Preparation Guide

 BIALETTI

 

• Grind about 20-22 grams of coffee about as fine as you would a shot of espresso.
• Fill the bottom half of your Moka pot with water that’s fresh off the boil.
• Place the Moka pot’s metal portafilter, which resemples a cap, inside the bottom component.
• Add your coffee and give it a gentle shake to settle it evenly.
• Use your index finger to distribute the coffee. For the best results, think about moving from 12 to 6 on a clock, then from 3 to 9, etc. Or think about tuning a timpani drum, if you have experience.
• Screw on the Moka pot’s spouted top. Caution! The bottom chamber will be hot.
• Place the pot on a stove on medium heat.
• When the water in the bottom chamber approaches a boil, the pressure will push a stream of coffee slowly and methodically through the upper chamber. If it explodes upward, your water’s too hot, if it burbles lethargically, turn up your flame. You know it’s done when you hear a hissing, bubbling sound. Be very careful when pouring this coffee, as a Moka pot’s handle tends to heat up and stay hot for quite some time.

 

Chemex:

 

• Bring to a boil twice as much water as you’ll need for the actual brewing (around 1,200-1,400 grams for a 6-cup Chemex).
• Weigh out about 50-60 grams of coffee (or approximately four or five tablespoons of beans).
• While the water is heating, grind your coffee. The grind should be about as coarse as that of a French press.
• Unfold your filter and place it in your Chemex, insuring the triple-fold portion is facing the pour spout and lays across it without obstructing it.
• Pour in some of the extra water, fully saturating the filter and warming the glass. After about a minute, you can pour this water into your cup to heat that, too.
• Pour your ground coffee into the filter and give it a gentle shake. This will flatten the bed, allowing for a more even pour.
• Starting at the bed’s center, gently pour twice the amount of water that you have coffee into your grounds – for example, 100 grams of water for 50 grams of coffee. Work your way outward gently, and avoid pouring down the sides of the filter.
• Allow the coffee to expand, or “bloom” for between 30 and 45 seconds. A solid bloom will ensure even water dispersion – and a delicious cup later on.
• Continue pouring – delicately, beautifully – into the center of the grounds. You should pour at such a rate that the complete brew process takes about four minutes.
• Drink your coffee.

 

French Press:

 

• Bring to a boil enough water for your French press. For a 17-oz. press, you'll need about 400 grams.
• While the water is heating, grind your coffee. French press coffee calls for a coarse, even grind. We recommend starting with a 1:10 coffee to water ratio. If you're using 400 grams of water, you’ll want 40 grams of coffee.
• To start, gently pour twice the amount of water that you have coffee, onto your grounds. For example, if you have 40 grams of coffee, you’ll want to start with 80 grams of water.
• Give the grounds a gentle stir with a bamboo paddle or chopstick. If it helps, visualize gentle canoe paddling. Let the coffee bloom for 30 seconds.
• Add the rest of your water and place the pot’s lid gently on top of the grounds. Do not plunge yet. Let the coffee steep for four minutes. Four. Don’t guess.
• Gently remove your french press from the scale and place it on your counter. Press the filter down. If it’s hard to press, that means your grind is too fine; if the plunger thunks immediately down to the pot’s floor, it means your grind is too coarse. The sweet spot, pressure-wise, is 15-20 pounds. Not sure what this feels like? Try it out on your bathroom scale. We have.
• When you’ve finished pressing, serve the coffee immediately. Do not let it sit, as this will cause it to continue brewing.