When we usually brew coffee, what factors do we always pay attention to? Which factors are the most important?

So what is the factor we should focus on first?

There are several key factors in brewing coffee, including water-to-powder ratio, water temperature, grinding degree, extraction time, and the freshness of the beans. Any of these factors will affect the coffee you produce, so how should we adjust these temperatures?

1. Water-to-powder ratio

The water-to-powder ratio, as the name implies, is the ratio of coffee powder to water. I recommend using a 1:15 ratio for brewing (for example, 15g of coffee powder, use 225ml of water). This ratio is quite common and not prone to error, so beginners can refer to it.

2. Water temperature

Water temperature is also very important for coffee extraction. For beginners, I will give you a few reference values ​​for reference, namely, 92℃, 90℃, and 88℃. 92℃ water can be used to brew some beans with a relatively low roasting degree, which can increase the extraction rate and improve the flavor. 90℃ water can be used to brew some medium-roasted beans, which will have a more balanced taste. 88℃ water can be used to brew some beans with a relatively high roasting degree, which can reduce the extraction rate and avoid extracting the wrong flavor.

In short: the higher the water temperature, the higher the extraction rate, and conversely, the lower the water temperature, the lower the extraction rate.

3. Grinding degree

Generally speaking, the grinding degree of coffee powder can be divided into five levels: coarse powder, medium powder, medium-fine powder, fine powder, and extra-fine powder.

Looking at the above pictures, we can roughly understand the grinding degree used by each tool.

In general, the finer the grind, the higher the extraction rate, and conversely, the coarser the grind, the lower the extraction rate.

4. Extraction time

There are generally two types of extraction time for hand-brewed coffee: steaming time and brewing time. Let’s talk about steaming time first. The suggestion for beginners is that steaming time = weight of coffee powder. For example, 15g of coffee powder = 15s of steaming time. Then the subsequent brewing time is recommended to be completed within 2 minutes. If it exceeds two minutes, it will be easier to extract bad flavors in the coffee. So it is recommended to complete the extraction within 2 minutes.

5. Freshness of coffee beans

Coffee beans basically have no shelf life, but they have an optimal tasting period. If the tasting period of coffee is exceeded, its flavor will be greatly reduced. Therefore, when brewing coffee, we recommend brewing it within the tasting period of coffee beans. What is the tasting period? The tasting period of coffee is within 6 months, so what is the optimal tasting period? Within 3 months, the flavor of coffee will be greatly preserved within 3 months, but it depends on the conditions in which it is stored. If it is not stored properly, the optimal tasting period may only be one month or even a week, so we must store our coffee beans well. Do not let it over-oxidize and retain the original flavor.

The above concepts are only for reference by beginners. Please avoid criticizing me. Thank you.