would you like to make great coffee at homefor friends and family? we brought the automatic coffee maker into the lab to see what it takesto make great coffee with . come join us as we take a closer look at drip coffee makersand find out what’s in the cup. [music] for these experiments we used a coffee refractometerto measure the total dissolved solids of the
best coffee roast for french press, brewed coffee. this showed how much coffeewas taken out of the grounds by the hot water. we then compared the extraction efficiencyof multiple brewing scenarios. from these results, we were able to break down properbrewing, into five easy steps. as a bonus, we discovered a simple brewing hack, thatwill elevate your coffee from good to great.
so here are five steps. number one, wateraccounts for nearly ninety nine percent of your coffee. it should be slightly hard witha neutral ph. don't use overlay softened or chlorinated water. the easiest way to ensuregood water quality is to buy it bottled. we recommend using bottled spring water. regularfiltered or distilled water is too clean. spring water will bring out your coffees bestflavor number two, start with fresh roasted wholebean coffee. if the coffee won't be used for a few weeks, it should be left sealed in afoil bag. after the coffee has been opened, try to use it up within two weeks. there isno need to store it in the fridge or freezer. it can be kept in the bag on the counter
number three, a good grinder will make thebiggest difference in the quality of your coffee. oxygen is a silent killer. grindingcoffee increases the surface area and speeds up the process of staling. look for a eithera flat burr or conical burr grinder. stay away from blade grinders. the coffee shouldbe ground right before use with a size similar to refined white sugar. remember you are betteroff buying a cheap coffee maker and a quality burr grinder. number four, coffee to water ratio is whereyour own personal tastes come into play. a good place to start is a ratio of one to seventeen.if you have a small kitchen scale weigh, out your water then divide by seventeen for thecoffee weight. if you don’t have a scale
start with 2 tablespoons of ground coffeefor every 6 ounces of water. remember when making coffee for a group it is easier fora guest to dilute strong coffee with water then make weak coffee stronger. number five, my dad always says "you makeyour money in the details". here is where your coffee will really start to shine. first,level you coffee maker, this reduces channeling and allows for even, thorough extraction.second, only make three quarters of a pot at a time. most home coffee makers will havetrouble when everything is maxed out. lastly keep your water in a container at room temperature.cold water takes longer to heat up and can extend your brew cycle into overextraction.
now for the bonus hack. while experimenting,we found the permanent mesh filter, gave a silty finish with too heavy a body. the paperfilter gave excellent clarity but would easily lose shape and stick to the side of the basketonce wet. the paper flutes and the basket ridges were unable to properly support thecoffee bed. so here is a simple hack to properly support the paper filter and allow for evenextraction across the coffee bed. simply place the paper filter inside the permanent filter,this gives it both support and allows for extraction on all sides. for a little twiston this hack. if you want a little more body in your cup, place some coffee into the permanentfilter then insert the paper filter add the
rest.
there you have it. know your home coffee makercan rival the hipster brew bar down the street. remember great coffee doesn't happen by accident.we hope you enjoyed this video because that what’s in the cup.
