|
Storing
 |
-
Whole bean coffee stays fresher longer because there is less surface
area exposed to oxygen. Usually
lasting 1 to 2 weeks when stored at room temperature and 1 to 2
months in the freezer.
-
To store at room temperature, put
whole beans in an airtight container that blocks out the light.
Take out only as much as you
want to grind and brew immediately.
-
Freezing is an excellent
way to preserve whole bean coffee, if you do not intend to drink it
within a week or two. Remove only as many beans as you intend to consume in a day,
returning the rest to the freezer.
-
Do not refrigerate your coffee.
Storing whole beans or ground
coffee in the refrigerator for daily use can spoil it.
Whenever the container is opened, warm, moist air condenses allowing
the coffee to get stale.
- Ground coffee can be
stored at room temperature in an
airtight container that blocks out the light. It starts losing
flavor after about a week to 10 days.
- Store your unopened
bags of whole bean or ground coffee in the freezer.
The foil bags we use have a one-way valve that allows CO2
to escape but does not allow oxygen and moisture in, thus prolonging
freshness. The foil is also an effective barrier against
light.
|
|
Grinding
 |
- Grind your coffee just before you brew it.
Frozen beans grind up just fine, so there is no need to thaw them.
- ifferent
brewing methods have different grind requirements, so grind your coffee
for the brewing method you use.
-
Coffee
ground for an espresso machine should be very fine, partly because
the brew cycle is only about 20 seconds long. For a press pot,
the coffee should be a coarse grind, because the water and coffee
are in direct contact for about four minutes. For a
vacuum
or
drip pot, use a medium grind.
-
The amount of
time the coffee and water spend together and the size of the grind affect the flavor!
- Using a fine grind in a
coffee brewer with a longer (4-6 minutes) brewing cycle can result
in bitter tasting coffee.
- Using a coarse grind in a
coffee brewer with a short (2-4 minutes) brewing cycle can result in
a weak and tasteless coffee.
|
|
Brewing
 |
- Use
fresh, cold water to start.
-
For vacuum pot and drip,
we suggest two level tablespoons of
ground coffee (if grinding, that's about two heaping tablespoons of
whole beans) for every 8 - 10 ounces of water. Swirl the pot before serving!
- For
press pot, use roughly 8.5
grams (1 rounded tablespoon) of coarse ground coffee per 4 ounces of
water. Quickly stir the hot water and grounds together in the
press pot, add the filter assembly and cover. Start timing.
For a 3 cup press pot, steep for 2 -3 minutes. For an 8 or 12
cup press pot, steep for 4 minutes.
-
You can always adjust the amounts for your
preference.
-
Avoid brewing less than the pot's full
capacity whenever you can. If the pot is made to brew ten cups, the coffee
will taste better if you brew the full ten cups.
|
|
|
