From instant coffee to brewed coffee, from blending to pure coffee, the journey of a coffee novice

This article was first published on What’s Worth Buying. Please follow this account to get more good articles. Author: mars208

Note: The full article is over 6,800 words and 42 pictures. It shares the advanced path from instant coffee to hand brewing. It includes freeze-dried instant black coffee recommendations, AeroPress gameplay sharing, 5 simple rules to follow for hand brewing coffee, a guide to buying hand brewing equipment, and the most common V60 filter cup usage. The article is quite long, and some of the content has article jump links . It is recommended to save it for future use. Comments and exchanges are also welcome.

Nowadays, more and more people in China drink coffee, which can be seen from the increase in the number of large and small coffee shops in the streets and alleys. As one of the three major beverages in the world, coffee is popular along with cocoa and tea. Whether at home, in the office, or in various social occasions, coffee can always be seen. It has gradually become closely linked to people's work and life.

I am a coffee lover. If I have the chance, I always want to drink a cup every day. I first came into contact with coffee when I was in the third year of high school. At that time, I only used it as a functional drink to get through the hard days before the college entrance examination. At that time, Nestle instant coffee was all I knew about coffee. Later, when I went to college, I didn't drink it much. After graduation, I started working and working overtime and staying up late. I started drinking strong tea, but it was not refreshing enough. I started drinking instant coffee. The first choice was Nestle 1+2 instant. If one pack was not enough, I would brew two packs. Then sugar-free instant coffee, and freeze-dried instant coffee, and slowly no sugar or milk. After that period, I worked less overtime, but the habit of drinking coffee was formed. Later, I came into contact with single-origin coffee, played with AeroPress, and then tossed to V60 filter cup hand brewing.

I started drinking coffee to refresh myself, but gradually I started to like it. As I drank more, I naturally developed standards and requirements.

1. Mixed instant coffee (with coffee mate, sugar, etc.)

Nestle 1+2 instant coffee is probably the first coffee for most people, especially if you try a sip of sugar-free black coffee and then drink Nestle instant coffee, you will find it very delicious. The rich milky aroma and high sugar content dilute the bitterness of coffee and make it easier for people to accept the taste of coffee. In the sweetness blended by sugar and coffee creamer, you will get on the coffee boat.

Nestle 1+2 instant coffee is a classic product of Nestle coffee. 1 is one portion of coffee, 2 is one portion of sugar and one portion of coffee companion (non-dairy creamer). It is packaged in strips for easy carrying. One package contains one cup, which can be brewed and drunk immediately.

In addition, the red coffee cup that comes with Nestlé's gift packaging has been used for many years and is very convenient to use. Gift sets with this red coffee cup are often seen in supermarkets.

In recent years, Nestlé has also launched a variety of flavors of 1+2 instant coffee to cope with market changes, such as a version without added sucrose and a espresso version with a stronger coffee flavor.

The main product is 1+2 instant coffee with no added sucrose and no trans fat.

Now, other series of instant coffee are also available here, such as the Gold Medal Collection series, which has four flavors: mocha, latte, white coffee and cappuccino, which is worth a try.

As for Nestlé’s latest series of specially blended fruit extracts and squeezed iced coffee, I won’t go into details here as I haven’t tried them. If you’re interested, you can go and give them a try.

In addition to Nestle, there are actually Maxwell House, G7, and some unknown brand of N-in-1 instant coffee, etc. I personally feel that these are a little bit inferior.

For Nestle's most classic 1+2 instant coffee, people who drink it often know that if one pack is not strong enough, you can make two packs at a time. If you have reached this step, it feels like you are ready to advance.

2. Instant Black Coffee

As mentioned before, when your taste becomes stronger and you start to dislike the sweet taste of milk and sugar, or when you pay more attention to your health, you will kick out the mixed instant coffee with coffee creamer and sugar from your shopping cart.

In order to improve the taste of coffee, most mixed instant coffees are added with ingredients such as non-dairy creamer and sugar. The hydrogenated vegetable oil in non-dairy creamer is trans fatty acid, which increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. As for sugar, it goes without saying that excessive intake can lead to obesity.

