Fortunately for serious coffee drinkers, there are a number of excellent roasters located in North Anerica who source the best beans, roast them in small quantities, and ship them speedily to customers who insist on having a premium cup of coffee.
Here are a few rules to follow if you want excellence in coffee:
Keep in mind the "Rule of 15"
Coffee should be roasted within 15 months of harvest
Coffee should be consumed within 15 days of roasting.
Coffee should be consumed within 15 minutes of grinding. (Some say 15 seconds
)
Don't buy at the supermarket.
Purchase your coffee from a small batch roaster. Some, but by no means an exhaustive list: George Howell, Intelligentsia, Detour (for Canadians), Counter Culture. There are literally hundreds--and that's really good news, because it means that coffees are being truly sourced by expert buyers, brought home and roasted and delivered to the customer with the appropriate alacrity and concern for quality. Check out www.coffeereview.com for a list of what's hot right now. If you want to sample coffees in small quantities, try www.craftcoffee.com. Every month they send out a package containing three samples if some top grade coffees--enough to make 12-15 cups or so, along with a description of the coffee's source, and ordering information if you fall in love with the coffee.
Remember that coffee is a highly volatile, agricultural product, so the coffee that you fall in love with today won't be available in three months – in fact, possibly until the season rolls around another year.
Buy whole beans only!
Corollary to this rule: you will notice that the top roasters do not sell flavored coffees. If you wish to drink a flavored coffee, add the flavoring after you have brewed the cup.
Grind your beans fresh for each cup, grinding only as much as you will drink right now. Don't let brewed coffee sit for hours.
Invest in a good quality burr grinder. (Baratza is a good one, though by no means the only one out there.). I can't over emphasize the importance of having the right kind of grinder, because nothing will spoil a cup of coffee faster than unevenly ground beans.
Use filtered water.
Under no circumstances should you make coffee in a percolator.
Don't buy one of the readily available commercial coffee brewers, such as a Mr. Coffee, etc. They cannot brew a good cup of coffee, and there are certain physical reasons for this. If you do wish to have a brewing machine, buy a Technivorm, although it's somewhat pricey, and somewhat less expensive, the Bonavita.
A French press is inexpensive and will produce a great cup of coffee. So will the Chemex, the Melita, and the Hario V – 60. The Aeropress is also quite good.
Heat your water to 200-205F.
Measure your coffee carefully, I prefer weighing it out by the gram, because coffees have different densities and using a tablespoon is rather imprecise.
Brew your coffee according to your method of choice, sit back and enjoy a truly great cup of coffee.
While all this may seem somewhat complex and complicated, it really isn't and is certainly worth the trouble you go to.
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