How to Brew Coffee Like I Brew Coffee

I gave up daily coffee in the 1990s. It was the time of the latte and I was living in the Pacific Northwest. But I didn't need the jolt first thing in the morning every morning. Not that I avoided the coffee shop - it's just that when I did have a latte, I really enjoyed it.

Having kids changed all that.

If you're doing something every day, you might as well get good at it, right? So now I am quite um, detailed, about my coffee brewing. The technique is simple and foolproof. It's a mix of a bunch of slightly different methods from Blue Bottle Coffee, Cook's Illustrated, and even Alton Brown's Good Eats (the Espresso episode). I follow this every weekend and holiday morning. And the coffee it makes is consistent and awesome.

Ingredients

  • 1 French Press
  • Coffee beans & a way to grind them; if you must buy pre-ground, you want a coarser grind for a French Press
  • A bamboo chopstick
  • A kitchen timer
  • Water & vessel to boil it in

Perparation

  1. Start water boiling. 
  2. Prep your press. For me this means putting it in the sink so grounds don't go all over the kitchen.
  3. When the water boils, remove it from heat. You want just less than boiling, so do a couple of things just before pouring. Like...
  4. Grind your beans and put the grounds in the press. 
  5. Pour the water. Get all the grounds wet.
  6. Stir well with the chopstick. Get all the grounds submerged. You should have a little light-brown froth at the top.
  7. Cover and wait 4 minutes. Yes, use the timer.
  8. Prep your cup(s). Now would be the time to add cream and/or sugar to the bottom of a waiting cup.
  9. Pour.
  10. Drink. I find the coffee gets awesome after another 2 or 3 minutes. About sip number three.

If you don't yet have a grinder, start with about 2 tablespoons per 6oz of water. Adjust up or down over time until you find your optimal amount. I use a burr grinder that has a setting for number of cups so I don't even think about it any more.

Yes, the bamboo chopstick makes a difference over a metal spoon.

There are plenty of places to get coffee beans. Keep trying until you find ones you like - find a local roaster and you will be rewarded.

Don't have the gear yet? Then buy what you're missing at my Amazon.com mini-store.

Remember your coffee grounds are compostable. Or if you have roses, azaleas, or camelias, rinse & drain your press in the garden. Your flowers will be super happy. Eventually, coffee grounds are supposed to make biodiesel. But that's another show.

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