Say goodbye to sugar and coffee companion, the first choice of the host is Nestle's black coffee. At the beginning, I couldn't get used to it after two cups, it was bitter enough. What about the so-called mellowness? After drinking it a few times, I accepted it. But I have to say that the bitterness of Nestle's pure coffee is strong, it is recommended to pair it with companion, or drink Chinese medicine. Its main raw material is Robusta coffee beans, mixed with a variety of coffee beans. Compared with the Nestle Gold Medal mentioned later, it is much cheaper in terms of raw materials.

But there is another kind of black coffee found in Nestle, which has a more expensive price and the instant coffee powder comes in larger particles.

Later, I learned that there are two types of instant coffee processing technologies: spray drying and freeze drying. The former pressurizes and sprays the high-temperature extract of coffee beans into a mist, and the water in the coffee mist evaporates, leaving the remaining coffee liquid as dry powder particles. The process is simple, but it loses a lot of aroma during processing, and the taste will be greatly degraded.

So, before I finished the whole bottle, I started to switch to freeze-dried instant coffee.

3. Freeze-dried instant black coffee

3.1 Freeze-drying process

As mentioned before, in addition to spray drying, there is also freeze drying for instant coffee processing technology. The latter uses high-pressure hot water to extract coffee extract, freeze it into ice cubes, and then sublimate the water into gas through vacuum drying, leaving the remaining instant coffee powder. Compared with spray drying, this method can relatively preserve the coffee flavor, but the production cost is higher.

Choosing freeze-dried instant coffee is actually the beginning of paying attention to the quality of coffee and pursuing purity. The instant coffee using this process has greatly improved the coffee beans used compared to the previous two, and began to emphasize the coffee beans used.

3.2 Freeze-dried instant coffee recommendations

As a high-end series of instant coffee of various brands, freeze-dried instant coffee has more delicate choices of coffee flavor.

3.2.1 Nestle Gold

Compared with Nestle Pure, Nestle Gold is much better in terms of raw materials and craftsmanship. It does not taste bitter and astringent, has a stronger aroma, a softer taste, and has a certain acidity. If you blindly taste the Pure and Gold, you can tell them apart in one bite. This series has soft, original and strong flavors.

3.2.2 Davidoff

Later, I also drank Davidoff's instant black coffee. You read it right. Davidoff not only has perfume, but also coffee. It uses 100% Arabica coffee beans from Colombia, which is a good material. Davidoff coffee has three flavors: espresso, rich, and mild, with a mellow taste.

But the price is relatively expensive, the cost performance is not very high, after all, it is a luxury brand. I don't drink much, I personally feel that its acidity is quite obvious~

3.2.3 Moccona

Later, I discovered Moccona, which became my favorite before I got the AeroPress. Moccona is a long-standing Dutch coffee brand that was founded in 1753 and is highly regarded around the world. Its freeze-dried instant coffee has a variety of flavors, with the Expresso espresso series and the Classic series being the most famous.

This Classic series medium roasted instant coffee is blended from Arabica and Robusta coffee beans, with a smooth taste and rich aroma.

It is worth mentioning that the sealed glass jars in this series are very good, with glass bottle caps, tight seals, thick bottle walls, and good appearance. After drinking, the bottle has a high utilization rate, and it is very good for storing coffee beans or spices for cooking.

3.2.4 UCC

In addition, Japan's UCC instant black coffee is also very good. The more common ones are 114 and 117, as well as red and green label artisan coffee.

117 is its popular product. It is not sour but rather bitter. It is a deep roasted flavor with a mellow taste and a lingering sweet aftertaste. The price is relatively cheap, and the cost performance is good. You can try it.

As can be seen from the picture below, freeze-dried instant coffee is no longer just bitter and sweet, but also begins to show fruity sourness. The acidity of coffee is not much reflected in instant coffee, but it is an important criterion in hand-brewed single-origin coffee.

3.3 Brewing instant black coffee

Instant black coffee is usually brewed by adding 150ml of water to 2g of coffee. You can also add or reduce the amount of water according to your taste. Generally, experienced coffee drinkers will directly add 4g of coffee.

