What is hanging ear coffee?
The coffee powder used in hanging-ear coffee is ground from freshly roasted coffee beans. Hanging-ear coffee can retain the original flavor of the coffee to the maximum extent and is usually hot extracted. Because there will be coffee grounds, you need a filter bag! There are also some differences between instant coffee and hanging coffee. Hanging coffee is ground coffee beans, while instant coffee uses coffee extract. Hanging coffee tends to be brewed by hand, while instant coffee emphasizes the function of caffeine.
Hanging ear coffee is also a drip extraction method like the Pour over(V60) coffee we usually drink. The flavor of the coffee depends on the coffee beans used. The design of the ear-hanging coffee bag is derived from the lanyard tea bag. The inventor hopes to simulate Pour over(V60) drip coffee by preparing the coffee powder in advance and putting it into a non-woven filter bag. The paper pieces on both sides of the filter bag can suspend the coffee bag in the center of the cup. Because it sticks to both sides of the cup like little ears, people call it "ear-hung coffee."
Who invented the hanging ear?
The earliest hanging ear coffee was invented by Japan's Yamanaka Industrial Co., Ltd. in 1990. Its design concept originated from the lanyard tea bag. The inventor hoped to simulate hand-pour drip coffee by preparing the coffee powder in advance and loading it into a non-woven filter bag. The paper on both sides of the filter bag can suspend the coffee bag in the center of the cup. Because it sticks to both sides of the cup like little ears, people call it "ear-hung coffee." Beginning in 2002, the Japanese registered a patent for ear-hook coffee pods and promoted them to the market. Such a convenient and neat design suddenly became the mainstream of the market.
To brew ear-mounted coffee pods, we only need to prepare a pot of hot water and a cup to easily get a cup of fragrant coffee. After brewing, just throw away the coffee grounds together with the filter bag, which saves a lot of tedious steps. With the development of the specialty coffee industry, various types of coffee beans can be used to make ear-hanging bags, so there are many options to choose from.
The correct way to brew ear-mounted coffee
The filter bag of ear-hanging coffee is usually made of non-woven fabric. Its structure is similar to that of a metal filter. It consists of a layer of coarse mesh non-woven fabric and a layer of fine non-woven fabric. The principle of draining the ear bag is to filter the coffee liquid through the surrounding pores.
The amount of water to be filled in a hot flush ear-hanging bag is relatively easy to determine. For example, the ear-hanging bag in a former street store is 10 grams per small bag. Follow the hand-washed powder to water ratio of 1:15 to 1:18. It is recommended to inject 150-180ml of water.
Usually, you first pour a small amount of hot water into the ear-hanging filter bag to moisten the coffee powder. Pour the first part to 1/2 of the filter bag and simmer for about ten seconds. Then pour water into the center twice in a row until the ear-hanging bag is 80% full. After all the coffee liquid in the filter bag has dripped out, continue to add water until the last section of filtering is completed. If the water is filled until it is full, the water accumulated in the upper layer will easily bypass the "powder layer" and filter out directly from the side of the ear-hanging bag, resulting in a weak coffee taste.
After several tests, Front Street injected water in three stages, which took about one and a half minutes, and the total water injection volume was basically around 150ml. If you want a lighter taste, add a little more until it is 80% full, so it will be about 180ml.
Once all the coffee liquid drips into the filter cup, we can start tasting it. Usually Front Street will gently shake the coffee liquid evenly before drinking, and then drink it directly to enjoy the pure flavor of black coffee. You can add an appropriate amount of sugar or milk to blend according to your personal preference.
Things you need to pay attention to when brewing ear-mounted coffee
First we need to prepare enough boiling hot water, because the temperature of the water is high enough to release more aromatic substances in the coffee powder. When brewing coffee by hand, Front Street recommends brewing it at a water temperature of 86 to 93 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is only about 80 degrees, the brewed coffee will tend to be tasteless, while boiling water will easily extract a burnt and bitter taste. Therefore, Front Street will open the boiling water and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the water temperature to drop slightly to about 90 degrees Celsius.
Since soluble substances are released only after coffee is ground into powder, it comes into contact with water. If you use excessive water injection, the extraction of coffee may be uneven and the taste may be defective. Front Street recommends using a tool that can inject a thin stream of water, such as a thin-mouthed pot, and pour hot water in steady steps. Proper stewing and steaming will cause the coffee powder to release gas, making the later extraction more stable and with a better flavor.
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
