Brewing Tips

French Press
Using a French Press (Also known as a Press Pot) is one the easiest and best ways to get truly excellent coffee at home. The key to getting great results are: using fresh, high quality beans; grinding the coffee correctly; using clean equipment and timing the process. You’ll need a French press, fresh whole beans, a grinder, a wooden spoon, a timer and cups.

Grind Coffee
It is important that the coffee be ground coarse and ground with a quality burr grinder (rather than a blade grinder) to prevent an uneven extraction which increases coffee bitterness and undermines the authentic flavour profile of the coffee bean.

Add Coffee to Pot
You’ll need half an ounce of coffee for every 6 to 8 oz of water. In other words, if you have a 16 oz press you’ll want to use about an ounce of coffee. If stronger coffee is desired, feel free to adjust this amount based on your own personal taste. If weaker coffee is required, add boiling water to your cup of coffee. Make sure the pot and filter are clean and dry.

Add Water
You should bring water to a boil and then let cool for 20 or 30 seconds. First, soak the grinds thoroughly with a little of the boiling water, and then pour it aggressively into the pot so that it agitates all the grounds. The key is to saturate all of the grounds evenly. Gently swirl the sream as you do this. Do not fill the pot entirely. With fresh coffees you will see significant expansion of the coffee in a sort of foam at the top of the liquid once you add water. This is known as bloom and is the result of the off-gassing of CO2 from the coffee (hint: when you don’t see a large bloom chances are your coffee is stale).

Start Timer
Ideally, the mixture is allowed to soak for 4 minutes. It’s beneficial but not critically important that you use a timer to ensure that all the natural flavours emerge from the fresh roasted ground beans.

Add Lid
Add the lid and be sure to align the opening of the plunger lid with the spout of the pot.

Press the Pot
You should push the press (slowly) into the pot to force all grounds to the bottom. You might need to press and then release and repeat this step. Do not crush it with all your might use some finesse. Grounds that are allowed to sit too long will take on a bitterness that is inherent in every bean from over extraction.

Pour the Coffee
You need to pour your coffee as soon as you have pressed the pot. If you’re making more coffee than you want to drink right away, pour the coffee into a thermal carafe. Do not leave the coffee in the pot it will quickly degrade in quality. Swirling some piping hot water in your carafe to pre-heat it will help keep your coffee hotter longer.

Espresso Coffee

Regular coffee and espresso differ primarily in their brewing methods, flavor profiles, and caffeine content.
Brewing Method:
Regular Coffee: Typically made using drip brewing or other methods like French press or pour-over, where hot water slowly passes through coffee grounds.
Espresso: Made by forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee under high pressure, resulting in a concentrated shot.
Grind Size:
Regular Coffee: Coarser grind, allowing for slower extraction.
Espresso: Finer grind, which enhances extraction in a shorter time.
Flavor Profile:
Regular Coffee: Generally milder and can have a range of flavors based on the beans and brewing method.
Espresso: Richer, more intense flavor with a thicker consistency and a layer of crema (foam) on top.
Caffeine Content:
Regular Coffee: Typically has more caffeine per serving due to larger serving sizes.
Espresso: Higher caffeine concentration per ounce, but usually served in smaller quantities (1-2 ounces).
Serving Size:
Regular Coffee: Usually served in larger cups (8-12 ounces or more).
Espresso: Served in small shots (1-2 ounces).
These differences contribute to the unique experience and appeal of each type of coffee!