Coffee Brew Guide

 

Pour Over   |   Chemex   |   Aeropress   |   French Press

 

General Overview

We recommend measuring both coffee and water in each of the following manual processes in grams instead of tablespoons or cups. By using grams, you can create a reliably consistent cup of delicious coffee. Different coffees have different densities, causing discrepancies in measurements if using volume instead of weight. Using grams is the easiest way to avoid these complications.

Of course, grams are not the required measurement. Your coffee will turn out just fine if using volume measurements instead of a kitchen scale, but it is one simple way to up your coffee game that we would highly recommend. For the following recipes, we will use grams and brewing ratios to help you get comfortable.

A common ratio used universally is 1:15, meaning for every gram of coffee used in each method, 15 grams of water will also be used. This ratio will change slightly between methods and the recommended ratio will always be listed before each method, however, 1:15 is a safe spot to start for many methods. Using ratios allows scaling to be done easily, meaning you could do simple math to change any of the below methods to make another cup of coffee for a friend if you would like! Additionally, if you would personally like a stronger or weaker brew, you could increase or decrease your coffee ratio to accommodate for your preferences.

This one might be obvious by now, but we would recommend buying a kitchen scale. A simple one will do, as long as you can measure in grams.

Two key recommendations:

• Always use freshly ground coffee, grinding just what you need for your preferred method immediately before use and leaving the rest whole bean. Store coffee in an airtight container somewhere dark and cool. Although clear glass containers are perfect for showing off your beautifully roasted coffee beans, they can easily compromise the flavor of the beans.

• Always use filtered water free of chlorine. It’s as simple as that. There are countless opinions out there that will tell you ranges of what water is ideal; for example, magnesium and calcium have wonderful extraction properties. Play around with different waters yourself and see what works for you.

For most methods, we will use water off boil. This does not mean that the boiling water is taken directly to the Chemex, but instead, given about a minute to cool down. Depending on your method of heating water, this may vary. Wait until your water reaches 195* to 205*. Boiling water could result in bitter coffee, while water cooled down for too long will not perform proper extraction. The way that you pour your water over your grounds can change the taste of the resulting cup ever so slightly. It may sound over the top, but it is a simple practice to create a replicable cup every time. Perfecting a personal pouring pattern (say that five times fast) is key to bringing control into your everyday practice.

Blooming is a method often bypassed that can make quite the difference if utilized. Wetting the grounds and waiting around 30 seconds before continuing on with the rest of the pour is a simple way to improve your daily cup of coffee. It is recommended to bloom your coffee by doubling the amount of grounds that you started with and pouring that much water on top, covering the entire surface evenly. By blooming the coffee, the grounds are more prepared for the rest of the extraction process. Bubbles are created on the surface of the grounds as carbon dioxide is released, decreasing the bitterness in the final cup. For most methods, blooming is recommended.

Two simple pouring techniques are then utilized to finish off the brew.

Some recommend the continuous pouring method, as slowly and continuously pouring water will keep the outflow constant. This method requires plenty of practice to keep the flow rate consistent, so we recommend practicing with an empty filter and a scale to train yourself on your necessary pour speed.

Others follow the pulsing method. Breaks are taken at consistent intervals during this pour. A simple way to find your pulse dosages is do divide your total water volume into four to end up with four even pulses. After one pulse or pour is finished, a break around 10 to 15 seconds is taken before the next pour starts. The total time for the process should be between 3:30 and 4:30. Adjust your pour speed and breaks to finish between the recommended total time.