If you like a mellow and smooth taste, you can add pure milk in moderation. The coffee brewed in this way will be much healthier than mixed instant coffee with coffee creamer and sugar.

If you drink more instant black coffee, you will find the differences in taste between different series and brands, and gradually you will no longer only taste the burnt and bitter taste of coffee.

4. Coffee shops are blooming everywhere

In recent years, coffee shops represented by Starbucks, Costa, Pacific Coffee, etc. have developed and expanded rapidly. They can be seen in all business districts and CBDs in cities. Going to coffee shops has become a new way for urban people to socialize. And Starbucks may be the first stop for many people when they first visit a coffee shop.

The proliferation of coffee chains such as Starbucks has made people's recognition and understanding of coffee a big step forward. The author once heard someone ask the clerk in a Starbucks store in Qingdao, how to drink the coffee beans on the shelf, should they just brew them? The well-trained clerk patiently explained it. In addition, the joke "Sorry, sir, we only have medium, large, and extra large cups. The middle cup is large, not medium" is also well-known.

In October 2017, Luckin Coffee was born like a rocket and has been expanding rapidly. By the end of March 2019, it had opened 2,370 stores in 28 cities in China. In May of this year, it was listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in the United States. Are you shocked by its speed? ! Takeaway is the main sales method of Luckin Coffee. It is spread across business districts and office buildings in major cities. Orders are placed using the APP, and coffee is picked up or delivered. Luckin can expand so rapidly, presumably because the Chinese people are more accepting of coffee as a beverage.

About what to order in large coffee chains like Starbucks. At first, I ordered Americano for a while, but after I started making coffee myself, I rarely ordered Americano. I mostly ordered new seasonal blends to try, or cold brew, which is hard to make at home. Why? Because my taste has become more picky, and I don't like Starbucks' deep roasted or over-roasted mixed beans (most of the domestic Starbucks mixes Yunnan beans with coffee beans from other origins and then roasts them together).

Nowadays, there are more and more boutique coffee shops popping up. These shops have strict standards and self-pursuits in terms of raw bean purchase, roasting, and production. They strictly follow the production of boutique coffee, such as choosing the appropriate roasting degree according to different beans, ensuring that the beans are fresh enough, and controlling the brewing water temperature and time within the standard range. If there is such a shop nearby, it must be a good thing to go there and chat with the owner about coffee.

5. AeroPress Coffee Filter

After drinking freeze-dried instant coffee for a long time, I gradually became able to distinguish the difference in taste between different instant black coffees. By chance, I came into contact with the AeroPress coffee filter, which I had a lot of fun using. Gradually, I gained more knowledge about single-origin coffee, and began to buy freshly roasted single-origin coffee beans from reputable boutique coffee shops online, learning to appreciate the different flavors.

It’s fun and interesting. The OP’s farewell to instant coffee started with AeroPress.

5.1 How to use AeroPress

AeroPress complete set: hand-pressed filter cartridge, coffee spoon, funnel, stirring rod, filter paper storage box, filter cover, and some special filter papers (the two figures are not included).

In addition to the AeroPress, the required equipment includes an electronic scale, a coffee grinder, a water thermometer, a kettle, and a cup. You can use your mobile phone to measure the time. For the AeroPress, if you don't have an electronic scale or a water thermometer, you can still use it. In addition, the kettle is optional, and you don't have to be as picky as hand-brewed coffee.

Three ways to use:

1. Place the filter paper in the filter cap, wet the filter paper to fit the cap better, place the filter cap on the filter cartridge, and then stand it upright on a sturdy cup. Pour the finely ground coffee powder into the filter cartridge, add water, stir, and let it sit for a while. Finally, insert the pressure rod into the filter cartridge and press down gently.

2. Inverting may be a better way to use it. It solves the problem of leakage during the soaking process of coffee powder when using it upright. Inverting can provide better control.

3. Use ice drip coffee and play around. You can also play around with ice drip coffee. Take a mineral water bottle, remove the bottom of the bottle, and punch a hole in the bottle cap (it is recommended to make it smaller at the beginning to facilitate adjusting the drip speed later, 1-2 drops per second).

