Archive for December, 2009
In my last blog I shared some general tips for brewing gourmet coffee.This time here are some tips specific to the type of brewing machine you might have: drip brewers and French Press or presspot brewers.
Choose the best grind.
I make the presumption that you do your own grinding, but even if you don’t the grind is important. Most drip brewers use a finer grind, this grind requires less brewing time because of the size of the grind. Using a slightly coarser grind in a drip brewer may slow down the brewing time and impart more of the coffee flavor. Be aware that this can cause your filter basket to overflow if you go too coarse.
For French Press brewers a coarser grind is required to avoid ground sediments being in your cup. If you don’t mind a few coffee grounds in your cup, use a finer grind to reduce brewing time, 1-2 minutes compared to 4-5 minutes.
Drip, Drip, Drip.
If you have a drip brewer clean it frequently. If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned it – clean it. Lime and oils will coat your heating coils effecting water temperature and imparting new and undesirable flavors to your coffee. Cleaning options extend from commercial products available at your local grocery store to home solutions using vinegar and water.
Invest in a better paper filter. The cheapest one at your grocery store may work but it may also be adding flavors to your coffee you’d rather not taste.
Rinse out the paper filter before you put the coffee in the filter basket. This washes away some of the undesirable flavoring minerals and chemicals that distort the taste of the coffee.
Spread the coffee evenly over the filter. This will help with better extraction from the coffee during the brewing process.
Consider investing in a permanent gold filter. Unlike a paper filter it will not trap some of the flavoring oils found in the coffee imparting a truer coffee flavor. Because of the increased size of the filter holes it may allow some of the finer grounds through. If so, consider a coarser grind to prevent this.
It’s a Pressing Matter
Pre-heat. The presspot or French Press process loses a lot of heat from the water during it’s various stages. The colder grounds and the air temperature barrel of the press draw some heat off. Decanting it to a cold carafe or thermos draws some heat off. Pre-heating the press and carafe reduce the heat loss and may prevent a coffee that is under extracted.
Time it. Normally French Pressing takes about 4-5 minutes depending on the grind of the coffee. At that point it is decanted into another container to limit further exposure to the ground coffee. Walk away for too long and you over extract the coffee. Drip brewers do not have this problem for obvious reasons. You don’t want to overcook your drip coffee, don’t overbrew your presspot coffee.
Final Note
It’s all about taste. Experiment. Your taste buds will tell you which technique, what quantity of grounds, how much time is needed to produce the coffee ideal for the most demanding consumer you know – yourself.
Until next time – happy brewing.
Many nutritional experts recommend starting your day with fruit. The natural sugars found in fruits like bananas, strawberries and melons are easily broken down into energy by the body. Simple sugars, like the kind found in fruits, offer far more nutrition and energy than a granola bar or muffin. When you’re in a hurry one of the best ways to get a good breakfast is to make yourself a fruit smoothie to go. Here is a quick and easy recipe:
1 ripe banana
½ cup raspberries
½ cup blueberries
¾ cup orange juice
¼ cup vanilla yogurt
Blend all ingredients on high until mixture is smooth. Pour into a portable mug and enjoy!
Over the past few months, I’ve been packing on a few extra pounds. Although my steady exercise schedule hasn’t wavered, I have been indulging in more tasty treats than I perhaps should. It’s a tough temptation to overcome given that I’ve had a sugar tooth for as long as I can remember. In the end, I decided to look on the Internet for healthy snacks that don’t sacrifice delicious taste.
It was immediately clear that the answer would lie somewhere in the realm of fruit. After all, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and the like are already sweetened by nature and they almost taste like dessert in their own right. I found supplies for a strawberry smoothie made from all natural ingredients and sweetened with sugar cane rather than corn syrup. Every once in a while, I’ll be soothing my sweet tooth with a delectable smoothie.