Brewing Filter Coffee

The perfect pot of coffee is no accident. By using the following tips, anyone, from restaurateur to the home coffee aficionado can achieve coffeehouse quality brews.

Always Use Fresh Coffee

While coffee will never go “bad” in the way other perishable foods will, coffee’s flavors and aromas will fade as it ages. The best way to keep coffee is in an airtight container in a cool place, not in the fridge or freezer, as cold temperatures will dry out the flavor oils and the coffee may pick-up unwanted odors. For best results, use coffee within one week of opening its package.

Grind Coffee Fresh BeforeBrewing

Pre-ground coffee that is not sealed in a nitrogen-flushed package exposes all of the bean to oxygen, which causes rapid staling. Whole bean coffee could be compared to a loaf of bread, while ground coffee is like bread crumbs that quickly dry out and stale.

Use Cold, Fresh Water

Do not use mineral water. The minerals will coat the heating element of the coffee brewer and eventually ruin the machine. Neither should you use distilled water, as some mineral content is required for proper flavor extraction. If using a machine with a water reservoir, run water through the machine before brewing the first pot of the day to get old water out.

Keep Your Machine & Pot Clean

For home use, coffee brewing equipment should be thoroughly washed in warm soapy water and carefully rinsed to remove any soap residue. For commercial equipment, we recommend using Squeaky Kleen or an alternative cleaner or light solvent specific to coffee equipment.

Use Enough Coffee

The minimum coffee to water ratio is 7 g of coffee per 6 fl oz, though many coffee lovers prefer a ratio of 10 g to 6 fl oz of water. In a commercial machine, 71 grams of ground coffee to 64 fluid ounces of water is the standard brewing ratio. Using too much coffee is rarely concern, while using too little causes coffee to be “overextracted”, resulting in bitter flavor. If the flavor is too strong, add hot water after brewing. In this way, you will dilute “good” flavor rather than over-extracting and adding a bitter taste to your coffee.

Discard Brewed Coffee Once Stale

If using a glass pot machine with a burner, the coffee will only be good for a maximum of one half hour (20 minutes is recommended). After that, the burner will have cooked off the flavors of the coffee and it will start to taste thick and muddy. If using a thermos, the coffee will only stay fresh for a maximum of an hour. Do not judge freshness by temperature. Coffee that is still hot will not necessarily be fresh

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Use Clean Brewing Equipment

Forget the old barista superstition about cleaning your porta-filters. Be sure to clean your brewing equipment throughout the day to maintain consistency and quality of espresso beverages. Pay special attention to the filter in the porta-filters.

The Grind

Grind espresso immediately before pulling each shot. The espresso grind is very fine which speeds up the staling process. Ground espresso coffee in an unsealed container will stale in a matter of minutes. Stale grounds will result in poor flavor and weak crema. Check to ensure that your ground espresso has the right consistency. It should be close in texture to powdered sugar. To test the grind, pinch a small amount of grounds and roll between two fingers—it should form a ball as you roll it.

The Dose

Using a single size porta filter, dose 7-8 grams of fresh espresso. Using a double size porta-filter, dose 16-17 grams of fresh espresso.

The Tamp

Once your espresso has been ground and dosed, use tamp to compact the dose in the porta-filter using a force of 40 p.si. It is difficult to gauge pressure without a scale, so as a rough guide, the coffee should be flat and smooth, but not compacted. If the coffee is tamped too hard, the machine will struggle and it will take a long time for the coffee to begin pouring and it will pour in a drip rather than forming a thin stream. Place your tamp on the espresso and lightly twist it to polish the espresso. This will help the pressurized water to flow evenly through the grounds. Your packed espresso will have clean, smooth finish with no pits. Once you have achieved the perfect pack, insert the porta-filter into the group head.

Timing

It should take between 18 and 23 seconds for a perfect shot of espresso (long, about 40 ml or 1.35 fl oz). A short espresso is typically about half the volume of a long espresso. Timing will depend on water mineral content and pressure, the dose, the grind, the packing force, the model and condition of your equipment, and the water pressure. Faster extractions produce thinner espresso and high acidity. Long extractions are characterized by thick, tiger-striped crema.

Crema

Crema is a golden foam made up of oil and colloids that floats atop the surface of a perfectly brewed espresso. While crema is the most visible sign of a proper brewing, a thicker crema doesn’t necessarily equal a “better” espresso.