FrontStreet Coffee has recently had many new customers come to its stores. People no longer just drink coffee, but also learn different extraction methods. The simplest extraction method is brewing coffee by hand. Compared with espresso machines that cost more and take up more space, just a few coffee utensils can produce a cup of coffee that is comparable to that of a coffee shop. Why not. FrontStreet Coffee will introduce several commonly used coffee brewing methods today.
With the popularity of coffee culture, many friends have tasted the delicious taste of freshly ground coffee. With many coffee appliances being launched on the market, we can easily make good coffee and enjoy delicious coffee without leaving home.
FrontStreet Coffee believes that making coffee at home is not difficult at all, the equipment required can be very simple, and common utensils are easily affordable by many people. Of course, some methods require more equipment and a certain amount of time to practice, such as espresso. A simple cup of Espresso may require a lot of practice to produce a good product.
FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Here is a list of several brewing methods and equipment commonly used at home. Generally include: Hand Drip, Siphon, Moka Pot, Press Pot, Aero Press, Clever Coffee Dripper.
Of course, common ones include Belgian coffee pots, Turkish coffee pots, Vietnamese drip filters, ice drippers, etc. However, due to the complicated production process or considering the taste, these are not commonly used, and FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will not describe them here.
espresso
Espresso is the fastest coffee extraction method, and the equipment is also the most expensive, ranging from just over ten thousand to hundreds of thousands, which is equivalent to parking a car on the table.
It is made by pressing hot water at about 94 degrees Celsius and a pressure of about 9 atmospheres (bar) through compacted coffee powder. Usually the size of a cup is only 30 ml, and there will be reddish-brown foaming oil (Crema) floating on the surface. It has the characteristics of fast brewing and high concentration, and requires the use of a special machine for cooking.
When coffee powder comes into contact with 94-degree hot water, it releases carbon dioxide, as well as essential substances such as oils and spices in the coffee powder. Since carbon dioxide has its own gas pressure, water also has its own surface tension, and high-pressure water with a pressure of 9 atmospheres has exactly the same gas pressure as carbon dioxide, so the water can encapsulate carbon dioxide, which is the essence of coffee beans, to form Crema.
【Italian coffee equipment】
Espresso machines: divided into household and commercial.
Grinder: The choice of blade type is very important. The importance of the grinder is even higher than the coffee machine itself, affecting the quality of ground coffee powder.
Milk froth steel cup: necessary for making milk froth latte art. It is recommended to choose a cup twice the capacity of the coffee cup.
Thermometer, measuring cup, timer: Due to the extremely fast extraction speed, small data differences will have a great impact on the coffee flavor.
[Characteristics of Italian coffee]
The extraction speed is extremely fast: an average of 30 seconds for a cup of coffee. The steps are simple and a set of SOPs (standard operating procedures) are easy to learn. It has become the preferred brewing method for almost all coffee chains.
Variety: Drinking straight espresso is very common in Italy (according to statistics, Italians drink an average of 7 cups of different forms of coffee a day). In China, espresso is mostly made into latte, macchiato, cappuccino and other fancy coffees for drinking.
Equipment is expensive: compared to technique, espresso requires equipment more. Unlike Pour over(V60) coffee, it is difficult to brew a good cup of Espresso from a coffee machine with poor boiler and other parts.
Unable to express the characteristics of coffee beans: Italian coffee emphasizes rapid extraction, which to some extent destroys the original uniqueness of coffee. Nowadays, many stores choose to roast or blend their own coffee beans to make comprehensive coffee beans to express the characteristics of their own Italian coffee. FrontStreet Coffee currently has four types of Italian coffee beans with different flavor expressions.
[Characteristics of Italian coffee]
1. [Front Street Boutique Blend 100% Arabica], choose the ratio of Colombian and Brazilian 3:7, the flavor characteristics are comfortable sweet and bitter taste, extremely smooth in the mouth; with a light grassy aroma, the fragrance is slightly bitter; sweet and smooth, the aftertaste can make people feel comfortable.
2. [Sunflower Warm Sun] uses a 6:4 ratio of Honduran sherry and Yerga red cherries. The flavor characteristics are obvious acidity, lingering light berry aroma, rich wine aroma and chocolate flavor, and a pleasant aftertaste.
