"Hand-brewed coffee is an art about time. In this era where time is always insufficient, the trend of hand-brewed coffee is a countercurrent to the self." - Liang Wendao

I love coffee deeply. Rather than saying that caffeine is addictive, it is more like relying on the happiness that calms the brain and makes the heart happy. A cup of coffee in the morning allows us to temporarily withdraw from the "information greenhouse" and practice the slow motion of time. Before going out freely, we should first achieve coffee freedom at home.

Step 01 Select, weigh and grind beans

Choose the coffee beans you like, weigh them and grind them

William Harvey, a famous British physiologist and doctor in the 17th century, and the discoverer of blood circulation, when he felt that he did not have much time left, he found a notary, pointed gently at a coffee bean, as if it were a treasure he could not let go of, and said with a smile: "This is the source of happiness and thought."

In the source of happiness and thoughts, experience the ups and downs of coffee beans. If you only know that it is bitter and the aftertaste makes you restless, then you really misunderstand coffee. Learning to choose the right beans in the right place is a must for understanding coffee.

1. Select beans keywords

Altitude: 1500m+

The principle is similar to choosing Taiwanese high mountain tea. The higher the altitude, the higher the quality of coffee beans/tea. 1,500 meters above sea level is the watershed for the price and quality of coffee beans/high mountain tea.

Coffee Bean Producing Region: Coffee Belt

The tropical regions/countries between 25° north and south latitude breed coffee beans with their own regional characteristics, collectively known as the Coffee Belt. In addition to the well-known production areas such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Indonesia, Yunnan small-grain coffee beans are also worthy of attention.

Green bean processing method: washed, sun-dried, honey-processed

If you like bright fruity acids, choose Full Washed; if you like a mellow sweet taste, choose Natural; if you like sweetness and caramel texture, choose Honey Process; in addition, there are also some less popular green bean processing methods such as Semi-Washed and Anaerobic.

Baking method: light, medium, dark

If you like bright floral, fruity and herbal aromas, choose light roasting; if you like the aroma of caramel, nuts and cream, choose medium roasting; dark roasting is suitable for chocolate flavor beans.

Best tasting period: 1 month

The aromatic substances are best preserved within one month after roasting. Each bag of coffee beans purchased online weighs about half a pound (227g), and it takes about 15g to grind each time. Based on this, you can calculate the monthly consumption. Don't stock up on beans, and don't let the store grind the beans.

90+Plus ° G1 ° COE No. X

The above three nouns are almost equivalent to specialty coffee beans, so you should pay special attention to them: 90+Plus is a coffee company, a symbol of high-quality coffee; G1 is the mark of the Ethiopian EXC specialty coffee trading grading; COE is the ranking obtained in the Cup of Excellence competition.

2. Favorite Brand

▼ Rose | A cup of good coffee every day

Rose | A cup of good coffee every day

Rose coffee, in France, represents the chic and romantic feeling of coffee embellished with rose petals; in China, it is a coffee brand with a great reputation since 2003. Every time I receive a Rose product, I can’t put it down. From the visual to the original Lonely Bottle coffee bean bottle, it is thoughtful and interesting.

It is no secret that Rose only seeks fresh coffee beans and travels to the Coffee Belt to purchase raw beans all year round. I was lucky enough to try G1 Yirgacheffe directly sourced from Ethiopia. The anaerobic fermentation process has a clean and neat taste, just like accidentally entering the Garden of Eden, and the cherries just picked from the tree are exploding in the taste buds. The brand itself has many interesting stories to explore. I once said that I would write a story for Rose. Where is the story? !

▼ The Minority & The Light Master | Looking for a cup of hand-brewed coffee

Minority & Zhiguangshi | Looking for a cup of hand-brewed coffee

What do we mean when we talk about coffee culture? Perhaps we can find the answer from Master Zhiguang. Like all the beautiful and eternal things in the world, we can find the coffee scenery of "mountain meadows paving the way and summer wildflowers surrounding" in the boring roasting and production process.

The minority and Rose, whether in terms of their reputation in the industry or their friendship, always remind me of New Pants and Mirror. In all aspects of coffee bean quality, the minority attaches the most importance to the quality of the original beans. The Yirgacheffe mentioned above was ordered by them from Ethiopia. I also recommend Zhiguangshi because their WeChat public account, which has been running since 2014, has articles about coffee, which testify to how solid they are step by step.

