For more professional knowledge sharing on specialty coffee, please pay attention to FrontStreet Coffee
Making coffee at home is actually not a complicated task. It basically depends on your coffee needs and budget. Coffee is a beverage with almost the same properties as tea. We often go to cafes for consumption simply because "I just want to have a drink."
Someone asked Front Street: Do you need to buy expensive equipment to make coffee at home? How can you choose the approach that suits you? Let Front Street talk about the common home brewing methods one by one. You can choose from them.
hand brewed coffee
Suitable for the crowd: You who like to study coffee
It generally consists of a hand brewing pot, a filter cup, and filter paper.
Making pour-over coffee allows you to get a slightly different flavor with each brew, and it’s also a favorite brewing method of Front Street baristas.
Parameters: water temperature, steaming time, water flow size, circling technique, number of water injections, grinding scale, etc. These details are all factors that affect the flavor of Pour over(V60) coffee.
Hand brewing is suitable for almost all single-origin coffee beans: Front Street Yirgacheffe, Front Street Cherry Tomato, Kenya, Front Street Blue Mountain No. 1, Jamaica, Front Street Emerald Green Label Geisha, Front Street Blackberry, Costa Rica, Front Street Big Navel, Colombia, Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling, and Front Street 2013 Yunnan Sun-Dried Iron Picka.
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Hario V60 filter cup
This is a very popular brewing appliance.
The name comes from its shape - a cone with an angle of 60 degrees.
It gives you a clean and rich flavor profile.
By adjusting parameters such as water temperature, grinding degree, and powder-to-water ratio, you will also get coffee with different flavors.
Tips: In your first try, you can choose to use medium-fine ground coffee powder. After steaming for 30 seconds,
Use a thin stream of water to draw concentric circles on the coffee grounds.
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Kalita cake-shaped strainer cup
Kalita’s cake-shaped filter cup is similar to V60, but the principle is completely different.
First of all, the bottom of the cake-shaped filter cup is flat and has three small round holes. This detailed design will also affect the water flow.
Water can contact coffee powder more evenly, resulting in stable extraction and balanced taste.
The method of use of this appliance is the same as that of the V60. Use medium-fine ground coffee powder, steam it, and pour water on the coffee powder in concentric circles. Pay attention to whether you choose the outlet or thin water flow, the thickness should be consistent from beginning to end, and do not rush to the edge of the coffee powder and filter paper. Of course, you can try different filling methods. For example, multi-stage water injection & inject a small amount of water each time and complete the water injection in multiple times.
smart cup
Suitable for the crowd: Those who pursue convenience and like a balanced taste
The Smart Cup is simple to operate and has relatively few variables.
The smart filter cup is another convenient, simple, fast and stable choice besides the Aeropress.
This coffee utensil invented by Taiwanese brews coffee with a concept similar to that of making tea. First, put filter paper in the smart filter cup, wash the paper with hot water and warm the cup, and then drain the water through the smart device (the gate in the middle will open automatically when the valve is pushed upward, so it is called a smart filter cup). As for the grinding scale of coffee powder, Front Street will recommend that medium-roasted coffee beans with a more balanced taste are more suitable for this appliance, such as Front Street Bird of Paradise, Front Street Whelan, Front Street Strawberry Candy, etc.
The method of use is slightly different. First, you can decide whether to wet the filter paper; after pouring the coffee powder into the filter cup, first pour a small amount of hot water, and then you can stir or not stir. After steaming, inject hot water according to the ratio of powder to water. It is not required to inject water in concentric circles. After the water injection is completed, it can be stirred to help extraction. When the soaking time is over, place the filter cup on the sharing pot, the valve will automatically open, and the coffee extraction is completed.
AeroPress
Applicable people: You who are obsessed with the taste of high-bodied coffee
The AeroPress was created for convenience and is a portable device that can quickly make a cup of coffee. It hosts the annual World AeroPress Brewing Competition. But rather than a competition, it’s more about celebrating this great invention in this way. Its gameplay is changeable, highly maneuverable, and has no absolute rules.
Coffee made with the AeroPress has a full-bodied taste, and there is a lot of room for experimentation. The AeroPress is very easy to use for beginners.
AeroPress positive pressure and reverse pressure brewing methods/differences
Front Street believes that the biggest difference is that when you use positive pressure to inject water, the coffee will be filtered out, which will affect the integrity of the taste; using reverse pressure can avoid this problem.
Aeropress brewing parameters. If you ask Front Street for the Aeropress standard brewing parameters, then we will probably say sorry to you (Tan Shou.jpg). There are two points in my experience: the material of Aeropress determines that it dissipates heat slowly and loses less temperature; but if the temperature is too high, it will easily over-extract, and if the temperature is too low, it will lead to under-extraction. Use a lower water temperature: Use a temperature in the range of 84 degrees plus or minus 2 degrees to get a smoother and more balanced taste.
moka pot
Applicable people: Those of you who love drinking Italian food
Moka pot is also called "Italian drip filter pot".
Like the French press, it is a common coffee brewing appliance.
