If you’re anywhere in Southeastern North Carolina, you probably aren’t far from a Port City Java. Between our comfortable cafés, convenient drive-thru windows, and friendly baristas, making a trip to your favorite PCJ is a treat in and of itself. Sometimes, however, your morning coffee is best served at home. It’s cold and SNOWY, or you’re having breakfast-in-bed, or you’re busy battening down the hatches thanks to the latest hurricane or ice storm. Never fear—as long as you keep our locally roasted coffee on hand, your morning coffee tradition will remain intact.
While hitting “start” on your automatic coffee maker will get the job done, there’s no reason to limit your coffee brewing experience to one method. Brewing at home is an art, and there are many ways to craft that perfect cup. Here’s a primer on some of our favorite techniques.
French Press
A great electric-free option for campfires and hurricanes, the French press is a classic and easy method for brewing at home. Place coarsely ground coffee in the empty beaker, add very hot water, cover, and let brew for about four minutes. When the coffee is ready, press the plunger down to separate the grounds from the coffee and hold them at the bottom of the beaker. Pour, and enjoy!
YOU WILL NEED
Coffee
Grinder
Tablespoon or Scale
Liquid Measuring Cup
Clean Filtered Water
French Press Pot
Kettle or Tea Pot
Timer
The French Press has blessed many kitchen countertops since 1929, and it has remained popular due to its ease of use and heavier cup profile. Since the French Press doesn’t use a paper filter, we experience a higher concentration of oils and grind fines in the cup. A good cup of French Press displays a more rounded sweetness backed by a satisfying mouthfeel and body.
1. Bring to a boil enough water for your French press. For a 32-oz. press, you’ll need about 800 grams.
2. Weigh out 2 ounces (56 grams or about 8 level tablespoons) of whole beans.
3. Grind the coffee to a coarse consistency. Your particle size should resemble kosher salt.
4. Rinse your French press with hot water. This preheats the glass and keeps a steady temperature while brewing. Discard the rinse water and add the freshly ground coffee to the pot.
5. Place the French Press pot on your digital scale and tare to 0 grams.
6. Start your timer. Wet the grinds and allow to bloom for 30 seconds.
7. Gently pour the remaining water over the grounds until you reach 20 ounces (800 grams), filling the French Press to just below the bottom of the pour spout. Make sure the grounds are fully saturated with no dry pockets in the bottom of the pot.
8. After about one minute, a crust will form on the surface of your pot. Give a gentle stir to immerse these grounds into the rest of the brew. Add the top back to the pot to keep the heat in.
9. After 4 minutes, insert the plunger screen into the French Press chamber and slowly press down using gentle pressure. If there is resistance when pressing, your grind may be too fine. The sweet spot, pressure-wise, is 15-20 pounds. Not sure what this feels like? Try it out on your bathroom scale.
Pour-Over Coffee
A time-tested technique that was first developed in Japan, pour-over coffee is exactly what it sounds like. Coffee is brewed by pouring a slow, steady stream of water over the grounds. The resulting coffee is fresher and there’s less waste, as you only brew exactly what you need. Creating a cup that is impeccably aromatic and flavorful is an art, so don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time. Practice makes perfect!
YOU WILL NEED
Coffee
Grinder
Tablespoon or Scale
Liquid Measuring Cup
Clean Filtered Water
Hario V60 Brewer
Hario V60 Filters
Kettle or Tea Pot
Timer
The V60 has similarities to other brewing methods, but differences in design make it a unique method all its own. Constructed with raised, spiraled ribs and a wide aperture that allows coffee to pass evenly through the paper filter, the V60 brews quickly and makes a nuanced, balanced cup.
1. Place your V60 cone on top of the brewing vessel (mug or small glass pitcher). Open a V60 paper filter and place within the V60 cone. Fill your kettle with boiling water and rinse the filter out. This will preheat your vessel and flush any paper-like flavors from the filter. Discard the water and place the V60 and filter back onto your vessel.
2. Weigh out 30 grams of coffee, about two rounded tablespoons, of whole beans. Grind your coffee on a medium or drip-brew setting.
3. Add the just-ground coffee into the paper filter, and give a gentle shake to even out the grounds. Then, place your V60 and mug onto your digital scale and tare to ‘0 grams.’
4. Slowly pour your freshly boiled water into the center of the grounds until your scale reads ‘45 grams’ (1 liquid ounce). Let stand for 30 seconds, allowing the dry coffee to absorb the water. This pre-saturation is called a ‘bloom,’ and the goal is to fully saturate the coffee grounds without any water dripping through the filter.
5. Following the bloom, use your pouring kettle to slowly pour a steady, even stream of hot water over the grounds. Aim for the center of the cone, without pouring onto the paper filter itself. Keep the water level within the cone at about two-thirds full. Continue slowly pouring at the center until your digital scale has reached 415 grams. Quick Note: Shoot for a target brewing duration of 3:00 minutes. If your brew finishes quicker than 3:00, then your grind setting is too coarse. If takes longer than 3:00, then your grind setting is too fine. Adjust accordingly.
6. Once the brew has completely passed through the V60 filter and into your drinking vessel, remove the cone and enjoy.
Chemex
The Chemex also employs the pour-over method, but with a twist. Thanks to an all-glass decanter that doesn’t absorb odors or chemical residue, the coffee you serve is considered more pristine. And the filters, also made by Chemex, cause the water to flow more slowly through the grounds, which means the art of a perfect cup isn’t as dependent on the person doing the pouring. (Good news for the impatient among us.)
YOU WILL NEED
Coffee
Grinder
Tablespoon or Scale
Liquid Measuring Cup
Clean Filtered Water
Chemex Carafe (40 oz)
Chemex Filters
Kettle or Tea Pot
Timer
1. Fill your kettle and set to boil. You will need approximately 32 oz of water—24 oz for brewing and about ¾ cup for priming the filter.
2. Grind 1.73 ounces (49 grams or 7 Tablespoons) of coffee to a coarse finish similar to kosher salt.
3. Place one filter into the top compartment of the Chemex. If you’re using a square filter, make sure the 3-layered side is facing the spout.
4. Wet the filter with hot water to seal it and rinse out the paper taste. This also preheats your Chemex.
5. Discard your rinse water and add your ground coffee. In doing so, do not remove the filter from the Chemex.
6. Start your timer and pour just enough water to saturate your grounds. If the water drips through, you have used too much water. Water temperature should be right around 205 degrees F or about 30 seconds off a boil. Let the coffee bloom for about 30 seconds.
7. Add remaining water in stages (3.50 ounces, 100g or around ½ cup at a time) until you reach 24 ounces (680 grams) of water. Over 4 stages (around 1 minute each) of pouring 5.10 ounces (170 grams) of water each while allowing for a steady drip of water without overflowing the grounds in the filter. Concentrate your pour towards the center of the Chemex, working your way outwards in a circular motion.
8. Remove your filter when the coffee reaches the glass button on the Chemex which should be between four and five minutes of brewing time. Remove the filter and enjoy your coffee!
Whether you make your coffee at home, or treat yourself to a handcrafted beverage in a Port City Java café, the most important thing is that your coffee is served just the way you like it. Experiment with any of the above methods, and discover which technique works best for you. Happy brewing!
The post Make Port City Java Coffee at Home with these Brewing Methods! appeared first on Port City Java.