Tag: brewing coffee at home

February 2nd: Morning Cup

It’s day two and a half into this snowstorm. The northeast is getting pounded with a snowstorm, and it just won’t stop. I believe we have over 30 inches of snow by this point. My work has us working remotely, which is nice since I wouldn’t be able to leave my house anyway, haha.

This morning was also an early one for me. I have recently gotten very into Animal Crossings Hew Horizon in the switch, so I woke up before work to search for a new villager for my town. It was well worth waking up early since I found a great new villager to add to my island.

It just feels like one of those days, though. Up early, not incredibly motivated, and wishing for the days past if true snow days. This made me turn to my French Press. Quick and easy to brew with high flavor impact.

Today I choose my Tanzania coffee I have from Atlas Coffee Club. I love being a part of Atlas Coffee Club and love the variety of coffees they send me!

This Tanzania coffee was a lighter roasted coffee with complex flavors. The tasting notes are black tea, blackberry, and milk chocolate. I get the mouthfeel of black tea, the blackberry’s tartness, and the subtle sweetness and flavor of the milk chocolate.

Cheers to Tuesday! ☕️

Maria Does Coffee: Why is Grind Size So Important?

So does the infamous question “does size really matter” apply to coffee grounds? Oh yeah, it does!

Brewing next level coffee at home requires patience and dedication. But many don’t have the time nor the patience for coffee brewing. One way to help increase the taste and flavor of coffee without adding too much extra work is considering your grind size.

Each coffee brewing method requires a specific grind size for optimal flavor. This allows the coffee and water and brewing method to work in unison to create the best cup of coffee possible.

Luckily, most ground coffee you get in the store is more likely to be a medium ground, which is perfect for your automatic coffee maker at home! If you’re looking to up your automatic brewing game, try grinding your coffee at home!

If you are interested in brewing with other brewing methods, grinding your coffee is easier than locating specific grind sizes of coffee beans to brew with. Like I stated before, most bag coffee in grocery stores is a medium grind, which isn’t optimal for other brewing methods. This makes finding the specific grind size you need harder. If you were to buy whole beans and grind the coffee yourself, you could use your favorite beans in any brewing method you choose!

Here are the steps you need to take to level up your coffee brewing by choosing the right grind size.

Step One: choose your coffee brewing method. Grab yourself a $10 French press or dust off the percolator your grandmother passed down to you!

Step Two: research what grind size is needed for optimal brewing. For cold brew and French press, you’ll need a coarser grind size. For espresso and aero press, you’ll need a finer grind size.

Step Three: look into buying a coffee grinder. You don’t need an expensive grinder to get started. I began brewing coffee with a $15 coffee/spice grinder. Even though I recommend grinding your coffee, if your grind size is supposed to be a medium grind, you’re in luck that you can grab some grounds from the grocery store no problem!

Step Four: choose your favorite coffee beans – make sure to grab them whole if you’re grinding them yourself.

Step Five: figure out the grind setting on your grinder and grind that coffee! I always recommend grinding it right before you brew it to have the freshest coffee, but you definitely can grind ahead of time if you need to!

Step Six: brew your coffee with your newly ground coffee and enjoy!

& it’s that easy to have a better cup of coffee! Brewing extra delicious coffee doesn’t need to happen overnight, nor does it require fancy equipment. Do what you can, where you can, however you can. Small steps collected over time lead to stellar coffee!

If you have any questions about grind size, drop them in the comments! & if you like this guide, keep an eye out for more in the future!

Happy Brewing!

Brewing Coffee At Home

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m obsessed with coffee big time.

Considering all of us are stuck at home for a while, I thought I would talk about some at-home brewing methods I am using daily and some fun ones to try! Here are my top 5 coffee brewing ideas to try at home:

  1. Cold Brew Coffee
    I love love love cold brew coffee; one of my favorite coffees to get at my local coffee shop is a black nitro cold brew. IT IS THE BOMB!
    I love how creamy, smooth, and not acidic cold brew coffees are and wanted to try to make it at home.
    So far, I have tried making cold brew in my large French press. I used a med/coarse ground coffee(I do 2 tbsp for every 6 oz of water) and added that to my French press. I added room temperature water and put the press/ lid on top but did not press it down. I put my French press in my refrigerator and let it sit overnight (approx. 15 hours). I took the French press out of the fridge and pressed my coffee. Then you are ready to pour and enjoy!
    I also decided to order a cold brew coffee maker to make my life easier because French presses become cumbersome to clean regularly. I ordered the Cold Brew Mason Jar Coffee Maker by Country Line Kitchen on Amazon. I am patiently waiting for its arrival. I choose this cold brew maker because while reading reviews for other cold brew makers, people said the glass breaks easily. The brewer I bought is already made with durability in mind because it is made from a mason jar. I ordered the 1-quart option because that is about 2-3 days worth of coffee for me. They also have a 2-quart option if you drink a lot of coffee, want to make coffee once a week, or have multiple people in your house drinking cold brew. I also really liked this cold brew maker because of the easy pour lid and removable stainless steel filter. Once I get the coffee maker, I will make sure to let you know if it’s as excellent as I expect it to be.
  2. French Press Coffee
    I have a 2 cup French Press, and that thing is my best friend. I drink my coffee black, and there is nothing like a delicious, dark, rich cup of coffee from a French press. If you have a French press, awesome! Get that thing out for some quick and delicious coffee. If not, I suggest you grab one because I am learning some cool new tricks with mine, and you’ll need one to try them!
    I use 2 tbsp of coarse grounds for every 6 oz of water for my French press. ( many people recommend weighing your coffee for a more precise ratio, but how many of you at home have kitchen scales? I want this to be easy for you!!) I add my grounds to the bottom of my French press and boil water in my electric kettle. I pour the boiling water over the grounds and make sure all grounds are saturated with water. Once your done pouring set a time for 4 minutes. ( I also sometimes add my lid but make sure it is not touching the grounds floating on top). After the 4 minutes, press and enjoy! It’s that easy.
    I recently learned another method of brewing in a French press from Electric City Roasting Co. They do live brewing tutorials on Instagram during the week, and I am obsessed with them. They went over this second method, and I have been using it ever since.
    I use the same ratio of 2 tbsp of grounds for every 6 oz of water. I use a more medium grind for this method instead of the more traditional coarse ground for a French press. I do the same thing for the French press except for the last steps. Once I pour my boiling water, I do not cover my coffee with the lid. I wait 4 minutes, and then I take a spoon and push the coffee gently down into the water a bit ( called folding). You will start to see grounds float to the bottom. I usually do this folding 2-3 times. Then you’ll see a small foamy, lighter colored top layer (called crème). Scoop that off and get rid of it. Once it’s gone, add your lid, but DO NOT press. The top helps with pouring the hot coffee. The grounds that floated to the bottom should stay there, so pour and enjoy!

    *Here is another trick for your French press. You can add milk to your French press and repeatedly plunge until you create foam. The foam stays colder and is perfect for adding to your cold brew coffee or even iced coffee!!*
  3. Regular Automatic Coffee Maker
    You are probably reading this thinking, Maria, this all sounds great, but I do not have a French press and cannot get once anytime soon. 

    THAT IS OKAY! 

    I recommend grabbing a coffee from a local coffee shop/ micro-roaster to treat yourself while you’re at home. Stick with the 2 tbsp to 6 oz water ratio, and you’ll be enjoying your cup of joe in no time! 

    I may be a bit bias, but Electric City Roasting Co. has incredible coffee. You can order from them through this link: https://electriccityroasting.com/.

  4. Whipped Coffee / Dalgona Coffee Trend
    I was very eager to try this internet trend and tried it this weekend! I was shocked that I loved this drink so much. I used Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade instant coffee. I made enough for me to have a large glass and a little extra for my dad to try. Everyone has been using a 1:1:1 ratio for the whipped coffee. I used 3 tbsp of instant coffee, 3 tbsp of sugar, and 3 tbsp of water. I manually whipped the coffee with a whisk, and it took me about 15 minutes to whisk by hand. I also let the whipped coffee chill in the refrigerator right after whipping for about 5ish minutes. This made it stiffer and lighter. When it came out of the fridge, it was the perfect stiff consistency. I used oat milk for my glass and cows milk for my dad’s. The whipped coffee seemed to begin to blend with the oat milk a little quicker than the cow’s milk. I also followed the suggestion of Electric City Roasting Co., and my dad and I mixed the whipped coffee with the milk. I tasted it beforehand, and it is very, very strong straight up. I was super happy with how it came out, and so was my dad. It stayed frothy throughout the time drinking it! It was way sweeter than I typically like, but delicious none the less. I highly recommend trying this when you have a little extra time to make coffee!
  5. Espresso Coffee
    So you may not have an espresso maker at home. If you are like me and do, this last section is for you! I rarely get to use my manual espresso maker because it takes time to do it right. I have a lot more time on my hands now, so I decided to pull it out and play! I used some fine grind, dark roasted coffee and got to work. I watched some YouTube videos about pulling my shots on my espresso maker and am trying to perfect my craft. I also played with my steamer and tried to learn how to produce the best milk with just the right amount of foam. I ended up making a latte with a dash of vanilla extract added! SO GOOD!
    I highly recommend taking the time out to use your espresso machine and make yourself some specialty drinks. I miss going to coffee shops so badly, so this makes me miss them a little less. Get your machine out and find some espresso drink recipes online and get to work!

Do you have any home brewing methods/ ideas that are delicious? Please share in the comments below!!