# Failsafe brew methods...



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

I've been thinking about the points raised in Fatboyslim's "Brewed coffee in cafes" thread, in particular, what Lookseehear said, "Until someone manages to simplify the brewing process I don't expect a huge uptake in quality coffee at home. More depressing than that I find it difficult to recommend to anyone too."

If you had a friend/relative/work colleague looking to get into brewing their own coffee to a higher than "FP & supermarket preground" standard, but perhaps not inclined to go as far as £100+ on a grinder (we'll assume the hand grind option has no appeal to most newbies), what would you recommend & why, for repeatable results & good strike rates? Or, perhaps you have struggled to get the best out of a bag of beans and your last 20g you are going to throw at the "old faithful" method... -what would that be?

I did say in the previous thread that some basic grinders can get good results with steeped methods, and they can but some need a degree of nursing/careful timing, others leave you with perhaps an off-putting amount of silt in the cup (which would be exacerbated by an inconsistent grinder). Earlepap's FP augmented with an Aeropress idea looks like a great option. I'm going to be trying out Nick Cho's CCD & Swissgold KF4 trick too, but this strikes me as a pricey route (though the CCD as it stands is a reliable, relatively fuss free brewer). I guess also I'm asking, in a less than ideal environment, how would you best deal with brewed - say you were staying at/invited to a house for a brewed session, the host says, "Yeah, I got a grinder, a good one.." you arrive & it's a Krups! ....what's your move (other than nip home for the Maestro)?


----------



## Earlepap (Jan 8, 2012)

I dunno what I'd do suggest to someone if they're unwilling to get a grinder. I guess recommend buying some decent beans and getting the cafe to grind them?

As for methods, I think the CCD really is the best option for minimal faff but great results. I bought one of these ( http://tinyurl.com/bukfm65 ) to try the Nick Cho thing without forking out for the gold. I've yet to really experiment as I'm still learning the CCD itself, but I will say that it definitely requires a paper filter along side it as it lets a lot of gunk through - more than an FP even.

If I was somewhere with a crap grinder I think I'd most like an Aeropress to hand to try and get a decent cup. Grind fine to get as consistent as possible, use non inverted with some stirring and a short steep time and hopefully that'd minimise the negative affect of the fines. That's the great thing about the AP I suppose: the range of grinds you can use it in is huge compared to anything else, meaning you can adapt to the grind rather than they other way round.


----------



## AndyL (Apr 10, 2011)

It's funny you should ask this question as i was asked only the other day by a friend who loves her coffee but couldn't afford the substantial outlay of and espresso machine and electric grinder. My recommendation was a areopress and porlex grinder, both items are top quality and available for under £60.

Sent from my GT-I9300


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Thanks guys, I figured the Aeropress would get a few mentions...so far, I'm really liking French press (Krups grind control set to 3o'clock) filtered through the Aeropress.

It's a bit more hanging around than just using the AP on it's own (Earlepap - I did try a fine-ish grind on the Krups, about 10o'clock on the control...as fine as I could go without nasty gnashing sounds, using a fairly "off-the-box" AP technique...a fair but bland cup followed, sturdy but erring on under. I'm not so sure that the fines are the primary problem in a long steep, as opposed to filter clogging a pour-over).

I see a couple of plusses with this method - it can be used to make far more than one cup/mug/AP-full as, after plunging the French press, only the fines are caught in the AP filter, so it only holds back a smallish amount of coffee that needs to be pushed through with the Aeropress plunger. The long steep allows a certain amount of checking & reduction in trial & error - I tasted the brew a few times (an option too with the Nick Cho CCD/permanent filter method, where lifting out the grounds prior to draw down kills extraction) & plunged at 6min when I couldn't pick up any "undery" flavours, then into the Aeropress...I have to say I was surprisingly pleased with the result! I don't think the cheap grinder is likely to allow more focussed flavours & will likely be more homogenous, but this was a pretty good cup (in the wider picture of home brewed coffee). I'll probably keep doing this with FP brews and my other grinders (determined to use the Krups this weekend...just to see what it is really capable of).

I had previously tried French press filtered through a regular cone...might work for you if you like your coffee lukewarm!


----------



## tribs (Feb 21, 2012)

I agree with Andy re the AP and porlex, but I'd also say that it is possible to make good coffee with even a blade grinder and a French Press. I use a Krups blade and FP at work when sharing coffee with my colleagues. I'd say the trick is to err on the side of coarse and give a long-ish steep time, I aim for 6 mins, but I pour a little to check, and I don't worry much if I leave it 10 mins or more. You are not going to get the finer aromatics and flavours, but it's usually pretty darn tasty and a damn sight better than instant or pre-ground IMO.

I actually prefer a coarse blade grind for FP than a coarse porlex grind. Although on a coarse grind with the blade you get some large chunks, sometimes even whole beans, IMO that is preferrable to the porlex on a coarse setting which produces way more (what I call) ultra fines.


----------



## AndyL (Apr 10, 2011)

I would definitely go coarse...ish with the aeropress and use the Able 'coarse' stainless steel filter.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

I thought I'd give the Aeropress a go - no press (used like a filter cone), Krups grind control set to 12o'clock, 15-16g of grinds, 62g/l, slow pour to sink the grounds, just over 7 min drain from fill up. For one cup, no fuss, minimal technique on a crappy grinder this yeilds startlingly good results! Clear, garnet coloured, juicy brews...with one coffee that's been giving me the runaround (as pour-over with a Lido), this was the best brew to date! :-o For larger brews I'd probably go with French press filtered through the AP, but if someone asked me how to go about starting out with good brewed coffee at home (without silt), this would be my "go to" method.


----------



## Earlepap (Jan 8, 2012)

MWJB said:


> Krups grind control set to 12o'clock


What kind of grind size does this produce?


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Well, the Krups always makes some powder, but I've just whizzed some beans through it & compared to a Porlex at 9 clicks & they're kind of ball park on the larger particles, Porlex at 9 is perhaps a shade coarser & more consistent, grounds feel sharper.


----------



## tribs (Feb 21, 2012)

tribs said:


> You are not going to get the finer aromatics and flavours, but it's usually pretty darn tasty and a damn sight better than instant or pre-ground IMO.
> 
> I actually prefer a coarse blade grind for FP than a coarse porlex grind. Although on a coarse grind with the blade you get some large chunks, sometimes even whole beans, IMO that is preferrable to the porlex on a coarse setting which produces way more (what I call) ultra fines.


Just to illustrate this point I am enjoying my best brew with the IMM 205 Guatemalan El Bosque Red Bourbon from this method. 21 grams, 5 secs in the blade grinder then a few pulses to break the larger chunks. Preheat FP and then add grinds, bloom for 30-40 secs with water 40 secs off boil. Click kettle back on for 1 second and leave to cool during bloom. add rest of water to approx 350ml. Push grinds just below the surface. Steep for 6 mins. Pour a little off and taste. Perfect! Plunge and pour.

Chocolate and dark fruit on the nose. Nice burble of acidity. Good body (obviously







). Dark choc on the finish.


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

MWJB said:


> I'm going to be trying out Nick Cho's CCD & Swissgold KF4 trick too, but this strikes me as a pricey route (though the CCD as it stands is a reliable, relatively fuss free brewer). QUOTE]
> 
> Been doing a few brews with this method at work. Because I usually make for 3-4 I have been making a concentrate (along the lines of Sweetmarias Tom Owen's CCD method) then diluting down - 42g of grinds (fine drip, almost in coarse espresso range but not quite) for 600g final beverage.
> 
> ...


----------

