Home Brewing Tips From A Coffee Roaster’s Wife

By Darby Pritz •

I love coffee. My first college essay was about the coffee shop I would one day own and all the wonderful people I would meet. I might post a copy of that later as proof that Daniel and I are soulmates.

DSC_3120-703.5

But I have a disability.

It’s called my-parents-are-addicted-to-coffee-so-I-never-had-to-make-my-own. And then I married a barista who has since become a roaster. I’m a spoiled coffee brat. For the first two years of our marriage I worked almost full time at the shop and had unlimited access to an espresso machine.

So now that Mable joined our little family I’ve been staying home quite a bit, and that means I have to make my own coffee. I don’t know about you, but I need things to be EASY in the morning. I actually like mornings but I have a toddler and a 6 month old who need some serious snuggles in the morning or they turn into crabby (but cute) monsters.

First, I recommend using fresh roasted coffee (within two weeks after roast date if possible) and grinding your beans directly before use. It’s just so much better. More flavorful and fresh. Remember, coffee is a food. So what I do is pre-dose my coffee the night before. I put the correct dose in my grinder, then all I have to do in the morning is press “start”.

My grinder isn't fancy or expensive, but I do recommend a burr grinder as opposed to a chopper.
My grinder isn’t fancy or expensive, but I do recommend a burr grinder as opposed to a chopper.

Find a similar burr coffee grinder here.

Here are my favorite ways to brew, starting with the easiest:

French Press

We use a ratio of 2 grams of coffee per ounce of water and a coarse grind. Using that as a guide, you can adjust for your preference.

Once you figure out the dose and grind, follow these ridiculously simple steps:

DSC_0151

DUMP IT: Place ground coffee and hot water in your French Press

LEAVE IT: Allow coffee to brew for 3-4 minutes

PUSH IT: Using the weight of your hand, push the mesh filter down to trap the grounds at the bottom

POUR IT: Pour into your favorite mug or directly into your mouth (that would hurt but I’m not judging.. Sometimes you just NEED coffee)

I inherited my French Press from my dad’s stockpile of coffee accessories, but you can find one here or at Target… because I always love an excuse to visit Target.

Chemex

My family visited recently and I needed to make several cups of coffee at a time, in this case a Chemex comes in very handy. Also, you’ll note that using a pour over method results in a cleaner, almost tea-like cup of coffee. (Tea-like does NOT mean weak).

Normally in a pour over method we prefer a finer grind, but a chemex brews very slowly using a fine grind. This is due to the filter’s thickness and full contact against the glass. And again, 2 grams per ounce of water is a great reference point but adjust according to your taste preference! (If you grind coarse, you may want to up the dose)

First, rinse the filter using hot water. This removes any paper taste and warms the glass.

Then dump out the papery water and put the grounds in the filter.

Next, pour the hot water using a circular motion. A nice kettle allows more control. Make sure to keep the grounds saturated throughout the brewing process.

Give it a swirl and serve! My favorite coffee to use in the Chemex is our Kenya AA , super flavorful and awesomely fruity.

These are just my favorite ways to brew. My brother uses an Aeropress for hot coffee and a Yama cold drip tower for some AMAZING cold brewed iced coffee. It really doesn’t matter how you choose to brew, as long as you’re using fresh roasted, freshly ground, quality coffee. Let me know your favorite way to brew!

My sister is the greatest. I tell her my vision and she whips up something fantastic every time.
My sister is the greatest. I tell her my vision and she whips up something fantastic every time.

 

I love visiting my family, especially when snow is involved.
I love visiting my family, especially when snow is involved.
Heather Florer says

Darby, I love reading your little stories! Take care!
Heather Florer

Add a comment