Brewing Methods: A ‘Functional’ Morning Coffee
Is it possible to brew a delicious cup of coffee first thing in the morning without spending heaps of money on machines?
Yes, it most certainly is.
And when brewing coffee this way, you can choose between being functional or meditative. In this post I will describe a delicious, functional cup of coffee.
For the first cup of the day, especially when you are gathering your daily bits and bobs and grabbing something to eat, possibly also getting the children to hurry up, you want it to be functional.
Personally, I would choose a pour-over method in this case, either the V60 or a Chemex-style jug. I would pop the kettle and grinder on to start (or scoop the pre-ground coffee) – a scoop and a half is about right in my opinion, or 15 grams.
Pop it all together, get your mug ready, and do a few tasks – the kettle can finish boiling and wait for a bit for you to be ready. Then level out the top of your scooped coffee and just slowly pour from the middle, in a little swirl pattern for a few seconds, then give it a jiggle to stop any grind from sticking to the sides. It’s time to do another getting ready task while the first bit of coffee drips through. Only leave it for a moment, then return and repeat the slow swirl, this time with more water, another wiggle, and off for another task. Repeat once more if you want a big coffee. Off for another task and you will return to a ready coffee (just add milk if you want it).
The key points for this functional brew (without getting too scientific) are: A) Allow the boiled kettle to cool just a little bit before you pour it; B) Even out the grind before you pour (a little dip in the middle is great too); C) Pour slowly, pour in circles, jiggle or stir to stop grind from sticking to the sides.
This all allows for a nice, stable coffee, in which you have made the most of the flavour of all the grinds you have used without creating any bitterness. In the future we shall do this as a video, and also get a little more scientific and meditative. In the meantime, enjoy your morning coffee.
Anna.