There is no electronic scale or thermometer. The scale on the filter cartridge is about 55ml per grid (for convenience, one grid is from the middle of one number to the middle of the next number, for example, one grid is from the middle of ④ to the middle of number ③). When inverted, 3~5mm from the middle of ① to the upper edge is about 75ML, and the most commonly used ③ to the upper edge of the filter cartridge is about 185ML. After adding powder, 3~5mm from ③ to the upper edge of the filter cartridge is about 160ML. A spoon of beans is 15-16 grams (a flat spoon, not the bulge in the middle of the pile, different beans are different). If the room temperature is around 26 degrees, boil water with the lid open, and it will drop below 90 degrees in about 4-5 minutes (for reference only).

The AeroPress is fun and has so many uses for you to discover.

If you are interested in AeroPress, you can go to the previous article written by the OP for a more detailed introduction▼▼▼

Personally, I think that making single-origin coffee with AeroPress is simpler than making it by hand, and is less affected by the equipment.

6. Hand-poured coffee (following the guidelines, equipment selection guide and V60 use)

After saying goodbye to instant coffee, you are actually just getting started with coffee. Why do I say that? A good cup of coffee should not taste bitter. If you follow the strict operating procedures, the coffee you make will have more levels of taste, such as different sweetness, acidity, or whether it is mellow and clean.

There are many ways to make a cup of coffee, such as drip (hand-brew, American drip machine, hanging ear), immersion (French press, siphon pot), pressure (moka pot, espresso pot, capsule machine), Turkish style, cold brew (iced drip coffee), etc.

Here we mainly talk about the hand-brewed coffee (drip coffee) which is more popular nowadays. Hand-brewed coffee is a process of putting filter paper into the filter cup first, then pouring coffee powder into the filter paper, and pouring hot water from above to brew the coffee powder. There are also many details in it.

6.1 Five simple rules to follow

6.1.1 Coffee beans must be fresh

Single-variety coffee beans are usually used because single-variety coffee is more likely to highlight its own unique flavor. Different bean varieties and climate of origin will create different flavors.

Good boutique coffee shops will manually screen the coffee beans again before roasting to remove bad beans.

6.1.2 Appropriate roasting degree

Coffee bean roasting can be simply divided into light roasting, medium roasting, and deep roasting. Generally speaking, the lighter the roasting, the stronger the acidity of the coffee, and the darker the roasting, the stronger the bitterness of the coffee. However, each type of coffee bean has a roasting degree that is suitable for its own characteristics and flavor. Boutique coffee shops mostly use medium or light roasting, and some use deep roasting.

After coffee is roasted, it releases a lot of carbon dioxide, and the aromatic compounds will be taken away with it, so the flavor of roasted coffee beans will continue to decline. Generally, they should not be stored for more than 1 month. Therefore, it is more appropriate to buy freshly roasted beans for about 3 weeks at a time.

6.1.3 Coffee powder coarseness

After coffee beans are ground, their oxidation speed increases, and the aroma of volatile components can be released up to 60% within 15 minutes, so only by grinding and brewing fresh coffee can you experience more flavor and aroma of coffee. So after you drink freshly ground coffee, you will find that it is difficult to go back to the days of drinking instant coffee.

The coarseness of coffee powder is related to the extraction of coffee flavor. Different equipment has a suitable coarseness. But no matter what, try to ensure that the coarseness of the ground coffee powder is uniform. Secondly, the specific coarseness of the coffee powder will be considered. Drip filter is suitable for the coarseness of sugar, French press is relatively coarse, and Italian press is finer.

6.1.4 Extraction water temperature

Different water temperatures also affect the flavor of the coffee. High water temperature can extract more ingredients from the coffee powder, and the bitterness of the coffee will become stronger; while low water temperature is not easy to extract the ingredients in the coffee, which will lead to a stronger sour taste. The appropriate water temperature is generally between 86 and 96 degrees Celsius. For new beans, you can start with a water temperature of 90 degrees Celsius. The water temperature for medium and light roasting should be higher, and the water temperature for deep roasting can be lower.

At this time, a temperature-controlled hand brewing kettle may give you more convenience.

