What Is The Best Way To Prepare And Store My Coffee?

The 3 Basic Elements

Water
Coffee is 99% water! Use only the cleanest, freshest water available.

Water Temperature
The perfect temperature to brew coffee is between 90°C and 96°C. When brewing manually with a cafetière or filter cone, remove your kettle of boiling water from it’s heat source and let it sit for 2 minutes before pouring over your ground coffee.

Grind
When you purchase whole bean coffee, it’s best to grind it right before brewing, although it’s perfectly fine to grind your coffee when you buy it. Your goal is to achieve the right grind for the right brewing method:

• Coarse grind for cafetière brewing
• Medium-coarse grind for automatic filter machines
• Medium-fine grind for filter cone method
• Fine grind when making espresso

If you purchase Equal Exchange ready ground coffee this is a medium – coarse grind.

Storing your coffee

Storing your coffee in an airtight container is optimal. Properly stored coffee can stay fresh for up to two weeks and should not be refrigerated, nor is it necessary to keep it in the freezer.

Brewing

There are multiple ways to brew coffee in your own home these days. Below we’ve offered a selection but there are many more. For espresso machines and electric drip through machines, follow the instructions on the equipment and play around with the coffee to suit your own tastes.

Coffee to water ratio
Whatever method of brewing you use, the general standard is 15g of ground coffee (or one heaped tablespoon) per 250ml freshly boiled water.

Aeropress

1. Put a filter in the cap and twist on to the chamber.
2. Stand Aeropress on a sturdy mug and add 15g (one scoop) of fine ground coffee into the chamber.
3. Give it a shake to level the coffee.
4. Pour 250ml freshly boiled water into the chamber then stir for 10 seconds.
5. Insert the plunger into the chamber but don’t push down yet. Let the coffee brew for 90 seconds.
6. Plunge down pressing firmly for around 20-30 seconds

Moka Pot

1. Grind enough coffee to fill the basket. Medium to fine grind.
2. Fill the bottom chamber with water but not exceeding the pressure valve.
3. Add enough coffee to the basket to fill it up but don’t pack down.
4. Assemble the pot making sure it’s screwed together properly.
5. Place on a medium heat.
6. After 4-5 minutes, pot should be gurgling. Remove from heat once the water reaches the bottom of the spout in the top chamber or all the water is through.