A cup of hand-brewed coffee only takes three minutes

“No coffee

There would be no "Human Comedy"

—Balzac

Hello everyone, in today’s 3-minute series, we will talk about coffee and the best way to enjoy it - hand brewing .

You must have encountered a similar problem: you walked into a coffee shop that was more stylish than Starbucks, and a barista who was more handsome than you asked you what you wanted to drink. You took a look at the menu, and besides the lattes and cappuccinos that were everywhere, there seemed to be something else next to it... " hand-brewed coffee "?

You look closely and see all kinds of weird-looking equipment on the bar. Another barista who is prettier than your girlfriend is pouring water into a container that looks like a beaker in front of you with a kettle with a particularly long mouth...

Take another look at the menu: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Kenyan AA grade sun-dried coffee, Panama fine estate washed coffee, Guatemalan small batch coffee… Then, you feel the contempt of the barista and the sharp eyes of the students in the queue behind you. Finally, you finally decide…

(Can’t lose!!!)

"I want this XXXX suntan!"

"Sir, this coffee has a higher acidity."

"It doesn't matter! I'm going to drink it today!"

Ten minutes later, you hold a cup of steaming coffee and wonder:

(Why is this coffee not black but a little red?)

(What's with this charming aroma?)

(Take a sip... not bitter, but sour! Is this really coffee?)

(Wait…why does it taste sweet? It tastes a bit like…)

(Red wine flavor with fruit added?!?!?!)

Congratulations, the door to the new world of coffee is open to you. Throw away the instant coffee in your drawer and start brewing! Now I will teach you how to make a delicious cup of hand-brewed coffee.

▲ Balzac, the coffee maniac

N1

Why do we pour coffee by hand?

The reason is simple, hand pouring is the simplest and most basic way to brew coffee . It can perfectly present the character of coffee beans. Which beans are good and which are not, you can tell the difference immediately by hand pouring.

Every coffee lover has a process of getting into the pit. Once upon a time, we thought that instant coffee that cost more than ten yuan a box was "coffee"; later, we drank cheap freshly ground coffee and the more expensive Starbucks coffee, and thought that coffee was burnt and bitter; later, we came into contact with various exotic coffee beans, which opened the door to taste and perception...

Yes, coffee doesn’t have to be bitter. It is delicious and changeable. It can be as rich and slightly pungent as red wine, or as light and unrestrained as tropical fruits . It is not difficult to experience this feeling. As long as the coffee beans are good, you can brew it by hand. After learning how to do it, you can also take some cool photos to satisfy your friends’ need to show off. Maybe you can even meet new girls or guys.

Of course, there are many ways to make coffee besides hand brewing. If you feel like it one day, you can make a pot of cowboy coffee yourself - just throw the coffee beans into the pot and boil them.

N2

How to choose coffee beans?

There are three elements to hand brewing coffee: coffee beans, utensils, and skills . Now I will teach you step by step.

First, the coffee beans . When buying single origin coffee, you don’t have to be confused by the names of origins and varieties. You just need to distinguish them by the degree of roasting.

Light Roast: The surface of the beans is light brown, which maximizes the original flavor of the coffee. Light roasted beans are usually high in acidity, have a distinct aroma, and a rich taste, but the threshold is not low (after all, everyone is used to bitter coffee), and they are a niche in the coffee world.

Medium Roast: The surface of the beans is chestnut-colored and caramelized. Medium roasting is the most common roasting method. It retains most of the original flavor of the coffee while adding other tastes through full caramelization. It is usually balanced in acidity and bitterness, with a refreshing and slightly sweet taste and a uniform aroma. This is the most suitable coffee for most people.

Heavy / Dark Roast: The beans are dark brown, even black and shiny. Heavy roast is also known as "charcoal roast". The original aroma of coffee is basically lost, replaced by a strong smoky, chocolate-like aroma, low acidity, obvious bitterness, and a very strong taste. This is the coffee you often drink in coffee shops.

After figuring out the degree of roasting, you can slowly learn about the origin . This part is very complicated, you just need to remember the general idea: African coffee has a distinct fruity aroma, even a strong red wine aroma, and a high acidity; South American coffee tends to have a nutty flavor, with a less obvious floral and fruity aroma, lower acidity, and a mellow taste; Asian coffee has a slightly woody and grassy aroma, a sweet aftertaste, and a less distinctive personality.

Coffee beans are the basis of hand brewing and the biggest variable. Where to buy beans is also a science. My personal suggestion is not to buy those supermarket goods or those big brand coffee beans, including Starbucks, Illy, etc. The reason is very simple - these coffee beans are blended from N kinds of beans, and the taste has no personality. It tastes basically the same as what you drink in a coffee shop.

The beans that are clearly marked with the origin and roasted after ordering are the first choice. There are many good stores on Taobao, you can discover them yourself, but remember that cheap goods are not good - coffee beans are basically imported, how can they be too cheap?

