Coffee is tasty. Coffee is healthy. Coffee is controversial. Coffee is ancient. Coffee is essential.Coffee is amazing. Coffee can be good and bad – and that is what I’m showing you today.
Years ago, coffee was always brewed in a saucepan, with water brought up to the boil and then left to simmer, sometimes for the whole day! (a la’ The Hateful Eight). It is still made like this in many cultures around the world. Thanks to modern technology though, we have these:
Espresso machines deliver fast, highly caffeinated, sometimes-good-tasting coffee. However, 90% of users of these machines – so-called ‘maestro baristas’ and cashiers, have no knowledge of how to use them properly. Of course the word properly could mean different things for different people. For some it means fast, for others it may mean hot. However, a very limited number of people are concerned with the taste.
The main reason these were created were to increase the speed in which a coffee shop could sell coffee. Basically they were made to increase profit. In fact, 99% of advancements since the birth of humanity were all driven by money – that is the ability to profit.
The biggest problem with these machines is they deliver very acidic or burnt-like tasting coffee. This is due to the high temperatures of the water used, the coffee being left to long in the filter holder, or just lack of knowledge from the user.
So i am going to show you how i take my coffee. The aroma will be different, the taste, the satisfaction, the mood-boost. It’s again, a very old method and one that is used in places such as Central America, and many arab cultures. Its popularity is increasing though, as there are now millions around the world who use this very easy, fast and cheap method.
Pour-over/Drip Method
All you need is:
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Kettle/Saucepan to boil water
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Drip cup (I use the very good Hario v60 dripper, you can pick it up very cheap on amazon here)
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Filter papers (Again, i use the Hario v60 papers, they’re cheap and made specificaly for this dripper) – Pick up the dripper and filte papers for just £8 here (Just scroll down when page loads).
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Good quality freshly ground coffee
If you have a temperature control kettle like i do, then even better. Bring your water upto 80C. (most people use boiling water – this just burns the coffee). Alternatively, boil your water and leave to cool for about 2 minutes.
Try and get fresh coffee beans, and grind them yourself. This will get the best flavour. However, ground coffee works just fine – NOT INSTANT COFFEE.
The method is simple:
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Boil your water and leave to cool for 2 minutes.
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Whilst it is cooling, line your dripper with 1 filter paper and run it under a slow-running hot tap. Make sure the whole filter is wet – This stops the coffee travelling up the filter. Place the dripper on top of your mug/glass.
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Add 1 and half tablespoons of ground coffee into the filter.
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Pour over some hot water, just enough to cover the grounds. Then leave for 30 seconds to let the coffee ‘open up’. This part, i consider essential.
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Now you can continue to add more water. Just add little bits at a time, just covering the grounds. Then leave to drip through.
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You can continue this process 2-3 times. No more than 4 times. I do it 3 times.
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You should taste the coffee after each pouring, to determine the strength. The more times you pour over the grounds, the stronger the coffee will be.
Of course you could add sugar or milk, but the best coffee is left untouched. Just taste it, you will feel the difference. It should be smooth, not too acidic and the flavours of the coffee bean come right through your tongue.
I should add, if you are adding milk or cream, use slightly hotter water, to compensate for the temperature drop after you add your condiment.
Experiment with different coffee beans/brands.Try different amounts of pour-overs and learn to love the taste of pure coffee – the way it should be drank.
How do you take your coffee?