3. [Front Street Commercial Blend], choose Colombian, Brazilian and Robusta, the ratio is 3:6:1, the fat will be richer, the taste is classic, with the sweetness of caramel, the flavor of nuts, cocoa, and dark chocolate, the balance of sour and sweet, a little bit sweet and bitter, and a long-lasting aftertaste.
4. [Front Street Dark Cocoa Blend (100% Arabica)], choose the ratio of Yunnan and Brazil 3:7, the flavor characteristics are soft acidity, caramel sweetness, nutty, dark chocolate flavor, smooth and sticky, but the taste is light.
Hand brewed single origin coffee
In an era when all kinds of coffee machines are everywhere, Pour over(V60) coffee with simple equipment and exquisite hand skills is like a return to nature. It spreads from Japan, which pursues exquisite culture, and has fascinated many coffee connoisseurs and lifestyle experts.
As the name suggests, Pour over(V60) coffee is to pour hot water on the coffee powder and extract the coffee through the filter paper and filter cup. The whole brewing process takes about 2 minutes. Since the flow rate, direction, and temperature of hot water are all controlled by the brewer, the flavor of the coffee brewed is different almost every time. Although the equipment is simple, it requires great skills and experience.
[Hand-brewed coffee equipment]
Bean grinder: Freshly ground coffee is the freshest. The particle size and uniformity of coffee powder are also the key to the flavor of Pour over(V60) coffee. The powder particles suitable for Pour over(V60) coffee are about the size of No. 2 sugar. The more uniform the particles, the better the taste of the brewed coffee.
Filter paper: Different filter cups have their own suitable filter paper. The filter paper can absorb some of the coffee's odor and oil. Unbleached filter paper may have some paper smell and needs to be moistened before brewing. FrontStreet Coffee uses the vinegar-bleached filter paper produced by Kono in the picture below. Whether the filter paper is wet or not has little effect.
Hand pouring kettle: There are hand pouring kettles of various sizes and materials on the market, and you can choose according to your needs. What will affect the brewing results more is the size of the spout, because it is related to the amount of water produced. It is generally recommended for beginners to use a thin-mouthed pot (as shown below), which is easier to control. In addition, each hand brewing kettle is suitable for different heating methods (induction cooker or gas stove), so pay special attention when purchasing.
Filter cup: The size and material of the filter cup are also different. They are mainly divided into three shapes: fan-shaped, conical and wavy filter cups. The size of the filter diameter at the bottom of the filter cup will affect the flow rate of extracted coffee, thereby affecting the flavor of the coffee.
The fan-shaped filter cup has a small filter diameter, slow flow rate, and mellow taste; the cone-shaped filter cup has a large filter diameter, fast flow rate, and lighter taste; the wavy filter cup has a flat bottom and is equipped with special wavy filter paper to filter the coffee with the most uniform taste.
Sharing pot and coffee mug: Used to hold filtered coffee, preferably warmed first to maintain coffee temperature.
Auxiliary equipment: electronic scales, thermometers and timers can make the coffee brewing process more accurate.
[Characteristics of Pour over(V60) coffee]
Fast and efficient extraction: Compared with other coffee brewing methods, Pour over(V60) coffee continuously has fresh hot water passing through the coffee powder during the coffee extraction process. The extraction speed is faster and more substances can be extracted from the surface of the coffee. But also because of the fast speed, over-extraction may occur if the control is not good. This principle is the same as frying fish on a pan over high heat. The heating area of the fish is large, but if it is not controlled well, it may burn.
Many influencing factors: Although it only takes a few minutes, water flow rate, water temperature, coffee powder particles, filter cup shape, etc. will all affect the final flavor of coffee. Full research and preparation are required before brewing.
Coffee has diverse flavors: Coffee brewed under different conditions has different flavors, and different types of beans are suitable for different conditions.
