Brewing Temperatures

Have you ever had an incredible cup of coffee at Chazzano Coffee Roasters, brought some beans home or to the office, opened the coffee bag, were astounded by the fantastic fragrance, ground it fresh, brewed it, and...it wasn't as fantastic as the coffee that you had at the cafe? Well, it could be your brewing temperature.

French press, drip, pourover, and vacuum syphon must all be brewed within the sweet spot of coffee brewing, between 195-205 degrees fahrenheit. If it's below 195 degrees, you will experience an under-extracted brew, and above 205 (near boiling), you'll experience an over-extracted brew.

Here are some hints to brew the best cup of coffee. For french press coffee, boil water and wait 30 seconds for the temperature to reach 200-205 degrees. For the usual cheap drip brewers, use this secret method. After you place the ground coffee in the brew basket, fully wet the grounds in the basket with hot water. This trick will help the coffee "bloom" and begin the flavor extraction process. When you turn the machine on and brew the coffee, the grounds will already have a head start. This will mitigate the usual lower brewing temperatures that make drip brewers my least favorite method of coffee brewing. In addition, make sure that the coffee is finely ground for the drip brewer.

Finally, enjoy the process. Enjoy life. Drink fantastic coffee.

Technivorm Moccamaster CD coffee maker

As I have stated before, the french press or press pot is the easiest, cheapest, and simplest way to brew incredible coffee. However, a month ago, I purchased my first Technivorm coffee maker. I have no faith in the majority of drip brewers because they are notorious for low temperatures that cause an under-extraction of the coffee and a loss of the many flavors that specialty coffee offers. Technivorm brews the coffee at temperatures of 195-200 and even soaks the grinds like a french press. If you regularly drink great fresh roasted coffee, this is one of only a few machines made for perfect coffee.