Brewing Guide

Below are a few key things that will affect your coffee no matter the brewing method. 

FRESH COFFEE - Be sure to buy freshly roasted coffee beans. Coffee is like any other perishable product and will lose freshness over time and become stale. Ideally you should consume your coffee 3 - 45 days after it’s roasted. 45 days might seem long, but if stored in an air tight container (at room temp) it should last just fine!

GRIND - If you can, invest in a good grinder. This will ensure an even grind and increase consistency. It will also allow you to adjust the coarseness of the grind which will vary depending on your brewing method. Additionally, grind your beans just before you brew. This is important because coffee begins to go stale as soon as it’s ground.

PURIFIED WATER - Your coffee is 98% water and if the water has a flavor it can greatly affect the taste of your coffee. It’s also important to use water that’s not quite boiling; 195-205 deg F is ideal. Boiling water can scorch the grounds, bring out the bitterness and affect the flavor. If you don't have a thermometer, bring your water to a boil, then let it rest for about 30 seconds before you use.

RATIOS - We prefer to brew our coffee with this ratio of 1:15 // coffee:water, meaning 1 part coffee to 15 parts water.  If you don’t have a scale, a TBSP is about 6g of coffee. Note, there are 28 grams in 1 ounce. Play with your ratio to find a balance that suits your tastes!

FRENCH PRESS

PREP - Warm up your empty French Press by rinsing it with very hot water. This helps maintain the temperature while brewing for best extraction.

GRIND - Weigh out 56g (~9 tbsp) of coffee and grind on a coarse setting (breadcrumbs consistency). Discard the hot water and add coffee into the empty press.

BREW - Start timer and fill press up halfway making sure to saturate all the grounds so there are no dry spots.

STIR - When the timer reaches 1 minute stir the grounds with a wooden or plastic utensil. Fill the press to the top (~950g/34oz) with water, and secure the lid without pressing the plunger down.

PLUNGE - At 4 minutes, press the plunger all the way down. Serve the coffee from the vessel immediately, so it doesn't continue extracting.

CHEMEX

PREP - Place the filter in your Chemex ensuring that the triple-fold portion is facing the pour spout and lays across without obstructing it. Pour hot water over the filter, fully saturating to remove any particulates and warm the vessel. Discard this water through the pour spout.

GRIND - The coffee to a slightly finer than medium (sea salt consistency). Use a ratio of 42g (~7 tbsp) of coffee to 700g (~25 oz) of water; adjust according taste or if you have a different size Chemex. Add grinds into the pre-wet filter and give it a gentle shake to flatten the bed.

BREW - Start pouring in the center, making a circular motion and slowly working your way outward then back inward in a spiral. Avoid pouring water onto the filter as this just shoots through the sides and does not extract the coffee. Pour just enough water to cover the coffee entirely, about 2x more water then coffee (~100g/3.5 oz) making sure to wet all the grounds. Start your timer and allow coffee to “bloom” for 45-55 seconds. After 45 seconds you can begin slowly pouring in the remaining water, making three separate pours of 200g (~7oz) and allowing the water to drip through the grounds until the slurry drops 1 inch from the bottom of the filter and then repeat until it finishes brewing at 3.5-4.5 minutes. Try and maintain a slow and steady stream for even extraction, when you finish brewing you want the bed of coffee leftover to be flat.

If the brew is too fast, consider using a finer grind or a slower pour rate next time. If the brew is too slow, consider using a coarser grind or a faster pour rate.

AEROPRESS

PREP - Make sure your AeroPress is clean and dry before using. Place the filter inside the cap and rinse with hot water. Discard water.

GRIND -  Weigh out 18g of whole bean coffee (~3 tbsp) and grind it on a setting slightly finer than medium (sea salt consistency).

ASSEMBLE - Your AeroPress in the “inverted” position with the cap off. Pour your ground coffee into the AeroPress chamber and gently shake it back and forth to settle the grounds. Be careful that you do not get any grounds on the top where the cap will twist and seal, as this will prevent it from sealing and you will have a coffee explosion mess when you tip to press!

BREW -  Start your timer and pour about 2x more water than coffee evenly over the grounds. (~36g/1oz) Allow coffee to “bloom” for 45 seconds. After 45 seconds fill the Aeropress with water to the number 4 (~240g/8.5oz).

STIR - Gently for 5 seconds with a wooden or plastic utensil, then attach the cap (with filter) securely to the top of the chamber. At the 1:30 minute mark, carefully (with precision and skill like the badass coffee brewer you are) flip the AeroPress over onto the top of your mug.

PRESS - The plunger down slowly but steadily for about 20 seconds until you hear a hissing sound - that’s air escaping from the chamber. Remove the cap and discard the grounds and filter.

POUROVER

PREP Place filter pre-wet by pouring hot water over the filter, fully saturating to remove any particulates and warm the vessel. Discard water from vessel.

GRIND 24g (~4 tbsp) of coffee on medium (kosher salt). Add grinds to the pre-wet filter and give a gentle shake so the bed is even.

BREW Start pouring in the center, making a circular motion and slowly working your way outward then back inward in a spiral. Avoid pouring water onto the filter as this just shoots through the sides and does not extract the coffee. Try and maintain a slow and steady stream for even extraction, when you finish brewing you want the bed of coffee leftover to be flat. Pour just enough water to cover the coffee entirely, about 2x more water then coffee (~50g/2oz), making sure to wet all grounds. Start your timer and allow coffee to “bloom” for about 30-40 seconds.

After 30 seconds, you can begin slowly pouring in the remaining water, making three separate pours. Pour to 150g (~5oz) of water on your first pour, then allow the slurry to fall until 1 minute. Then pour to 260g (~9oz) and allow to fall until 2 minutes. Your final pour will be to 350-370g (~12-13oz) and should finish brewing at 3 minutes. If the brew is too fast, consider using a finer grind or a slower pour rate next time. If the brew is too slow, consider using a coarser grind or a faster pour rate.