Seeing this, you may feel that Pour over(V60) coffee is complicated and requires skills, and it seems not so easy to get started. Yes, brewing coffee by hand is of course more difficult than brewing it with a coffee machine, but FrontStreet Coffee believes that pouring coffee by hand is like buying flour to knead the dough yourself. Every detail can be controlled by you, and the flavor of the final brewed coffee is naturally unique. And by adjusting various variables, you can try out all the possible flavors of coffee. This is the fascinating thing about Pour over(V60) coffee!
Simple hand washing——Hanging ear coffee
A mini version of the hand brewing method, convenient, fast and cheap. Although it can express less aroma and flavor than Pour over(V60) coffee, it can maintain a certain coffee flavor, making it an ideal choice for those who want to have a cup of single-origin coffee when they are busy.
[Hang-ear coffee brewing method]
Take the hanging coffee from FrontStreet Coffee as an example. The weight of the coffee powder is 10g.
Tear open the outer packaging bag, take out the ear-hanging bag inside, tear open the opening of the ear-hanging bag, and pull apart the small ears on both sides to rest on the cup.
When choosing a cup, try to choose one with a mouth that is not too big, otherwise the two ears of the ear-mounted coffee may not hang properly. The diameter of the cup mouth used by FrontStreet Coffee is about 8-9cm.
The brewing method of ear-mounted coffee is actually the same as Pour over(V60) coffee, but it is not as rigorous as Pour over(V60) coffee, but basically the water temperature, steaming, and water filling in circles are still required. The parameters for brewing ear-mounted coffee at FrontStreet Coffee can be referred to below: water temperature 90°C, steaming for about 10 seconds, and the amount of steaming water is consistent with the coffee powder.
After the steaming is completed, water is poured directly to the end. If you are particular, you can also fill the water in two times. The amount of water filled is determined by the cup you choose. FrontStreet Coffee chooses a 300ml glass. Water is poured in a small flow in a circle, and the water is filled to the 7-minute mark of the cup.
After brewing, take away the ear-hanging bag. After brewing once, you cannot use it again because the substances in the coffee powder have been extracted. If you brew again, there will be nothing to extract, and the taste will be very watery. Don’t think it’s a waste to wash it just once. Most of the hanging ears on the market now can guarantee fresh grinding, and the prices are also very good.
If you like to drink ice, you can add some ice cubes, or you can add milk!
siphon pot coffee
The siphon is a tool that originated in Germany and uses the pressure generated when water boils to brew coffee. The structure of the siphon pot is an upper and lower pot connected by a conduit in the middle. The lower pot filled with hot water will first be heated with an alcohol lamp or a gas lamp; because in an environment of 1 atmospheric pressure, the volume ratio of 1 gram of liquid water to 1 gram of water vapor is 1:1 00, so when the volume of water vapor in the lower pot increases with the temperature, the liquid water can be easily pushed through the conduit to the upper pot filled with filter cloth and coffee powder, and the water will continue to be supported by the endless stream of water vapor in the upper pot.
When the heating is stopped, the air in the lower pot will gradually cool and shrink. The coffee liquid that has been soaked in hot water in the upper pot will lose the support of the water vapor in the lower pot and flow back to the lower pot. The coffee grounds will be blocked by the filter cloth and remain in the upper pot. Finally, remove the upper pot and you can enjoy the coffee in the lower pot.
[Siphon pot utensils]
[Characteristics of siphon coffee]
Rich taste: Combining the richness of Italian coffee with the distinct layers of Pour over(V60) coffee, it is suitable for brewing single-origin coffee.
The appliance is beautiful: the brewing appliance is like an alchemy or scientific experiment, and it is also an alternative decoration and taste when placed indoors.
Difficulty in operation: Too high a water temperature will cause the coffee powder to burn and cause a bitter taste, long-term soaking will produce an astringent taste, and excessive stirring will produce a sour taste. Therefore, the siphon pot is a tool that requires considerable experience to use properly.
moka pot coffee
The Moka pot, also known as the stove-top Italian coffee pot, uses basic physical principles to brew perfect coffee. There are three compartments in the Moka pot, one for water, one for ground coffee, and one for brewed coffee.