▼ Matrix | In Coffee We Trust

Matrix | In Coffee We Trust

Frankly speaking, I watched MATRIX grow up. In 2016, it was still a small shop in Eslite in Suzhou. It took it three years to break into the world of boutique coffee in Shanghai from Suzhou, and even occupy a place in the world. It relied on its uncompromising persistence in coffee and its excellent skills in brewing coffee.

Matrix's latte was once considered the standard of excellent latte. It uses fresh beans with a nutty aroma as the base, and the milk foam is moderately whipped. The moment you take a sip, you can tell the difference between the milk and coffee flavors. For a long time, it was difficult to fall in love with other brands of latte. The complex flavor of the beans and the delicate taste balance are Matrix's beliefs. The 12 champion beans auctioned in the YCE green bean competition are especially worth a try.

▼ Yongpu Coffee | On a slow boat to coffee

Yongpu Coffee | On a slow boat to coffee

Yongpu Coffee, which has also been with us for several years, has gradually grown into a towering tree: it has its own coffee estates in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan and Shi'er Wild Manor.

From Rishiji to Mrs. Pumpkin, from Tyakasha to Yiwen Publishing House, from illustrators to car brands... I don't know if it is the most cross-border coffee brand. When it comes to buying the daily essential coffee bags in the cubicle, I still habitually think of Yongpu. Every time I open Yongpu's unexpected cultural creations, I know how much effort they put into realizing the belief of "the best coffee in the universe".

▼ Goutoujia | Specialty Coffee Roaster

Goutoujia | Specialty Coffee Roaster

I never expected that Goutoujia would be the brand with the highest repurchase rate in 2019. The plain packaging and copywriting attract us to buy again and again, relying on the low-key but excellent coffee beans. After placing an order, it is roasted on the same day and shipped in 3-5 days. When it arrives, it is just the best tasting period after the carbon dioxide is released. How can you tell that it is fresh? The bulging coffee bag says it all.

▼ 11 | Rediscover some simple happiness

11 | Rediscover some simple happiness

Speaking of Shiyi again, it is really hard to find a coffee shop that can deliver the coffee on the same day during an emergency. One day in February, I talked about the coffee bean shortage at home half tentatively and half helplessly, and they sent the coffee beans to me on the same day without saying anything. The hibiscus aroma of the coffee beans, accompanied by the failed puffs, was like a lamp in the dark night.

▼ Fishtank | A drop of water reflects the world

Fishtank | A drop of water reflects the world

In the fall of 2019, I encountered Nanjing Fish Tank at the Shanghai Jing'an Coffee Culture Festival. It was also the stall where I stayed the longest that day. Even though there were a constant stream of customers, the clerk still patiently looked at my nagging needs. Gradually, I discovered that Fish Tank, which named its desserts after Akira Kurosawa's movies, is what a dream coffee shop should be like: desserts, copywriting, coffee, customer experience, curation, creativity, focusing on every detail, with both passion and professionalism.

Recently, it is said that "when coffee meets chocolate, it is better than anything else in the world". We have imported fine chocolate Bean to Bar from South Africa: sea salt caramel and raspberry almond platinum. How can you not try it! !

Step 02 Prepare brewing equipment

Basic configuration: hand brewing pot + grinder + hand brewing coffee filter cup

Chemex, Coffee Grinder, Filter Bowl are the basic configurations for hand-poured coffee. Two years ago, I locked onto three brands based on reputation, appearance, practicality, and cost-effectiveness. Two years later, not only have they become more and more comfortable to use, but every time I extract coffee, I am experiencing a "creation of life."

1. Timemore G1 Hand Grinder

2017 German Red Dot Award Chestnut G1 Grinder

If you want to achieve the desired extraction effect, the grinder cannot be ignored. Timemore, which has quickly become popular in recent years, can be regarded as the pride of domestic products. It has a great sense of design and understands the essence of coffee. Who would not like such a brand? The hand-cranked grinder is very difficult to use. The coffee beans are finely ground. Compared with the electric grinder, it is more difficult to control, but it is the first choice for beginners.

Tips:

1. If you want to capture the fleeting aroma of coffee, it is better to grind the beans yourself.

2. The grinding time should be controlled within 2 minutes. The longer the grinding time or the higher the grinding temperature, the faster the coffee aroma will be lost.