6.1.5 Powder-water ratio

An appropriate coffee powder to water ratio can control the coffee concentration within a certain range, and the coffee powder will be reasonably extracted. The coffee powder to water ratio is generally around 1:15, which means that 15g of coffee powder is brewed with 225g of hot water, and I personally like to use 1:16 . Under the same amount of coffee powder, the more coffee is extracted, the less bitter the coffee will be.

For the above two points (1) and (2), you can go to Taobao to find a reputable boutique coffee shop and buy single-origin coffee beans that are roasted just after the order is placed. There are many shops that do a good job now, and the quality is good. Buying once a month can ensure freshness. You can also experience different flavors by buying different beans. Good shops will also carefully mark the origin, processing method, roasting degree, flavor, variety, etc. for you, and give you suggestions on grinding coarseness, water temperature, powder ratio and brewing time. In this way, points (4) and (5) are solved. Finally, for (3), you only need to choose a suitable grinder that can produce powder evenly and has a larger adjustable coarseness.

Tips: The release of carbon dioxide is a unique phenomenon after roasting coffee beans, and it is also one of the references for distinguishing freshness. After the freshly roasted coffee beans are bagged, the bag will swell (generally the bag has a one-way air valve to release air). When hot water is added for steaming and extraction, the powder will bulge or produce abundant bubbles, which are all proof of good freshness. Generally speaking, deeply roasted beans release more than lightly roasted beans.

6.2 Recommended hand brewing tools

If you want to make hand-brewed coffee, you naturally need some special equipment, not only for style, but more importantly, to make a cup of delicious coffee. The basic equipment includes filter cup, filter paper, grinder, hand-brewed pot, electronic scale, and thermometer.

If you insist, besides using a filter cup, you can just use a thermos to make coffee powder and do it. There is no need to be so particular. Well, it depends on your preference.

The basic equipment includes filter cups, grinders, hand brewers, electronic scales, thermometers, etc. If I were to talk about them in this article, it would be too long. Fortunately, I have recommended similar articles before, so I can jump to them directly. Most of them are classic equipment and are not outdated.

6.3 V60 filter cup

The most important thing about hand-brewed coffee is the filter cup. Different filter cups have their own unique design. The material, inclination angle of the cup wall, guide groove and guide hole will all have some impact on the flavor of the coffee.

The V60 filter cup is a must-have for hand-brew coffee lovers. Everyone has one. The host uses the following HARIO filter cup, which is made of resin and is relatively cheap. The disadvantage is that it has poor heat preservation and will turn yellow after a long time of use.

The method of use is very simple, as shown in the figure below. There are two points that can be improved. 1. After putting the filter paper in, wet it with hot water, which can make the filter paper fit the filter cup better, wash away some of the paper smell (especially the filter paper that has not been bleached), and also warm the cup; 2. If the amount of coffee made is small, for one person, just drip it directly into the cup and drink it directly, saving the purchase of a sharing pot.

Regarding the coffee powder to water ratio, I would like to borrow a widely circulated picture. The picture below shows how to make coffee with a coffee powder to water ratio of 1:17. I personally use 1:16 more often, and use 15g of coffee powder each time.

The V60 filter cup can be used to control the coffee brewing by changing the coarseness of the powder and the size of the water flow, but in general, the coffee brewed by the V60 will have a weaker body. Later, the author followed the trend and bought a small gadget called Lilydrip.

It changes the structure of the powder layer, making it wider and more uniform, thus avoiding the problem of fine powder sinking and over-extraction. The output is stable and the resulting coffee will become mellower, a bit like the coffee made in a flat cake cup.

VII. Final

There is more to coffee than this article can say. It can take three days and three nights to talk about it. The aroma of freshly ground coffee is much better than instant coffee (no matter what process it uses), but if the conditions are not met, you can choose instant black coffee.

If you are on the road and start pursuing the quality and purity of coffee, you should try more. A cup of good coffee has its own unique flavor and taste, which is a blend of cleanliness, sweetness, acidity, dry and wet aromas. Different beans have differences, and different brewing methods can also bring some changes. Try to taste the pure coffee without sugar or milk.

Drinking coffee has nothing to do with showing off, but because it can "extend life"! Think about every drowsy and listless morning, noon, and night...

above.