COFFEE MAKING MASTERCLASS
Bryan Serwatka of small batch specialty coffee roastery Volcano Coffee Works (volcanocoffeeworks.com) advises on making great coffee at home.
Buy a grinder This is your most important tool for making great, fresh coffee at home. The coarseness of your coffee grounds hugely affects how coffee is extracted in brewing, so consistency is key. Burr grinders, which consist of two revolving abrasive surfaces ( burrs) between which the coffee is ground a few beans at a time, are preferable to blade grinders (which have a blade in the centre like a propeller) as the beans are ground more evenly and you have more control of the grind. Most hand-grinders have adjustable grind sizes and, although they require a bit of elbow grease, the results are remarkably superior to basic electric blade grinders. Recommended handgrinder makers: HARIO ( FROM £40, hario.co.uk); RHINOWARES (£ 45, bearandbear.com); KNOCK ( FROM £120, madebyknock.com). Electric burr grinder: BARATZA ( ENCORE, £149, coffeehit.co.uk). Source fresh coffee If you’re investing in brewing and grinding kit, then sourcing freshly roasted coffee beans is essential. Coffee is best within one month of the day it was roasted, so
keep an eye out for the roast date. ( FROM £ 6 FOR 250G, volcanocoffeeworks. com)
Choose your brewing method These are the three main home brewing methods available in the speciality market, in order of brew strength per device. 1. CHEMEX, FROM
£37 Works by ‘pour over’ brewing. A filter is placed in the top and water is poured over the coffee to brew it. This brings out the aroma and the delicate nuances of the coffee. If you like your coffee on the lighter, cleaner side then this is the method for you. (hasbean. co.uk) 2. THE V60, CERAMIC COFFEE DRIPPER, £25
Another ‘pour over’ brewer, and the industry standard for most speciality coffee bars. It brings out more intensity than a Chemex, and draws out more sweetness and balance as a result. (hario.co.uk) 3. THE AEROPRESS, £28 Looking like a big coffee syringe, coffee is brewed in the chamber, then the barista serves it by pressing the coffee through a filter. The added pressure brings out more body and coffee’s natural oils. A class of its own. (aeropress.co.uk)