The Basics 

Obviously the most important ingredient to great coffee is the coffee bean itself. It should be of the finest quality, responsibly sourced,  then roasted to perfection and blended for the perfect taste.

 

Key to getting the best coffee from those beans is all about extraction and getting all the good flavours out of the bean and into a cup.

 

Getting the whole process right is the difference between a bitter, flavourless coffee and a perfect one. The methods can differ according to the type of coffee being made, inappropriate methods can really impact on the resulting taste. For example, as a basic rule, the longer the coffee is in contact with the hot water, the courser the grind should be. Furthermore under-extracted coffee grounds produce a sour, acidic and salty coffee. Over-extracted grounds can produce a bitter, flavourless cup.

 

Here is a brief outline of the various coffee extraction techniques needed for each type of coffee:

 

Espresso

 

The word espresso derives from the fact that the coffee is extracted from the gounds under pressure. This is usually achieved with an espresso machine (as seen in any high street coffee shop or restaurant), although very acceptable results can be achieved with a stovetop  or  Moka pot. The combination of the correct water temperature, the right grind size (much more finely than for cafetiere or drip) and the correct pressure of 9 bars / 130.5psi, culminate in the characteristic espresso shot, being the rich, concentrated coffee with the “crema”  rich creamy head.

 

An espresso can be taken neat or diluted with water to make an Americano or milk (heated and textured) to make all the variations we are familiar with: Latte, Cappuccino, Machiatto, Latte Machiatto etc.

 

Filter / Drip Coffee

 

Filter coffee is made by putting ground coffee beans into a filter and then pouring hot water over the top. This can be done manually or with a machine. The grind is fine, but not as fine as an espresso as the water passes through more slowly.  A lot of oils within the ground coffee are removed by a paper filter and this should result in a clean and refreshing cup of coffee.

 

Cafetiere / French Press

 

This works by soaking the grounds in a pot of hot water using much more coarsely ground beans then a plunger separates the grounds from the extracted coffee. The resulting coffee may have a darker, heavier taste than filter coffee.

 

We can supply everything you need to make great coffee, including the raw ingredients, machines to make your coffee , access to our in-house barista, Roger giving you the expertise to produce the perfect cup of coffee every time!

 

“It’s all in the grind...”