I have been asked many times about the best way to make great coffee. How much coffee do I use? What about the water? Which is the best home brewer?

I will describe how I make my coffee in the morning. It may be a little time consuming, but it is oh so worth the effort. Give my method a try, you’ll never go back to the old way. My morning coffee is a daily joy, and I want it to be the best it can possibly be.

Enjoy!

Chris Shepherd

Coffee: Whole or Ground?

I prefer freshly ground whole bean coffee to start. Our pre-ground canned coffees make great coffee, however there is no doubt that grinding the beans fresh is better.

80% of our taste comes through our nose. When coffee is freshly ground the gas released contains a lot of the taste components.

I grind only what I will be using each morning.

Grind coffee finely, but not too fine. About 15 seconds. Coffee that is ground too finely will have a bitter taste. Coarsely ground coffee will not have enough flavor.

I measure out two heaping tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 oz mug. (.35 ounces per 6 oz cup, 3.5 oz. per 60 ounces of water).

Brewing: Percolated or Filtered?

I make my coffee cup by cup.

I never use a percolating home brewer, they make terrible coffee. The home brewing systems simply do not work well. The water is not hot enough for proper extraction, and it takes too long to go through the brew basket, leaving some bitterness in the cup.

I use a one cup Melita plastic filter with a one cup white paper filter.
(Do not use the brown filters; they impart a taste to the coffee)

Water: Distilled, Spring or Tap?

Boil spring or filtered water to 192 degrees, or just before kettle boils.

Do not use distilled water, coffee likes the minerals in water. But make sure water is at least filtered; never use tap water.

When water is ready, pour only enough water to gently wet the grounds.

Let sit for 30 seconds. This allows for an even extraction when you poor the rest of the water

After the 30 seconds, pour water to top of filter and let it soak down.

When I get ready for my second cup, I simply repeat the above.

Too much trouble, takes too long? Makes too much of a mess?

NEVER!!