Grinding the coffee beans
Lots of local vendors are sadly closing shop as the direct consequence of loss of business linked to the Corona Virus pandemic. We feel however, that there are more and more coffee shops newly opened in town.
If you're a coffee lover but practicing social distancing and limiting your outings, you need not venture out!! With simple tools you can become a “home barista”.
What you'll need are good coffee beans which are easy to at many places such as supermarkets and coffee shops.
Unlike espresso machine which occupies a lot of space, home brew can be simple and affordable. Making coffee is very personal very subjective and there is no absolute standard for the recipe. Everyone’s preference varies so we highly encourage you to develop your own style.
Some people like a strong flavour, some like darkly roasted while for some the aroma primes. From time to time you would know your favourite coffee-to-water ratio and the brewing method which suits you best.
I had been brewing coffee at home since 2016. So, Cyrus another coffee loving LocalHood colleague and I are sharing some home made coffee brewing ideas based on our experience.
I use the hand pour/pour over technique. What you need are some simple tools:
1) Coffee bean
2) Coffee filter cup
3) Filter paper
4) A glass flask
5) A kettle for pouring, and
6) A scale for portion control.
So the setup look like this:
The setup is quite simple, but what you need to pay attention at are several things：the ratio of coffee bean to water, brewing time, temperature of the water, and the way you pour your water such as how fast and steady you pour it. So basically if you are using light roasted coffee you can use higher water temperature ( around 90 to 92 degree Celsius ) and for darker roasted coffee you can use lower temperature (85-88 degrees Celsius). For the coffee:water ratio, we can try from 1g to 16 to 18ml of water. So if you use 20g of coffee been then you will get around 320-360ml of coffee.
I usually serve it as black coffee without sugar and milk. It can be a good companion to your breakfast.
For brewing time, I pour the water and finish the brewing process in 1.5 to 2 minutes. I also find it is a good way to calm my mind in the morning, it acts as a short meditation for me.
Iced coffee is best for summer, one sip to cool down in a hot day. The beauty of it is you can still enjoy the beverage in the next few days.
If this is the first time to DIY at home, you can take the below as reference. This is my home’s recipe, if you guys have your own can feel free to shareJ
Tools
Coffee beans 20-25g
Ice dripper.
Pour coffee powder in the middle compartment, it takes around 4 hours
Done dripping, refrigerate coffee for 24 hours
Enjoy it!
Tips:
Gently pouring out, strain it so the coffee is well-mixed
In general, making iced coffee takes longer time than hot water. It needs more time for extraction. If you want to enjoy in the morning, better brew it the day before
Hope you like our coffee brewing ideas. It’s fun to do brew at home! Yes, you can be a “home barista” too ☕☕.
Happy brewing!