How to make a delicious cup of hand-brewed coffee at home?

@Yoyo: How to make delicious hand-brewed coffee at home?

📢: This article is compiled by Mr. Shanqiu, the guest of this issue of Enjoyleaks "Coffee". His real identity is: barista, roaster, international coffee cupping appraiser, and he works for Mr. Shanqiu & Moon Coffee. (See the end of the article for group information)

Let me first briefly explain why we still have to go through the trouble of brewing coffee manually when we can drink coffee with just one click:

Hand brewing allows you to control all factors that affect coffee: the coffee bean extraction ratio, water temperature, water volume, the way the water is poured in, and how long it takes to soak. With an automatic coffee machine, you can only control the coarseness of the coffee bean grinding and the amount of water. Most automatic coffee machines cannot keep the water temperature up to standard, and the water can only flow out from one position, which will reduce the aroma of the coffee.

First of all, let’s start from the essence and know what is in coffee?

We often see this on many coffee packages:

Nutritional composition of coffee beans per 100 grams, image source: Baidu Encyclopedia

This is a rough outline of the substances in coffee, which will vary depending on the variety and degree of roasting.

After brewing, not all of the substances in the table will be what we can drink. Only 30% of them can be dissolved in water. If we make it ourselves, this number is usually between 15% and 25%. We call this percentage the extraction rate.

It seems like it’s getting boring before it even starts, so let’s go and start making coffee.

Step 1: Prepare your equipment

Soldiers need a weapon that fits their hands when fighting, and the same goes for making coffee. The necessary equipment is " hand-brew pot, filter cup, filter paper, sharing pot, and coffee grinder ."

• Beginner's Kit: Pour-over Kettle, Filter Cup, Filter Paper, Sharing Kettle, Bean Grinding Machine

• Advanced set: Hand brewing kettle filter cup filter paper sharing kettle grinder sealed jar electronic scale thermometer timer

• Cheating set: Gold-plated hand brewing kettle, gold-plated filter cup, gold-plated filter paper, gold-plated sharing pot, gold-plated grinder, gold-plated sealed jar, gold-plated electronic scale, gold-plated thermometer, gold-plated timer (Golden Saint Seiya visual effect, you get what you pay for, the more expensive the equipment, the better the quality is, it's true, there's a lot of room for play)

Hand brewing kettle

A hand-poured coffee pot is a must-have. When choosing a hand-poured coffee pot, you need to consider "the stability of the water flow, the heat preservation of the pot body, and the safety of the handle". The different designs of the pot body and spout of different hand-poured coffee pots will bring different usage effects. The first condition is actually to fit your hand to hold it. Only when you are used to it can you better control the water flow and make delicious coffee.

A few simple recommendations:

1. Tiamo drip-type narrow-mouthed kettle

Water flow control: ★★★★☆

Thermal insulation performance: ★★★★☆

Getting started: ★☆☆☆☆

This model also has a colored version, and I feel it feels great after using it.

2. Kalita Crane Mouth Pot

Water flow control: ★★★☆☆

Thermal insulation performance: ★★★★☆

Getting started: ★★★☆☆

[How to taste coffee like a connoisseur? ]

This model is also loved by many people. The crane beak design can make the water flow thinner and more stable, but the only drawback is that girls may find it a bit heavy.

3. Hario stainless steel hand brew kettle

Water flow control: ★★☆☆☆

Thermal insulation performance: ★★★★☆

Getting started: ★★★★☆

The design is simple, and the water flow can be large or small, but it requires good practice to ensure the stability of the water flow. It also comes in two versions, large and small.

4. Bonavita Electronic Temperature Control Pour-Over Kettle

This electronic temperature control has a chip. Once the temperature is set, it will stop automatically when it reaches that temperature. It also has a keep-warm function. The ergonomic design makes it feel light when held. The new version of the kettle has a flow-limiting valve to better control the water flow.

Filter cup

It can be used with filter paper to filter coffee grounds, or you can directly purchase a filter cup with a metal filter. The advantage is that you don’t need filter paper, but it is a little troublesome to clean. There is not enough room to adjust the brewing method during operation, and there will be differences in the thickness of filters from different brands.

Recommended models:

• v60: The most commonly used model, with fast flow rate, guide line, suitable for most coffee beans

• Kono single hole: my favorite one, with a slightly slower flow rate, suitable for African beans and Central and South America

• Kalita fan-shaped single hole: The flow rate is slow, which is also suitable for many coffee beans and can show better mellowness.