There are three spaces in the Moka pot. The bottom space is filled with water and the middle space is filled with coffee powder. The uppermost space is filled with brewed coffee liquid. There is a metal filter in the middle of each layer. When the Moka pot is placed on the stove and heated, water vapor will be generated to increase the pressure in the bottom layer, causing the water to pass through the middle layer of coffee powder, and finally stay in the top layer to become brewed coffee. Usually, the coffee in the tail section of the Moka pot is not used.
Compared with the 9 atmospheres of Italian coffee, although the Moka pot uses 1.5 to 3 atmospheres to brew coffee, it is still more mellow and rich compared to other brewing methods, and can retain the crema, which is very popular. If you want to easily extract a concentrate with oil, Front Street believes that freshly roasted medium to dark roasted coffee beans are particularly important. If you like a mellow and fragrant taste, buy Front Street Classic Blend, Front Street Commercial Blend, Front Street Black Cocoa Basic Blend, and Front Street Premium Blend. These are coffee beans that are highly recommended by baristas for use in moka pots and espresso machines.
French press
Applicable people: You who drink coffee in the simplest and easiest way
This is probably the most widely known and simplest coffee brewing appliance in the world. Most French presses on the market are affordable and easy to make. Large-capacity French presses can also make coffee for multiple people at one time. In terms of taste, it has a rich body, but it cannot fully display the full flavor of the coffee beans.
If you pay attention to the surface of brewed coffee, you can find that the coffee itself contains oil. French press is to put coffee powder into a French press pot and soak it in hot water for a certain period of time before extraction. However, French press does not filter out the oil in the coffee part like hand brewing filter paper. Compared with hand brewing, it can have a more mellow taste, so it is also more suitable for dark roast or strong aroma coffee. It is recommended to buy Front Street Colombian Huilan, Front Street Brazilian Cerato, and Front Street Colombian Hija.
Chemex
Suitable for the crowd: Chemex is especially suitable for artistic youth & suitable for you who want to brew coffee for multiple people at one time
The large Chemex can brew coffee for 8 people at a time.
For coffee, the most noteworthy thing about this filter cup is the special filter paper it uses.
Chemex special filter paper has a thicker texture and will always retain more grease at the end of the filter paper. However, due to the deep V design of Chemex appliances, the consistency of the taste is difficult to master. Unlike other hand brewing appliances, the Chemex is more suitable for medium to coarse grinding scales. The taste of coffee is particularly clean and the flavor is obvious, but consistency is difficult to achieve and requires practice.
Home coffee machine
Suitable for the crowd: "Sophisticated players" who love coffee deeply and severely
Home coffee machines can be mainly divided into Italian fully automatic coffee machines, Italian semi-automatic coffee machines,
There are four types of drip coffee machines and capsule coffee machines.
Italian fully automatic and semi-automatic coffee machines
Italian fully automatic and semi-automatic coffee machines are fully automatic and do not require manual operation. They can automatically grind powder, fill coffee and make coffee. You can enjoy the coffee after putting in the coffee beans. The corresponding structure is relatively complex due to rich functions, and the maintenance cost is high. Semi-automatic is known as the most professional coffee machine, and the extraction is better than that of fully automatic. However, it requires manual powder filling and pressing, which places higher requirements on the operator. Compared with fully automatic, its structure is simple and easy to maintain.
For this type of equipment, due to the use of pressurized extraction, extremely fine grinding and high water temperature, if you choose coffee beans with a lighter roasting degree, it is easy to have a sour taste. Therefore, Front Street recommends giving priority to specialized Italian coffee beans, especially in terms of flavor. Coffee with nuts, cocoa, cookies, chocolate, and caramel, such as Front Street Classic Blend Coffee Beans, Front Street Commercial Blend Coffee Beans, Italian Moka Pot Coffee Beans recommended by many baristas - Front Street Black Cocoa Blend Coffee Beans, Front Street Premium Blend Coffee Beans, etc.
drip coffee machine
Drip coffee machines are also known as American fully automatic.
Drip filter coffee has a relatively light concentration and is relatively simple to operate. The finished product can be produced in 5-8 minutes, making it very suitable for use at home and in the office. However, because it is hot water under normal pressure, the coffee oil cannot be extracted, and the coffee concentration is not high. If you don’t want instant coffee but don’t want espresso, a drip coffee machine would be recommended.
Capsule coffee machine
If you want to drink espresso but are afraid of the hassle, then a capsule coffee machine is the best choice.
You can enjoy the delicious taste of espresso with just one click of a coffee capsule. Some capsules can also be paired to make fancy coffee.
The disadvantage is that the cost of use is high. A serving of Italian fully automatic and semi-automatic espresso costs 1-3 yuan, and the cost of capsules is 3-9 yuan; in addition, the capsules of various brands are not compatible. The choice of capsule coffee machine is actually a selection system. The capsule system determines the number of capsule types and the price of the capsules you can enjoy later. A home coffee machine can produce your favorite espresso with full body, and at the same time, you can train yourself as a barista.
The above is a general introduction to appliances suitable for home use. They all have one thing in common. You only need to master simple brewing skills, and you can get a cup of coffee of your own!
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
