Pro tips for your coffee routine
Brewing coffee can be a calming ritual for some, or a complete hassle for others. With so many variables to control, a tremendous amount of time is needed to figure out what works. Throw in a lack of time (and sleep) on a weekday morning, chances are bad-tasting coffees occur more often than you would like.
Fret not, we bring you 6 simple coffee pro tips that could elevate your morning brew, so you’ll never have to add “coffee turned out shit” to the list of things that go wrong in the morning.
1. Pick the right set-up
With the plethora of brewing setups in the coffee market, you’ll be sure to find a method that suits your needs. If you’re just getting started, two important things to consider are the amount of time you’re willing/able to spare in the morning, as well as the number of cups you’ve got to brew.
For those strapped for time in the early mornings, opt for setups that can brew delicious coffee in a reasonably short amount of time. Top choices include pour over sets like the Hario V60 Kit ($12) or cold-brew makers (that can be prepared the night before).
If you’re brewing coffee for an entire family, setups like the Bodum Chambord French Press ($72) would be the perfect go-to. Ideal for large batches, brewing with a french press is a pretty hands-off experience. You could go about making breakfast while your coffee readies itself. The result is a deliciously smooth cup of morning joe with minimal effort.
2. Weigh your coffee
Coffee brewing is a delicate mix of art and science. In this case, weighing your beans helps with the scientific side of things. Across different coffee beans, one tablespoon’s worth can wildly fluctuate in terms of weight. This could lead to your coffee tasting slightly different every time.
Weighing your beans every time allows you to produce more consistent results with each brew. If you’re looking to get serious, investing in a scale would be a great place to start. You could get any scale for cheap, or go pro with coffee scales like the Timemore Basic Scale ($60).
3. Purchase whole beans (instead of ground coffee)
We can’t stress enough how much a difference it makes to buy whole beans instead of pre-ground coffee. Though it involves an added step of grinding your beans, I’d say definitely do it if you can spare the time. Pre-ground coffee gradually loses its freshness and flavour over time, which is not ideal if you really want to enjoy that cuppa.
Conversely, freshly grounded beans have the ability to produce remarkably tasty coffee, retaining complex flavours and notes which would otherwise have been lost over time in a pre-ground bag.
While you’ll have to invest in a grinder for this, we promise it’s all worth the effort.
4. Pre-wet your filters
Does your coffee taste vaguely of toilet paper, or does its mouthfeel seem a little gritty? Chances are you forgot to pre-wet your filters. Pre-wetting is an important step especially for percolation brewing methods (think drip brews like V60, Kalita, Chemex).
When you rinse your filters, you increase your chances of a uniform extraction process. Some even say that pre wetting increases the extraction yield. Include this step in your coffee routine for a cleaner tasting cuppa.
5. Preheat your equipment
If you enjoy your coffee piping hot, preheating your equipment is a wonderful way minimise heat loss throughout the brewing process. Bringing your equipment to temperature prevents it from absorbing heat away from the coffee. This way, your morning joe stays hot for a longer period of time.
For this, it’ll be handy to have a flask of hot water on the side. If you’ve got a bunch of equipment, lay them all out on a heat-proof tray preheat away. Be careful not to scald yourself though!
6. Experiment with brewing ratios
Ratios are important. While package instructions are a good starting point for figuring out the right proportions, it definitely does not hurt to be adventurous and experiment beyond.
If you feel that your coffee is perhaps too strong or that the mouthfeel just does not seem right, experimenting with brew ratios might help to solve some of these problems.
A simple google search will surface tons of recommended ratios for all kinds of brewing methods. If you’re specifically terrified of over extraction (as I am), a bypass brew is a good way to solve that. It involves making a small but concentrated amount of coffee, before diluting it with more hot water.
Choose your own adventure
That’s what coffee brewing is all about. It boils down to figuring out what works for you, and what does not. If you’re not happy with the way your coffee tastes, try out these tips one at a time to troubleshoot your brewing process. With these coffee pro tips, you can expect to have great tasting coffee on your table real soon.