Share Pot

It's the one in the middle of the wooden shelf in the picture above.

[How to taste coffee like a connoisseur? ]

It can be used to hold coffee. If you have a scale, just use it to meet your own preferences. If not, at least it needs to have a scale, because the powder-water ratio is involved here.

The ratio of coffee powder to water is 1:18 if you like a lighter one, 1:13 if you like a stronger one, and 1:15 in the middle. Coffee tasting is an emotional behavior, so it still needs to be adjusted according to one's own taste preferences. The 1:13 that I like may not be the 1:15 that you who like 1:8 like. Sorry, I'm playing a tongue twister.

Coffee grinder

In commercial equipment, coffee bean grinders occupy a very important position. The coarseness and uniformity of the grinding of coffee powder will affect the coffee in our hands. Usually, the classification is distinguished by the type of blade: flat blade, conical blade, and track tooth.

Either type can make delicious coffee. Flat blades and track teeth grind more evenly and extract more evenly. Cone blades have different cuts and bring more layers. But don't choose a crushing grinder. It's better to call it a grinder than a grinder. It's hard to ensure uniform grinding. The coarseness is very uneven, which will make the taste too complicated and sometimes feel unclean.

Sealed jar

If the coffee beans are not used quickly, they should be stored in airtight containers away from sunlight and high temperatures.

Electronic scales

The scale is used to weigh the mass of powder and the mass of water injection to better control the water-powder ratio.

thermometer

Used to accurately control the water temperature. Use the appropriate water temperature to brew. If you really don’t have a thermometer, open the lid and let it sit for two minutes after the water boils before using it. Too high a temperature will bring out too many substances in the coffee, including bad temperature, otherwise the coffee will be too "light".

Timer

Used for precise timing. The longer the time, the more substances are extracted, which is similar to the relationship with temperature. The shorter the time, the lighter the taste.

📢: For more recommendations and purchasing information on hand-brew coffee equipment, click to read the original text.

Step 2: Choose your favorite coffee beans

Coffee beans contain a lot of chemical substances. After roasting, a series of complex degradation and polymerization reactions can derive 850 chemical components, one-third of which are aromatic substances. In other words, the known coffee aromas are far more than those in wine and cocoa.

Different coffee beans can bring endless changes after being roasted in different ways. You will always find the one you like, so how do you choose? Here are some tips and tricks to help you find your favorite coffee beans.

Coffee beans are divided into several major producing areas in the world, Africa, Central and South America and Asia. The following introduces them one by one:

Africa:

The most famous country in Africa is Ethiopia, which is divided into nine major production areas. The areas producing the fine coffee beans that people often drink are Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Hara and Rim, and the rest are commercial bean producing areas.

The characteristics of African washed beans are jasmine, lemon, orange, peach, almond, tea, etc. If it is sun-dried, it will also have the flavors of red wine, white wine, ripe berries, fermented fruits, etc. (Each one will have its own characteristics, not all of them will have them.)

Central and South America:

There are also many production areas in Central and South America, the most famous of which are Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.

Usually the characteristics of Central and South America are concentrated in flavors such as caramel, apple, almond, cocoa, dark chocolate, and nuts. Beans from many producing areas have balanced characteristics and a good taste.

The continuous progress of the coffee market in recent years has prompted estate owners to continuously improve their planting and processing methods. Many eye-catching coffees have appeared in Panama and Costa Rica, such as Emerald Estate and Inhet Estate. The microclimate within the estate also leads to a very obvious diversity of coffee bean flavors. We can feel more floral scents and fruity sweet and sour tastes. In the past two years, it has brought many amazing coffee beans to coffee lovers all over the world.

Asia & Islands:

The main production areas include Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Blue Mountain and Kona.

Indonesian coffee beans have distinct characteristics. The most commonly consumed is Mandheling, which has a rich taste, strong cocoa and dark chocolate flavors, and often has notes of wood and spice. If you like heavy flavors, choose a Mandheling.

Papua New Guinea performed mediocrely, close to between Central and South American and African beans.

Blue Mountain is a product that is rare and valuable. Good Blue Mountain is of course delicious, but it is also relatively difficult to buy. Don’t ever believe in the “Blue Mountain flavor”!

