How to Brew Coffee Using a Standard Coffee Maker
1. Gather your ingredients. You will need a coffee maker with a clean carafe and filter, a grinder, and a cup.
2. Grind the beans. Set your grinder to medium (or whatever the machine maker recommends). You can also use pre-ground coffee, at the expense of a little flavor. Selection of beans is key. If you want something light and pleasant, try a flavored coffee or a mild blend. If you want a hard, energizing "wake-up" brew, you might want espresso or Kona beans. Mixing beans often gets you some great combinations.
3. Place the filter into the brewing basket. Following the instructions for your particular coffee maker, use the right size filter and place in the basket. If it's removable, you can rinse the filter and basket in hot water to remove any paper flavor.
There are also reusable gold filters available for many coffee makers. These cut down on paper waste, add no flavor at all to the brew, and are easily cleaned.
4. Add the grounds. Most coffee makers like to have about 2 tablespoons per cup. Adjust this proportion to taste: stronger coffee means more grounds, lighter coffee means less. If you brew it too strong, you can always add some hot water to your cup.
5. Fill the reservoir. Use the carafe as a measuring cup by filling it with the appropriate amount of water for the amount of coffee you have used. (Most coffee pots have measurements on the side.)
6. Turn it on. Press the On or Power button/switch. After a minute or two as the machine pre-heats the water, your coffee should begin brewing. Some machines brew quickly, but others brew slowly. Slow isn't actually all bad though; it gives the end result a more rounded flavor. Play some music or entertain yourself for a few minutes while your coffee is brewing. The coffee is done when you stop hearing bubbling sounds.
7. Drink up! Pour yourself a cup and add cream and/or sugar if desired.
How to Brew Coffee Using a French Press
1. Gather your ingredients. You will need a French press (aka press pot), coarse ground coffee, a wooden or plastic spoon, a timer, and cups.
2. Grind your coffee. For a French press, aim for a coarse grind for even flavor extraction and a fuller-bodied cup of coffee. If you are shopping for a coffee grinder, burr grinders are much preferred over blade grinders for their more consistent grind.
3. Add ground coffee to the carafe. Put the grounds directly into a clean, dry carafe. A good rule of thumb is one tablespoon of grounds for every cup of water. A 4-cup press, then, would get 4 tablespoons of coffee.
4. Bring the water just to a boil. Pour it into the carafe, moving the stream around to saturate all the coffee, until it's about an inch under the top metal ring.
Leaving room at the top allows the grounds to expand, or bloom, and form crema, that foamy topping you usually see on espresso.
5. Start a timer. The key to a great cup of coffee from a French press is timing. Set your timer for 4 minutes, and when you are done with the previous step, start your timer.
At the 1-minute mark, stir the grounds to break down the bloom and distribute the grounds evenly. Top off the carafe with near-boiling water, filling it to the top of the top metal ring. Avoid using a metal spoon, which could lead to accidental breakage. Instead, use a wooden or plastic spoon or stir-stick. Lacquered chopsticks work well for this, too.
6. Put a lid on it. Place the vented lid and press assembly onto the carafe, making sure the vented portion of the top is aligned with the lip of the carafe.
7. Press! At the 4-minute bell, gently but firmly press the plunger down to the bottom. This will filter out the grounds, and stop the brewing process.
Note: should you forget to stir at the 1 minute mark, you may find this step difficult. Do not force the plunger down, simply pull it back up a bit, then repeat, working your way down. Forcing it could result in breakage, which could result in a real mess—and you will not have even had your first cup of coffee for the day!
8. Pour and enjoy. Pour what you can into your cup, and pour the rest into a thermal carafe to keep it hot and tasty. Add cream, sugar, and flavorings to taste.
Using a Single Cup Cone
1. Gather your ingredients. You will need a single-cup cone, matching filter (generally a Melitta #2), a grinder, a waste cup for overspill, and of course, a mug.
2. Grind the beans. For a single-cup cone, grind your coffee to medium-fine with a burr grinder.
3. Set and rinse the filter. Place the cone onto the cup. Fold the filter at its seam, and place in the cone. Run hot water over the filter to rinse out any paper flavor and preheat cone and cup. Make sure you drain both completely before brewing the coffee!
4. Add the coffee grounds. Add about 3 tablespoons of ground coffee to the filter.
5. Bloom the grounds. Bring the water just to a boil, and pour only just enough into the filter to saturate the grounds. Move the stream of water around to saturate all the grounds evenly, but avoid pouring too much—you want very little water actually dripping through on the first pour. Let bloom for about 30 seconds.
6. Fill the cone. Pour water around the cone, breaking down the bloom and saturating all the grounds evenly. Fill the cone till the water's just about at the top of the cone, and let the water filter through the coffee, into the cup.
7. Take your cup of coffee. When it's about full, quickly move the cone from your drinking cup to the waste cup so that it can finish dripping through.
Using a Moka Pot
1. What it is. A moka pot, also known as a stovetop espresso maker is not really "espresso" in the traditional sense of the word, but it does produce a small amount of very full-bodied, rich coffee.
2. Gather your ingredients. You will need a stovetop coffee maker with a clean filter, a grinder, and a cup.
3. Pre-heat your water. You will finish the coffee in the pot, but starting with pre-heated will prevent the coffee pot from getting too hot and scorching the coffee, which will result in a nasty taste (that's the technical term). At the same time, preheat your stove's burner on medium (if electric).
4. Grind the beans. Set your grinder to medium-fine to medium using a burr grinder.
5. Fill the bottom of the pot. Fill as full as the pot indicates, for best results.
6. Fill the filter. Drop the filter into the bottom section of the pot, and fill it with the ground coffee. Level it off with your finger or the handle of a spoon.
7. Screw on the top section. Re-assemble the stovetop brewer, being careful not to spill either coffee or hot water. Use a towel to avoid burning yourself on the bottom of the pot.
8. Place the pot on the burner. Make sure the handle is not directly over the heating element, be it gas or electric! Leave the lid open so you can observe the brew in progress, and remove when done.
9. Remove when done. As the water comes to a boil, coffee will begin to fill the upper section. It will start out dark, then lighten up as the brewing progresses. When the coffee stream becomes pale, remove the brewer from the stove, and close the lid. Careful—it'll be hot!
10. Stop the brewing. Place the base in cold water, or wrap with a towel soaked in cold water. This will halt the brewing and keep the coffee sweet and rich.
11. Serve and enjoy. When the brewing has stopped, serve your coffee as desired. Pour any extra into a thermal carafe to keep it tasting good.
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