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diff --git a/wired/how-to-coffee.txt b/wired/how-to-coffee.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e736d51 --- /dev/null +++ b/wired/how-to-coffee.txt @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +Many of us are sheltering in place, which probably means forgoing that morning trip to the coffee shop. Fear not though, it's possible to make coffee house quality coffee in your own kitchen. + +Engineering a better cup of coffee isn't difficult. First though, you need to know what "better" means to you. There is no single "right" cup of coffee, there's just the best version of what you love. Do you love your coffee rich and dark, thick enough to stand a spoon in as my grandfather used to say? Or do you prefer something brighter, more of a medium roast that doesn't overwhelm you with bitterness? Or perhaps you prefer a light coffee with some cream and sugar. + +Once you figure out what you like, then you can start to improve it until you hit on a home brewed cup of coffee you love more than anything the local coffee shop has to offer. And make no mistake, I still spend my days at the coffee shop, working and enjoying coffee I did not make. Or at least I did, and I hope to again, but I also know that if coffee shops for some reason disappear from the world tomorrow, I can still enjoy a great cup of coffee at home. + +###The Daily Grind + +When it comes to food, the better your ingredients the better your meals. The same is true of coffee. You have to start with good beans. That doesn't mean you need to spend a fortune on rare beans that have been crapped out by a civet (yes, that's a thing), but it does mean that this is the place to start if you want to brew a better cup at home. + +I'll start with the most obvious upgrade: nothing will improve your coffee experience more than switching from pre-ground coffee to whole bean coffee you grind yourself shortly before making it. + +The flavor (and caffeine boost) of coffee comes from the oils inside the bean. Once that bean is ground up those oils begin to break down. Ground coffee generally has a shelf life of less than a week. In most cases the ground coffee you see in the supermarket will have been on the shelf far longer than that. This is why I suggest you buy whole bean coffee and grind it yourself. + +I know what you're thinking, that's a pain. But it's really not. Good coffee grinders make it totally painless and fast. I like to hand grind because I enjoy the process of it—I use the Hario Skerton Pro ([$50 Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXJI90S/?tag=w050b-20){: rel=nofollow}, [$54 World Market](https://fave.co/2VBLfX5){: rel=nofollow}). My wife is considerably more pragmatic and uses Oxo's Brew Electric Grinder ([$100 Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/OXO-BREW-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B07CSKGLMM){: rel=nofollow}, [$100 Williams Sonoma](https://fave.co/3bfrlrw){: rel=nofollow}) which will spit out freshly ground coffee in about 20 seconds. Do you have 20 extra seconds in the morning to radically improve your morning coffee? Yes, you do. + +###Upgrade Your Beans + +Now that you have a nice grinder to freshly grind your coffee, which beans should you buy? This again becomes a matter of personal taste. If you like lighter, brighter coffee you'll want to go with light or medium roast coffee. If you like things darker and richer, go with a dark roast. + +Whole bean coffee stored in a cool dry place will last up to a month. At least that's what coffee purists will tell you. Personally, I buy in bulk every two months and I can't tell any difference between the end of the old beans and the fresh new beans. I do, however, buy from a local supplier to ensure that the beans are as fresh as possible ([Jittery Joe's Roasting Company](https://jitteryjoes.com/) in Athens GA). + +That said, I have enjoyed beans from [Grounds and Hounds](https://groundsandhoundscoffee.com/), [Atlas Coffee Club](https://atlascoffeeclub.com/), and other online coffee companies as well. If you're unsure what you like, try a subscription service that sends new beans every few weeks. + +[Blue Bottle Coffee](https://fave.co/2WAOo9P){: rel=nofollow} has subscriptions that make a great gift. The aforementioned [Atlas Coffee Club](https://atlascoffeeclub.com/collections/coffee-subscription-service){: rel=nofollow} also brings a different variety of freshly roasted beans to your door every month. Another fun one is [Angel's Cup](https://angelscup.com/subscribe){: rel=nofollow}, which