Drip Coffee
What is drip coffee? It is basically coffee made by an automatic coffee maker, meaning a carafe and a basket full of ground coffee with hot water dripped on it. For a lot of us we prefer to just add coffee and water and “flip the switch”. I mean we have other sh*t to do in the morning. We cannot be bothered by the idiosyncrasies of brewing coffee in all of its methods. We prefer the final product (great cup of coffee) vs the journey of creating it. For all of you on team drip, here is what you need to succeed.
Step 1
Buy our coffee. Seriously, Brewtality takes this seriously so you don’t have to. Fresh coffee is the best coffee. Coffee has a “freshness shelf life” of about 4-6 weeks once ground, depending on how you store it. We roast daily so your coffee is never more than a day or two young when you get it. Coffee that you buy on a store shelf usually contains an “Expiration date” and not a “Roast on date”. Here at Brewtality we are more concerned with the freshness of your coffee vs how long we can let it sit on a grocery store shelf. That is why we offer our “Deadly Fresh Guarantee”!
Step 2
What kind of grinder are you using? If it’s a blade grinder, take it outside with a baseball bat and reenact that awesome scene from Office Space! When you are done releasing all of your life’s stresses, come back in and buy a burr grinder. Trust us it is worth it. Proper grind size in any brewing method is paramount. If you don’t have a grinder or do not want to buy one, no problem, we’ll grind it for you. Just let us know what grind you prefer. Now here’s the weird part… Grind size in any standard automatic coffee maker will usually be medium fine to medium coarse but will vary depending on a few things, for example:
- Type of filter being used: If you use paper filters, RINSE THEM WITH HOT WATER FIRST. Rinsing them removes dust and any chemical residue left behind by the manufacturing process, but you’ll want to use a finer grind whereas a mesh filter requires a slightly more coarse grind. Mesh filters are a little better in our opinion because of the above information. We recommend washing it after every use.
- How hot your coffee maker makes the water: It’s well known in the molecular science field that the perfect temperature to brew coffee is right around 205 degrees Fahrenheit. If your pot gets hotter, you’ll want a little coarser grind to prohibit bitterness. If it brews colder, you want a finer grind, to fight a bland cup. Science is cool.
- Taste preferences: If you like your coffee on the stronger side, you don’t necessarily need to add more coffee grounds, you might want to grind it finer. It exposes more surface area and therefore you get more extraction. If you like it brighter and smoother, use the same amount but grind a little bit more course. Boom, knowledge!
Step 3
Use decent water. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, the two most important ingredients in coffee are…. Coffee…. And Water. If you have poor quality tap water, or it has a high concentration of chlorine, or minerals in it, you are going to taste that in the cup. Don’t use distilled water either, because you want SOME minerals to come thru in the cup. We recommend using spring water such as Liquid Death, because duh... we sell it and it is pretty damn cool to pour some Death into your cup every morning. At the very least use filtered or bottled water to maximize the natural flavor of coffee.
Step 4
Use the proper amount of coffee. We’re going to bust out some basic math on you for a minute so pay attention. The standard for drip coffee makers is two level tablespoons of coffee grounds for every six ounces of water. Now keep in mind that everyone’s preferences will dictate that number change. Again, it truly depends on if you want a stronger cup (use more grounds) or a weaker cup (use less grounds). Remember up above where we told you that you should use a finer grind for paper? Yeah, that can all change based on your personal tastes. If you like strong sharp coffee and are using a paper filter, you’re going to have to use more coffee with a finer grind. Like strong smooth coffee and using paper then use more coffee with a standard grind. See what we’re saying here? These are guidelines and with a little personal trial and error, you will find your perfect cup.
Step 5
Get a decent drip coffee maker! When it comes to brewing good coffee automatically, some drip coffee makers do it better than others. The SCA or Specialty Coffee Association sets standards for various parameters related to brewing coffee. Various manufacturers have received certifications from the SCA and its Golden Cup Standard. As far as we're concerned, drip coffee makers that can achieve this standard could be considered the best. With that in mind, if you're looking to upgrade your home coffee, we recommend checking out the following coffee makers: (No sadly we do not get a commission for recommending these.)
- Technivorm Moccamaster KBT741
- Braun KF9070SI MultiServe
- Behmor Brazen Plus Coffeemaker
- Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup One Touch Coffee Brewer
- Breville BDC450BSS Precision Brewer
Once you have all the correct pieces in place it is easy to get a quick and great cup of coffee every morning. All you have to do is put the rinsed filter in the filter holder, put the ground coffee in the filter. Add some high-quality H2O. Put the pot where it goes. Wait a few minutes and you’re on your way.
Stay Brewtal!