▲Freshly picked coffee beans

If you are in a big city, go find those boutique coffee shops and try their beans more often, you will have a great experience. In fact, if you get into coffee deeply, it will have a bit of a metaphysical taste, all kinds of smoky flavors, nutty flavors, citrus flavors, and the taste of the guy next door. Who can tell clearly what it tastes like... It's happiest to drink it yourself, don't care about so many strange adjectives.

N3

What equipment is needed for hand brewed coffee?

Now that you have the coffee beans, the next step is the utensils . Only with them can you make hand-brewed coffee.

Necessary equipment (enough for your own drinking): grinder, hand-pour pot, filter cup, filter paper, and your cup.

Optional utensils (for masters or show-offs): measuring spoon, electronic scale, thermometer, tablecloth, vase, imported afternoon tea set, SLR camera...

Let's talk about grinders first. Please ignore commercial espresso machines. Do we need those expensive giant machines to brew two cups of coffee by hand? It is recommended for beginners to buy a manual grinder, pour the coffee beans in, turn the handle, and feel the beans crushing - you will find that the feel of freshly roasted beans is completely different from that of beans that have been stored for two weeks (fresh beans are best).

Let's talk about the hand brewing kettle . There are two types of coffee pots: the crane mouth pot and the narrow mouth pot. It is recommended that beginners start with the narrow mouth pot, which is easier to control the water flow and will not fail no matter how you brew. The crane mouth pot has a large water flow and is not easy to control, so it is suitable for experienced people. Don't underestimate the water flow. If you don't control it well, you can easily make a cup of coffee into a pot of water...

Filter cup and filter paper . The filter cup is a bit like the funnel we use for chemical experiments, and needs to be used with filter paper. Filter paper is relatively easy to find. I personally recommend buying the original pulp instead of the bleached type, because the bleached type has a certain smell, which may give your coffee a mysterious taste...

As for other optional utensils , it depends on personal needs. I personally don't use a scale. If I want a lighter coffee today, I grind less coffee beans, otherwise I grind more. It depends on my mood. Why be such a Virgo? There is no need to drive yourself crazy over a cup of coffee, right?

N4

Tips

The last and most mysterious part is technique .

No one can explain this. For example, water temperature. Many people think 85 degrees is the best, but the Specialty Coffee Association of America recommends 93 degrees. However, when we boil water and pour it into a hand-brewed pot at room temperature, it is about 95 degrees. However... ahem, science tells us that the higher the water temperature, the faster the dissolution and release of aromatic substances... But how do you explain cold brew coffee, which is still very mellow...

In my personal experience, under the premise of the coffee beans not changing, there are three factors that affect the taste of hand-brewed coffee: grinding degree, water temperature, and time . Simply put, the finer the coffee is ground, the larger the contact area between water and coffee, the more bitter the coffee will be, and vice versa, the more sour it will be; the higher the water temperature, the more obvious the coffee aroma will be, and the bitterness will also increase; the longer the contact time between water and coffee, the mellower the coffee will be, and of course the bitterness will be stronger.

Well, it's very metaphysical, isn't it?

▲Mickey said, there is no such thing as so much mystery in brewing coffee

In fact, as long as you choose the right coffee beans and have all the utensils, you can brew it any way you want : brew with boiling water, hot water, fast brew, slow brew, lazy brew, brew in circles, brew at a fixed point, brew wildly, brew while standing, sitting, brew upside down, brew with eyes open, brew with eyes closed, brew like a British gentleman, brew like a French lady, brew like a Japanese coldhearted brew... it's up to you!

Now, boil your hot water, take out your bean grinder, grind your coffee beans, set up your filter cup and filter paper, sprinkle your coffee powder, slowly pour hot water into the hand-brewed kettle to fully moisten the coffee powder... In about ten minutes, you can drink a cup of hand-brewed coffee that is very expensive outside!

N5

Suggestions for preventing pitfalls

Don't buy ground coffee . Usually, after coffee beans are ground into powder, the aroma will be lost by more than half within 1 minute, not to mention ground coffee. In addition, ground coffee is more susceptible to moisture. Don't blame me if you drink coffee that tastes like stinky feet one day.

Espresso and pour-over are not the same thing . Neither is better nor worse, it’s just that different methods lead to different products.

Use mineral water . Now that you have mastered the art of flushing utensils, why don't you use tap water boiled in a thermos?

A good cup of coffee does not need milk or sugar .

Don't be superstitious about big brands . Those coffee shops that are well-known in the circle are much better than the big chain stores, and they can still chat and laugh with you.

The key is to practice more and taste more . How can you level up without accumulating experience points?

If you are not at a high enough level, don't be greedy for high-level equipment . This is true for playing games and making coffee.

Chongqing Bairest Coffee and Pastry Training Academy