home brewing

Keeping Coffee at Home

1. Buy only 1-2 weeks worth of coffee at a time.
2. Store in an air-tight container.
3. Grind the coffee right before you brew, just enough for how much you are brewing.
4. Brew only one pot, or however much you are going to drink, at a time. Don’t keep it on the heating plate if you have an auto drip machine, it creates a chemical taste in the coffee.
5. If there is coffee left over, store it in a thermos in order to maintain freshness.

French Press

A great way to make a powerful cup of coffee quickly and simply, one of the most preferred brewing methods for many coffee lovers. Medium to coarse ground coffee and boiled water should stand in the jug for three to five minutes before the plunger and mesh filter is pushed down slowly, separating the grounds from the liquid. This unique method adds a heavy body to complement the fine flavor of the coffee beans. The carafe is an attractive way of preparing and serving coffee in the same device. Remember that as press allows more sediment from the grind in the final cup.

You can purchase a French Press right here at Klatch.

Vacuum Pot

Its main feature is that the coffee is prepared entirely in glass, there’s no contact with the metal components. Since it operates by a vacuum principle, coffee is always infused at the precisely correct temperature every time, and over-extraction is not possible. It’s the brewing method for romantics, and is prepared at the table with heat provided by a spirit lamp. In fact, some fans of the vacuum pot say that it yields coffee that tastes just like it smells. Keep in mind, however, that a vacuum coffeemaker can be cumbersome, very fragile, and requires painstaking attention and careful storage.

Drip Filter

This is the most popular of all brewing methods. In this machine, a filter is placed in a plastic cone-shaped holder and filled with medium to fine ground coffee, allowing for hot water to drip through. This is a very satisfying way of brewing as it produces a clear flavor with minimum oil and sediment. These coffeemakers will usually have a warmer to keep the coffee from getting cold. If the coffee is left on the warmer for too long, though, it will ruin it and make it taste chemically. The best treatment for this is to turn the maker off right after the coffee is brewed. This will ensure a fine, clear tasting cup.

Cold Water Brewer

If you want to reduce the natural acidity from your coffee, the cold water brewer system is for you. It is ideal for people with sensitive stomachs. The best part of the system is the great coffee, perfect for hot, iced or blended coffee drinks. This method eliminates much of the natural acidity from the coffee that is being brewed, steeping coarsely ground coffee in cold, fresh water for up to 24 hours. When finished, the liquid concentrate may be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week or may be frozen for longer periods. When reconstituted, it results in a smooth tasting, low acid cup of coffee.

Percolator

The percolator has, in the past, been one of the most popular ways to brew coffee because of its convenience and efficiency. The percolator method forces heated water up through a pump tube and into a filter basket that contains ground coffee. The end result is brewed coffee that drops to the bottom of the pot. All percolators, however, violate two basic rules of good brewing: (1) never boil coffee and (2) never pass brewed coffee back over the grounds.

Espresso

Espresso coffee is a black, strong coffee prepared the Italian way by forcing live hot water through dark roast coffee beans. Coffee is placed into an espresso machine designed just for this purpose and hot water is forced through the coffee at very high pressure, extracting all the flavor possible. Brewing espresso has certainly been made easier over the years with the advancement of more automated machines. Preparing the perfect cup of espresso, however, is still a real art. A 1 to 1 ½ ounce shot of espresso should brew in 19-23 seconds. The espresso should flow out of the machine at a slow, but steady dribble. If your espresso has been perfectly brewed, the surface will be covered with a think, foamy, golden brown crema. If the crema is good, then sugar in your espresso will float on the surface for a couple seconds. Espresso coffee, despite being a sublime experience on its own, is the foundation for a wide variety of specialty coffee drinks such as the Cappuccino.

Turkish Coffee

Derived from the Arabica bean, Turkish coffee is a very fine, powder-like grind. An aromatic spice called cardamom is sometimes added to the coffee while it is being ground. One can also boil whole seeds with the coffee and let them float to the top when served. Turkish coffee has six levels of sweetness ranging from very sweet to black. As the coffee begins to heat, it starts to foam; a rule of Turkish coffee ceremony dictates that if the foam is absent from the face of the coffee, the host loses face. Turkish coffee is served hot from a special coffee pot called a cezve. Tradition states that after the guest has consumed the coffee and the cup is turned upside down on the saucer and allowed to cool, the hostess then performs a fortune reading from the coffee grounds remaining in the cup. Rich in tradition and flavor, Turkish coffee remains a favorite today.