How to make a good cup of coffee
A quick (5-10 min) “pour over” method developed over years of trial and error that makes 2-3 cups at a time
Regarding coffee beans…
“Roast” = duration (& temp?) of heating process that gives green coffee bean its final brown color, aroma, and flavor from bright and acidic (light roast) to smoky and bitter (dark roast)
“Blend” = a specific combination of coffee beans (differing in their origin and/or roast) that creates a particular flavor profile
Materials
Feel free to use whatever ya got, here are the pieces I’ve accumulated that seem to work well
A bag of whole, roasted coffee beans ($10-20) &
filters to remove the tannins (for smooth taste, $5)
Electric kettle ($30-50)
Coffee grinder ($30) - I really like this one, credit to Laura :)
Pour-over setup (deli container + filter holder aka “coffee cone” + coffee filter)
The deli container was free (many accumulated from takeout orders) while the cone shaped holder for the coffee filter is a leftover, reusable filter itself from an old coffee machine (so I’m also considering free although you can purchase one for $5-10). Altogether, capital costs = $50-100 followed by operating expenses of $10-20 (coffee+filters) every 2-4 weeks. Pays itself off (vs. Starbucks) after a month of use.
Method
Fill electric kettle w/ 1L of water and heat to 190F if controllable, otherwise, just boil and then allow a few minutes to cool
Arrange pour-over apparatus (place single filter into filter holder over a collection container)
Grind ~2oz of coffee beans (enough to fill to max line of Hamilton Beach grinder, approx. 1/2 cup) until particles are evenly sized and more powdery than pebbly/granular
Transfer ground beans (“grounds”) into filter arrangement. If still waiting for water to heat, use time to clean grinder (rinse and wipe down w/ towel, I don’t recommend soap for daily use)
Once the water is heated, slowly & evenly pour it over the grounds in small batches (5-10oz of water i.e. 1 cup at a time). Technique is key is here, make sure the grounds are evenly covered with water by pouring in a swirl and then wait for most of the water to drip into collection container and for the grounds to re-settle before adding more water.
For optimal flavor, you want to evenly pour just enough hot water at a time so that the grounds are fully covered and “froth up” but aren’t necessarily floating / drowning in water and then allow ample time for grounds to drain
In total, add ~2/3L of hot water to the grounds (split across 3-5 “rounds” of pouring aka extraction) for a strong cup of coffee. For a lighter brew, use all 1L of water. If using deli containers to collect the brewed coffee (as shown), you might have to switch over to a second container for the final round or two of pouring. Combine batches once finished for homogeneity.
Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!
Stick any leftovers in the fridge for iced coffee later
I found this mug during one of the annual undergrad move-out-and-dump-stuff giveaways, a sincere thank you to its creators :)
You can get a quick sense of the strength of the coffee by its color/opacity. Update! We’ve switched over to using a wide-brimmed glass jar as our coffee basin. This alleviates any concern of chemicals from the plastic takeout containers leaching into the coffee.
North Mountain Supply 1/2 Gallon Glass Wide-Mouth 110 CT Fermentation/Canning Jar With Gold Metal Lid
($13 on Amazon)