3. The force of the hand crank of the hand grinder must be consistent to maintain consistent particle size.

4. The finer the grinding degree, the higher the extraction degree. The appropriate grinding degree is the key factor affecting the flavor of coffee.

2. Bonavita Pour-Over Kettle

Combining oriental elements with modern aesthetics, Bonavita is an ideal choice for entry-level hand-poured coffee makers. The size and specifications strictly comply with the cupping standards and ergonomics of the American Specialty Coffee Association (SCAA); the pot body is small at the top and wide at the bottom, which provides good stability for pouring water in a circle; the spout of each pot is handcrafted by a master, and the water control is excellent.

Tips:

1. Stable water output is the key to uniform coffee extraction.

2. The thinner the spout of a kettle, the easier it is to control the flow and direction of the water.

3. Hario V60 Pour-Over Coffee Filter

Hario, a Japanese coffee equipment manufacturer, is well-known in the coffee industry. Among them, the V60 series is the best value for money. It is suitable for beans of various roasting degrees. The spiral pattern on the inner wall ensures air flow during brewing. Although the price is not high, it frequently appears in world-class coffee competitions. Almost every hand-brew coffee lover has a set.

Tips:

1. The air channel at the V60 extraction port makes the water flow very fast, and you must concentrate when filling the water to accurately control the extraction time.

2. Be sure to equip yourself with the appropriate filter paper, especially white filter paper is recommended to restore the coffee flavor to the greatest extent.

Step 03 Three steps of hand brewing

It’s not that complicated?

Hands get sore from grinding beans; water temperature is not reached; water injection speed or extraction time is not controlled well, so that the flavor of beans cannot be revealed... Time and again, I have encountered failures and asked myself what the charm of hand brewing is. Maybe it is because each time is like planting a seed, which is irrigated little by little and becomes a delicious coffee fruit. Every cup of hand brewed coffee is the unique rose in the story of "The Little Prince".

1. Preheat

☉ Fold the filter paper and put it into the filter cup. Use 100-150ml hot water to hand-wash the filter paper and preheat the bottom pot.

Tips: Pour out the hot water at the bottom of the pot.

2. Steaming

☉ Pour the ground coffee powder into the filter cup and steam it for 30 seconds: gently pour 10ml of hot water into the filter cup and soak the coffee powder. The steamed coffee powder will swell up like a small hill.

Tips: The water temperature should be adjusted according to the temperament of the coffee beans, generally 92-95°C; the fresher the coffee beans, the bigger the hill will bulge.

3. Extraction

☉ First water injection: Slowly pour water from the center outwards in a concentric circle, being careful not to touch the filter cup wall. The water flow height should be 3-4cm away from the flour surface.

☉ Second water injection: Wait for a while after the first brew, and before the water in the coffee powder falls completely, inject water for the second time. Also inject in a circular manner, and control the water volume to 30% of the total water volume.

☉ The third water injection: When the water drops to 1cm from the powder surface, the third water injection

Tips: The key to the flavor of hand-brewed coffee: brewing water temperature (the lighter the roasting degree, the higher the water temperature required), extraction time (the shorter the time, the more bitter the coffee), coffee powder to water ratio (the best water powder ratio is 1:15).

Step 04 Enjoy

10 minutes of hand washing, 100 points of healing

"Coffee Boutique Studies" mentions that the SCAA cupping standards are divided into nine dimensions: Fragrance/Aroma, Flavor, Aftertaste, Clean Up, Sweetness, Acidity, Body, Uniformtiy, and Balance.

Black currant, chocolate, jasmine, tea rose... boutique coffee not only hides a vast universe of the five senses, but also has a common flavor language in the coffee flavor wheel. Describe and understand what is beautiful in a cup of coffee and why it is beautiful? To understand coffee, there is no other way except to try it from time to time.

Today, I have received news that my favorite coffee shops have resumed business. Although the coffee shop at home is good, it is not as good as the one on the corner. I miss the lively atmosphere and the coffee aroma that is fascinating as soon as I walk in. After I regain the freedom to go out, I will drink in all the independent coffee shops. It is not just to satisfy my coffee addiction, but to support the small restaurants I love and accompany them through another difficult time.

. In Coffee We Trust .

Text | Jona's Travel Food Story