sends samples in unmarked bags for unbiased, blind taste testing. + +Once you've settled on a type of bean you like, I suggest then trying to find it in an ecologically friendly dealer. The best bet for this is shade grown coffee. Unfortunately this term by itself means nothing, it's just marketing. After considerable research, the certification that seems to have the best guarantee your coffee is both organic and shade-grown in an ecologically-friendly manner is the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's [Bird-Friendly Certified](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/where-buy-bird-friendly-coffee) stamp. + +###Brew Better + +We have a good grinder, we have good beans, now how do you produce a reliably good cup of coffee every time you brew? This is the fun part—you experiment until you get it the way you love it. + +If you want to have reproducible results, make sure you weigh out your beans and water using a good scale like the [Apexstone](https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Scale-Waterproof-Scales-Espresso/dp/B07JG1PXLC/?tag=w050b-20){: rel=nofollow} scale with timer so you can track your pour-over pace, and take notes. It may sound nerdy, and it is, but after experimenting for a few days you'll likely find something you love, and if you have notes, then you'll know how to make your perfect cup of coffee every time—no matter where you are. + +While experimentation is fun, here are a few suggestions to get you headed in (hopefully) the right direction. You can use nearly any brewer to brew any cup of coffee, but, that said, some brewing methods lend themselves better to different types of coffee. + +* Dark Coffee lovers: My fellow dark, rich coffee lovers will likely enjoy brewing using a Mokapot. My favorite is the Primula, [$25 Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Primula-Stainless-Steel-Espresso-Maker/dp/B00263JWD0/?tag=w050b-20){: rel=nofollow}, [$25 Walmart](https://goto.walmart.com/c/1305164/565706/9383?subId1=bettercoffeeguide&veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FPrimula-6-Cup-Stainless-Steel-Stovetop-Espresso-Coffee-Maker-Percolator-Coffee-Pot%2F36061000){: rel=nofollow}. It's simple to use, produces consistent results, and is the closest thing to espresso you'll get without investing in an espresso machine. If you do want to enjoy good espresso at home, be sure to check out our [guide to the best espresso machines](https://www.wired.com/story/best-latte-and-cappuccino-machines/), as well as our guide to the [best portable espresso machines](https://www.wired.com/story/best-portable-espresso-makers/). + +* Medium Roast perfection: If you like a clean, bright medium to light roast coffee I highly suggest trying pour-over brewing. The most popular pour-over is the Chemex ([$48 Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Chemex-6-Cup-Classic-Glass-Coffee/dp/B0000YWF5E/?tag=w050b-20){: rel=nofollow}), but I find it fragile and the filters are expensive. It does produce a great, clean up of coffee though. Another good option is Bodum's pour-over coffee maker ([$56 Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-11682-109-Double-Coffee-Ounces/dp/B06VYHSYJX/?tag=w050b-20){: rel=nofollow}), which uses a re-usable stainless steel filter. + +* Light and refreshing: Those looking for a light brew would be well served by the Aeropress, which excels at extracting the subtlety and depth of even the lightest coffee roasts. We really like the newer [Aeropress Go](https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Portable-Travel-Coffee-Press/dp/B07YVL8SF3/?tag=w050b-20){: rel=nofollow}, which is slightly more compact. + +###In Praise of the Drip Brewer + +I love a great cup of coffee, but I don't always want to spend the extra time and effort to make a pour-over, or pull a shot of espresso from my favorite Flair espresso hand press ([$239 Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Flair-Espresso-Maker-Manual-Press/dp/B07VW5YGSC/?tag=w050b-20){: rel=nofollow}), or even use an Aeropress. + +Sometimes I want my coffee and [I want it now](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diSp3fHKw44). For those times nothing beats a good, programmable drip brewer that's already made coffee a couple minutes before you even get to the kitchen. We enjoy Mr. Coffee brewers, they're inexpensive, but get the job done. This [$30 model](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MLB2S6?tag=w050b-20){: rel=nofollow}) includes a timer function which can be set to brew your coffee up to 24 hours in advance. |