The moka pot is heated on the stove, causing the water to create steam, which increases the pressure in the bottom compartment, pushing the water up through the coffee granules and into the upper compartment. Wait until the coffee fills the upper compartment, then pour it out. The pressure in the compartment inside the Moka pot is small and will only accumulate to 1.5bar, which is far lower than the 9bar pressure achieved by traditional Italian coffee machines. However, this coffee pot is popular among the general public due to its simple design and ability to brew good coffee.
Alfonso Bialetti invented the moka pot in the 1930s, and is said to have been inspired by observing his wife doing laundry. Early washing machines came with a bucket of soapy water that had to be boiled over a fire. The water is then pushed out of the tube and poured onto the dirty clothes. Bileti's coffee pot used the same principle, and his design has not changed much to this day. Since its introduction in 1933, 300 million Moka pots have been sold worldwide, making it a must-have for coffee lovers around the world.
【Moka Pot Utensils】
The lower pot is used to hold water, and the protrusion on the outer edge is the pressure relief valve. The powder bowl is used to store coffee powder. The pot is used to hold brewed coffee.
[Features of Moka Pot]
Strength: Between espresso and siphon coffee.
Easy to carry: A must-have for those who like to go to the mountains and sea. It is durable and can brew good quality coffee. There is nothing better than a cup of good coffee in the beautiful scenery among the mountains and fields. The traces on it are the struggles it has gone through with you.
Safety: Because of the pressure, pay attention to the control of the alcohol lamp when brewing, and the water in the pot cannot flood the pressure relief valve.
Ice drip coffee
Iced coffee is a type of coffee that takes time to brew. The coffee brewed by choosing different water temperatures will taste different, and the astringent substances in coffee are not easily dissolved at low temperatures. Use ice water to extract for a long time, and after the extraction is completed, put it in the refrigerator for fermentation. The slightly fermented ice-drip coffee will have a light fermentation aroma and will have a thicker taste.
【Ice drip coffee making】
The top of the ice drop bottle is where ice cubes and water are placed. The ratio of ice cubes to water is 1:1;
The middle position is for coffee powder. The ratio of coffee powder to ice water mixture is 1:10-1:12;
The bottom one is the pot that collects the coffee liquid.
① When pouring the powder into the powder cup, remember to shake the powder flat. You can also press the powder appropriately, but remember not to use too much force! Because the weight of the tamper itself is enough. Moreover, the purpose of pressing powder is only to flatten the powder, not to compact it. If there is no pressed powder, the water will easily soak up the powder; but if the pressure is too strong, the water will not be able to go down, and it is easy to produce a channel effect.
② Remember to put a piece of filter paper on the noodles. Because the tension of the filter paper can make the water evenly distributed, if there is no filter paper, long-term water droplets will make a pit in the powder bed.
③Remember to perform "pre-soaking", which is similar to the steaming process in hand brewing. This improves the extraction and the consistency of the finished product. Direct ice dripping may result in uneven extraction of the powder layer. Some of the coffee powder will be over-extracted while other parts of the coffee powder will not participate in the extraction.
④Don’t rush to enjoy it after making it! You can pour the coffee into a sealed glass bottle and put it in the refrigerator to ferment for at least one night to allow the flavors of the coffee to blend together, making it taste better and easier to drink.
AeroPress
Pot body, filter cover, piston cylinder, funnel, filter paper and filter paper storage tube, stirring rod.
【How to use】
Aeropress is generally divided into two pressure methods, positive pressure and reverse pressure.
Positive pressure means placing the Aeropress body on the cup, adding coffee powder and a certain proportion of hot water, stirring, inserting the piston cylinder and pressing down. This brewing method will filter and extract while adding water, so the taste and flavor may be a little thin.
Counter-pressure is a relatively common brewing technique. First, assemble the piston cylinder and the pot body, put them upside down, pour the powder and hot water in and stir. When the time is up, cover the filter cover, carefully and quickly turn the Aeropress over and press down. Since there is a soaking process under back pressure, the extraction is more complete than under positive pressure. The performance in flavor is also fuller.
Parameters: 15 grams of beans, grinding degree (Chinese standard No. 20 screen pass rate 70%), water temperature 88°C, powder to water ratio of 1:15.
