Perfect caffeinated home brew - Coffee Saga Part II, Recipe Perfect caffeinated home brew

Perfect caffeinated home brew - Coffee Saga Part II

Posted the 04/11/2008 15:44:09 By The ramblings of The Food Flunky (Visit website)

Please bare with me before you click away in a patronised induced rage, for there’s good reason why I’ve decided to do this coffee post. This post will not only help you to create a superb, consistent mug of your favourite caffeinated vice, it is also a 2-fingers up to those high street charlatans, the vendors of excrement in a paper cup.

This ritualistic brewing method will have you spitting the putrid excuses of the high street thieves in disgust, and save you a packet in the process.

Once again many thanks to Stuart of Pumphreys Coffee who has agreed to write a follow-up post to clarify my points and the reasoning behind my methods of madness

Before I start, I just want to highlight the real star of the post, the coffee bean. It starts and finishes with the bean, and all this process does is consistently helps to get the best from the flavours that already exist (see post: Bean and gone in 2 minutes flat).

For me it has to be the Pumphreys Espresso Crema. This is a rich nutty bean, oozing with oils with a superb rounded flavour, but this is purely a personal choice. Without shattering your nerve endings in the process, try as many beans as possible and find one or a blend that ticks as many boxes as possible.

Once you have settled on your bean and come grinding time please, please remember:

?Within 2 minutes of grinding a coffee bean up to 80% of the subtleties and character of that bean are lost.?

So I’m done boring you with my ramblings. To help things along I’ve presented this post as a pictorial essay … follow away and post your thoughts.

Equipment:

2 French press cafetieres (one for coffee and one to froth the milk)

1 small sauce or milk pan

Kitchen scales

Coffee grinder

Wooden spoon

Ingredients (makes approximately 1l of coffee with milk):

200ml boiling water to warm the French press cafetieres

600ml boiling water (left to stand for 20 seconds post boiling)

300ml warmed full fat milk

60g chosen coffee beans

brown sugar to taste (optional)

Method:

Boil the initial 200ml of water and pour 100ml into each of the cafetieres. Replace the plungers and lids and leave to warm. Add the 300ml of milk to the small saucepan and place over a gentle heat.

Weigh out 60g of your chosen coffee beans and carefully pour into the cleaned grinder, but don’t grind yet!

Boil the 600ml of water.

Remove the plunger and dispose of the water in the cafetiere designated to the coffee. Now grind the beans to a relatively fine consistency (some way between granulated sugar and icing sugar sized granules) and spoon into the coffee cafetiere.

With careful timing hopefully the boiled water has now been left to stand for 20 seconds post boiling and your well within the magic 2 minute window of opportunity for the ground beans.

Pour a approximately 200ml of the boiled water into the coffee cafetiere. Leave for 10 seconds to allow the coffee to ‘breath’. Pour in the remaining 400ml of boiled water.

A frothy ‘bloom’ (aerated foam on top of the liquid) should appear.

Return the lid and gently level the plunger to the top of the ‘bloom’. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.

While the coffee is working it’s magic, remove the milk for the heat. Remove the plunger and dispose of the water in the cafetiere designated to the milk. Carefully pour the warmed milk into the cafetiere and replace the plunger and lid. With the plunger completely submerged in the milk, begin ‘pumping’ the plunger with a smooth action to aerate the milk. The milk should begin increasing in volume as more air is introduced. ‘Pump’ until the milk has doubled in size.

After 5 minutes, slowly push the plunger through the bloom and then the liquid coffee until completely depressed.

2/3 fill 3 to 4 warmed mugs with coffee and gently top with the foamed milk.

Add sugar to taste if desired.

Close eyes and inhale the coffee with a knowing smile in a manner reminiscent of a Nescafe advert and think of the money you’ve just saved. Don’t ruin the process at this stage, avoid scalding your taste buds and only drink at a suitable temperature.