Kona, a small amount of beans from Hawaii, has a nice flavor and can be tried.

Step 3: Start Construction

1. Weigh the coffee beans (12-15g)

Choose the amount of coffee beans according to your drinking needs. If you want to drink more, weigh more.

2. Grind to the appropriate coarseness

[How to taste coffee like a connoisseur? ]

The picture above shows the normal grind of hand pour over, which feels granular to the touch. You can adjust it after you are familiar with hand pour over.

After grinding, you should first smell the aroma of the freshly ground powder. The 30 seconds at this time is the time when the aroma is richest. The small molecular aromatic substances in the coffee begin to evaporate. Smell it quickly and start the next step. Don't let the good smell be wasted in the air.

Don’t ask me why the ground coffee you bought doesn’t taste so good. The aroma is gone. It’s out of tune, you know? ?

So the shelf life is also mentioned:

Fresh coffee beans should be consumed within two months. The longer they are stored, the more flavor they lose. Beans stored for half a year or a year can still be consumed, but they will lose most of their good flavor. It is not recommended to use coffee beans that are that old. Generally, the roasted beans in coffee shops are only used within two weeks.

3. Soak the filter paper and steam it

The purpose of soaking the filter paper is to wash away the paper smell in the pulp. If the bad filter paper is not soaked, your coffee will be full of filter paper smell.

When steaming, use about 20-30g of water to wet all the powder. Let it stand for 20 seconds after wetting to allow the coffee powder to absorb water and eliminate the carbon dioxide in the cell walls, making it easier to extract the soluble substances in the coffee when adding water later.

Note: When steaming, water should be poured from the center of the coffee powder, drawing circles clockwise (counterclockwise) to the outermost edge, and the water should not be directly flushed to the edge of the filter paper.

4. Add water and brew

The water filling should be completed in 1 minute to 1.5 minutes. The time should not be too long and the water temperature should be between 86-94

Too high a temperature will cause tannin to decompose into tannic acid, and too long a time will also brew out more substances in the coffee, including bad tastes. Therefore, too high a water temperature and too long a time are sometimes the culprits for why the coffee you brew at home always tastes bad.

• African beans recommended: 88-92 degrees

• Recommended for South American beans: 89-92 degrees

• Indonesian beans recommended: 88-90 degrees

Combining these points, here is a tip:

When brewing, the water flow should not be too high. It should fall gently on the water surface without splashing. The water flow should also remain stable in circles and still should not rush to the very edge of the filter paper (rushing directly to the edge will disrupt the water flow of the entire cup, and some water will directly pass through the filter paper, causing the coffee taste to become lighter). Draw circles from the center to the outside and then back.

This action requires frequent practice to become proficient, so that it looks professional enough whether you are drinking it yourself or making it for your friends.

[How to taste coffee like a connoisseur? ]

5. Drinking

What, you also have to teach me how to drink?

If you are very thirsty, you can drink it all in one gulp, but be careful of burns.

The temperature of freshly brewed coffee is still above 80 degrees. You can taste it first, then drink it twice slowly, half a minute apart. When the coffee cools down to more than 70 degrees, our taste buds can feel the most aroma. At this time, the temperature of the coffee becomes suitable for drinking. At this time, more flavors will cover our taste buds and pass through the nasal cavity when breathing, bringing a very pleasant feeling. Only in this way can a cup of coffee be considered to have been drunk to the soul.

Similarly, containers also bring us some different experiences:

• A narrow-mouthed cup will gather the aroma and feel more fragrance;

• Drinking from a ceramic cup will give you a better mellow taste;

• It tastes relatively refreshing when drunk from a glass.

After reading this, I believe you will be able to make your favorite hand-brewed coffee with a little adjustment. Sometimes it tastes good not only because you like it, but also because the person you like made a cup of coffee for you. In fact, what I want to say is that there are really many factors that affect the taste of coffee.

The above mentioned are all hand-brewed coffee using a hand-brew kettle. I hope it will be helpful to friends who use a hand-brew kettle.

In addition, there are other forms of hand brewing, such as hand brewing stands, flannel, AeroPress, and smart cups, which can all be used to make hand brewing. If I were to talk about them all, I would probably have to spend a few more hours editing, so I won’t go into detail here.

Seeing to the bottom is true love.

Enjoyleaks

" coffee"

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