Brew the Perfect Cup

THRIVE places great importance on brewing and we are in the process of filming instructional videos where our VP of Operational Excellence – Rob Tuttle, a certified World Barista Championship judge will walk you through the important details of each modern day brew method on a step-by-step basis. Until those are up on the site, please use the guidelines below as a starting point.

Brewing coffee is a personal ritual, but like all rituals, your brewing habits can get old. Take a moment here to refresh your brewing method:

Start Clean — The cleanliness of your coffee pot affects the taste of your coffee, so make sure it is clean.

Coffee Beans — Freshly roasted beans will yield the best flavor. Ideally, you want to purchase only enough beans to last 1 to 2 weeks.

Pure Water — Coffee is 98.5% water. Use clean, filtered water that is free of odors and chemicals. Tap water often adds a tinny taste to coffee. Instead, use cold filtered water (or purchase spring water, but never distilled). If you must use tap water, run the tap for a moment first.

Coffee Grinding — There are two kinds of grinders: Blade and Burr. The Burr grinder is strongly preferred. It crushes the beans against a grinding wheel to deliver a more consistent grind than the Blade approach which can leave you with coarse grounds and powder at the same time. Consistent grounds yield a sweeter, more enjoyable cup of coffee. Though inexpensive, we urge you to avoid blade grinders.

Grind your beans right before brewing. This maximizes flavor. The brewing method should match the grind. Adjust the coffee strength by the coarseness of the grind — more coarse equals less strong. Burr grinders will have a coarseness setting (whereas blade grinders are just guessing on time in the grinder).

IF you still must use a blade grinder, then here are some guidelines to use:

• Coarse Grind: (5 to 10 seconds) For traditional percolators and French press (press pot).
• Medium Grind:  (10 seconds) For electric drip and manual drip (pour over)methods. Comparable to medium coarse sea salt or beach sand. The most common grind.
• Fine Grind: (15 seconds) For Italian-style Neapolitan flip pots.
• Extra Fine Grind: (25 to 30 seconds) For espresso machines, Turkish coffee etc.

Coffee Filter — For optimal taste, use white (oxygen bleached) filters for brewing your cup. Unbleached filters can give a strong paper or cardboard flavor to coffee. Rinsing the filter first with hot water can help to eliminate possible paper taste. Oxygen bleached filters are used by 99% of the specialty industry.

Let’s Make Some Coffee — The right ratio of coffee to water is the secret to full bodied, good tasting coffee. Here are some guidelines:

• Here is a good ratio to start with: 1 oz of coffee to 16 oz of water (or 28 grams of coffee to 476 grams of water – 1g of coffee to 17g water). If this seems too much, you may have been brewing your coffee too weak — but it’s ultimately a matter of personal preference. Adjust to your taste or consider trying a lighter/bolder roast profile.

• Coffee makers come in many different forms. From Automatic drip to manual brew methods, such as the French press. Finding the right brew method for your taste and lifestyle is important for your coffee enjoyment.

• Enjoy your coffee immediately. A warmed cup holds the temperature longer or use an insulated cup.

Your Garden Loves Coffee, too! — Your coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, so mix them into the soil, or spread them out as a snail barrier, or mix with a bucket of water and steep to make a liquid fertilizer for potted plants.