Filter coffee - step by step preparation
Filter coffee is the rising star in the coffee world. Many people still have old memories of their grandparents' filter coffee soup, which tasted and looked as if a piece of coal had been sunk in water. But if we're honest, at least back then people still took the time to drink coffee with their loved ones in peace.
Here we give you a step-by-step guide on how to transform your filter coffee into a brilliant coffee treat with clear flavors using simple tools.
Table of contents
Filter coffee is the rising star in the coffee world. Many people still have old memories of their grandparents' filter coffee soup, which tasted and looked as if a piece of coal had been sunk in water. But if we're honest, at least back then people still took the time to drink coffee with their loved ones in peace.
Here we give you a step-by-step guide on how to transform your filter coffee into a brilliant coffee treat with clear flavors using simple tools.
The ingredients you need:
- your favorite coffee (you will surely find it in our store)
- Optimally a coffee grinder
- Hand filter & paper filter (filter coffee set #homebound)
- Fine scale with quantity and time display (alternatively: kitchen scale & cell phone)
- Kettle
The right grind for your filter coffee - size matters
Choose a medium to coarse grind for your filter coffee to bring out the flavors of your coffee. To do this, simply ask your local roaster if he can grind your favorite coffee appropriately, or even better: simply grind your coffee yourself. The cheapest and best option here is a nice hand grinder, which you can easily adjust for your preparation method.
Plus, the hand grinder has a cool bonus: when camping and on your outdoor adventures, you're the boss, because no one can resist the aroma of freshly ground coffee.
If you still use pre-ground coffee, make sure to use it up quickly - but that should be the least of your problems 😉 .
The water - 96 ° and it does not get hotter
Water is the main ingredient in your coffee, but you don't need to make a fuss about it. You don't need a fancy kettle with a digital temperature display, the good old one from home will do. The important thing is that your water doesn't come into contact with the coffee powder at boiling point, but at a temperature of about 92-96°C. The coffee is a little mimic here. Coffee is a little mimosa here - only in this way does it allow you to taste its full range of aromas and release the right flavoring substances from the powder.
No thermometer? No problem! Just boil your water normally and let it stand in the kettle for about 1 minute. This way you avoid that your coffee tastes bitter and acrid later.
The filter - not only a hit on Instagram
Selection of the hand filter we leave entirely to your taste - and your budget 😉.
If you want to use the attachment outdoors as well, we recommend the copper version, since it can't break - and it also looks great, we just say: Insta-proofed.
In addition to your filter holder, all you need is a paper filter and you're good to go.
Whether you choose the white or brown, reusable or disposable variety, it is important that you rinse your filter with boiled water before brewing to rid it of its inherent flavor. To do this, pour some water evenly down the filter and let the water trickle into your drip tray. A nice side effect of this is that you also preheat your cup or pot at the same time. Afterwards, you simply empty the collected water out of your container.
The correct preparation
The right amount of powder - how many grams of powder do I need for a dollar bill, uhh... a cup?
Your (freshly) ground coffee now goes into the paper filter. As a rule of thumb, you can calculate with 6-7 grams of coffee powder per 100ml of water. This ratio of water and coffee quantity is also called brew ratio. The exact dosage depends on the coffee you use and your personal taste. Keep in mind that about 10% of the brew water will be absorbed by the coffee powder, leaving you with slightly less coffee in the cup - yes we're with you, what does coffee actually come up with! To be accurate, it's best to use a fine scale. So you can find your optimal brew ratio by a little testing.
A little tip: If you don't have a precision scale at hand, you can also use a tablespoon: take 1 level tablespoon for 100ml of water - not an exact science, but before there's no coffee at all, we'd rather make this compromise, right?
Blooming - a coffee breathes out
Blooming is the first part of the brewing process, when the coffee comes into contact with the water and swells and bubbles slightly. To do this, pour about 1/5 of your brewed water - a little less for larger amounts - onto your coffee powder from a medium height in a circular motion until it is completely covered. Then wait about 30 seconds until your coffee powder no longer bubbles and the water has been absorbed by the coffee powder.
No scale with integrated clock? Here are a few tips: in 30 seconds, you can do about 15 athletic squats, 40 jumping jacks or 1 piece of cheese and cream cake - or you can just use your cell phone, of course 😉.
But why do we "bloom"?
During roasting, various gases are produced as by-products, which escape from the coffee powder during this step and lead to the formation of bubbles. This prevents unwanted secondary aromas in your coffee. In addition, the coffee powder soaks up water and thus helps with optimal extraction.
The infusion
Now you can gradually pour the remaining water over the coffee powder in circular motions. Whether this is done in one or several steps depends a bit on your filter size. From a purely taste perspective, we dare say that this doesn't make the crucial difference - shame on our barista heads.
Your coffee should finish brewing after 3 ½ - 4 minutes, including blooming. If your brewing time is not correct, as if your coffee runs too long or too short, simply adjust your grind slightly next time.
Here again the short version:
- Bring water to a boil and let cool for approx. 1 minute (~92-96°C)
- Grind coffee with medium to coarse grind RULES: ~6-7 grams of coffee powder per 100ml of water
- Rinse the paper filter with a little water, remove any water that has run through it.
- Pour coffee powder into filter; blooming phase: pour about 1/5 of the water in circular motions, wait ~30 seconds #bubble
- pour remaining water, total brewing time is ~3 ½ - 4 minutes.
- Enjoy handmade filter coffee 😊
Do you prefer a video tutorial? Then look here:
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