Technique: Pour in 15 grams of coffee powder, add 40g of water and stir evenly (because the tube is narrow, coffee powder may remain on the edge, so add more water so that the coffee powder in the corners can fully absorb water). After 30 seconds, add water to 227g. Stir again to help the coffee powder continue to exhaust. Invert it for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. It takes about 30 seconds to press and extract. If you feel the taste is a bit strong, you can dilute it with water.
The charm of Aeropress. The reason is that it is easy to make, has a clean taste, and it can be adjusted in many ways according to our taste. It is first soaked by injecting water. Then, a certain amount of pressure is used to extract the water mixed with coffee through the filter. Since the filter paper has a certain density, the particles that do not dissolve in water are filtered out, leaving behind coffee with a clean taste. And because its extraction method is mainly soaking, the extraction is more balanced and the sweetness will be more obvious.
French press&smart pot
[The difference between French Press and Smart Pot]
1. Material: [French Press] glass material; [Smart Cup] PCT material.
2. Shape: [French Press] cylindrical; [Smart Cup] trapezoid.
3. Pour method: [French Press] Use the pressure rod to push down the coffee grounds, and the coffee liquid will be poured out from the upper spout; [Smart Cup] is placed on the sharing pot, the piston will open, and the coffee liquid will flow out from the bottom.
FrontStreet Coffee uses a bean from Honduras Sweet Orange Manor for display and comparison.
[French Press] Technique: Directly pour water to 229 grams, wait for 3 minutes and 30 seconds and then press out. The total time is 3 minutes and 52 seconds.
Flavor: Brown rice, passion fruit, lime, berries, honey, nuts. The overall taste is round, like the mellow taste of fruit juice, with a balance of sour and sweet.
[Smart Cup] Technique: Directly pour water to 225 grams, wait for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, then press out, the total time is 4 minutes and 04 seconds; end.
Flavor: black rice, vanilla, lemon, nuts, orange, tangerine, plum. The overall taste is clean, with obvious layering and a long aftertaste.
The biggest difference between [French Press] and [Smart Cup] is their taste. [French Press] looks a little turbid after extraction. Many friends think that the coffee cup is contaminated. In fact, it is the oil of coffee, which can improve the mellowness of its taste, so it is often smoother after being extracted by [French Press]. The liquid extracted from the [Smart Cup] will be cleaner and more transparent, and the flavor will be cleaner, clearer and more distinct.
So why does the [French Press] have grease but the [Smart Cup] does not? That's because they pour differently. First of all, the [French Press] uses a metal filter and filter paper, and the pressing rod presses the coffee grounds from top to bottom, which will slightly increase its extraction rate. Then, the coffee liquid is poured out from the upper spout; the oil originally floating on the coffee liquid will also flow into the sharing pot with the water flow; the stainless steel filter and filter paper of the pressure rod are not actually filtered tightly, so some coffee grounds will also flow out with the water flow. The coffee's oils add body and smoothness, and make the flavor softer and more balanced.
Other brewing methods
[American coffee machine & fully automatic coffee machine]
The most common coffee machine is simple to operate and everyone should be able to use it. Compared with other brewing methods, the quality of the brewed coffee is poor and the taste is single and monotonous.
【Capsule coffee machine】
No matter how powerful the milk powder is, it will not taste better than fresh milk. This is a logical problem. Don’t be brainwashed by the evil Bird’s Nest brand.
[Three-in-one coffee, instant coffee]
In fact, you may need to be skeptical about whether the ingredients of many instant coffees are "coffee" and what proportion of "coffee" they contain. Even if it is real coffee, most of it is made from low-quality coffee beans. There is a cost-effectiveness issue. After branding and packaging low-quality coffee beans, they are sold at the same price as fresh coffee beans?
Conclusion
The knowledge about coffee is vast and profound, even more complex than red wine. Different bean types, origins, estates, coffee bean processing, roasting methods, and brewing methods have evolved into tens of thousands of different coffee flavor variations. But in fact, as long as you buy a cup of coffee that you have never drunk before and try it over and over again, you will slowly become a little coffee master. Don't be greedy for temporary convenience, lose the joy of exploring in life and drink bad coffee at the same time.
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
