring as few grounds transfer as possible

-Allow the coffee to settle so the grounds sink to the bottom, and enjoy

French press is great low maintenance option, and it can be easily tailored to your taste if you prefer to make a few cups of coffee at a time. For a more fruit forward, summer vibe while maintaining the simplicity of a blend, try our Second Summer blend on french press.

French Press

-For an 8-cup french press, use about 8-10 tablespoons of coarse ground coffee

-Put the grounds in the french press, and pour just boiling water to fill about halfway, saturating all the grounds but not stirring

-At the 1 minute mark, stir the grounds with a wooden spoon (so you don't accidentally crack the glass!)

-Let the coffee steep for another 3 minutes

-Place the lid on your French Press and slowly push the handle down to plunge (If it feels like there's a ton of pressure, your grind is too fine, if it's super easy, your grind is too coarse; it should be firm but not difficult)

-Serve the coffee, or transfer to another container to prevent the coffee from over-steeping

Consider an Aeropress if you prefer the taste of espresso. It loosely mimics the high-pressure brew process without breaking the bank, and it brews a very clean cup of coffee. If you're new to Aeropress, it's safe to use a blend, otherwise we encourage exploring single origins! Though the Aeropress is a simple brew-method, it can be tricky to explain, so we're going to let Aeropress themselves show you the process: 

If you're going backpacking or camping and don't want to lug around brew gear, we've got you covered with our Steeped Packets. Throw one in your cup, add boiling water water, and steep. For a stronger coffee, you can steep two at a time in your cup.

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