In search of coffee maker perfection

I’ve been trying to decide if coffee brings out the perfectionist in me, or whether it’s the combination of the pandemic and too many cups of the caffeinated stuff has heightened my anxiety.

You see, there’s a distinctive noise that my Wilfa Svart coffee grinder makes

when it runs out of beans, signalling to me that the coffee is ground and ready to brew.

My husband, however, likes to load it with beans, and then leave some in it, unground. It’s this haphazard bean abandonment that’s making me a little bit twitchy.

The perfect cup of coffee is all about measurement. Weighing (yes, weighing) the beans to get the perfect serve, honing the grind and measuring the right amount of water into the coffee maker. For perfectionists, this is nirvana. Every. Single. Stage. Must. Be. Right.

Failure in any one of these critical steps can lead to, well, a less than perfect cup of coffee.

But I’ve never been one for following rules so the coffee grinding twitchiness is a new sensation. The Wilfa is not my first grinder. My first was, I’m slightly ashamed to admit, a cheap cylindrical object I bought on Amazon and gifted to the aforementioned husband for Christmas. What’s his is mine, right?

It was fun while it lasted. The grinder, not the husband. The blades eventually carved a considerable groove in the metal casing. Goodness knows how many tiny shards of tin we’ve consumed as a result. You are duly warned.

When it came to purchasing the next grinder, I was wiser. The beautiful Wilfa Svart came into my life just shortly afterwards with all its lovely burrs, buttons and bean hopper. It grinds for every type of coffee maker, from cafetieres to espresso machines, with some grind finessing options in between. Because, when it comes to making that perfect cup, a quality grind reigns supreme. You can have the very best espresso machine but, with a poor grinder, your brew will ultimately suffer.

For me, grinding is the whole fun of at home coffee making. You get to take the whole bean and grind it down to size, ready for extraction in whatever method you deem necessary. It’s what makes you the coffee chef. Master of the ingredients. Queen of the bean.

And, for those last-minute gift purchasers like myself, if you order quickly, you’ll get it in time for Christmas.

• Wilfa Svart Grinder: available online, priced from £89.

Coffee machines could make for a great Christmas gift this year – Tricia Fox reveals her expertise on the matter

Afamiliar face on our TV screens every weekend is Matt Tebbutt, presenter of the popular cooking show, Saturday Kitchen. And Tebbutt, 47, has a new cookbook out, Weekend, which was inspired by his television presenting, taking readers from Friday nights when you want “something tasty, but you don’t want to be too fussed with it”, through to brunches, big Sunday lunches, and puddings to impress guests.

A big fan of Asian cookery, he got plenty of practice with Chinese flavours during lockdown: “Lots of recipes in the book are incorporating a lot of those elements that I really missed in restaurants. Braised pork belly and soy, or dishes laden with coriander and chilli and limes.”

Still, he won’t be hanging up his Saturday Kitchen hat anytime soon: “I think it’s the best job in the world. So I’ll happily stay as long as I’m asked.”

Matt Tebbutt’s warm halloumi with watermelon, Parma ham and herbs

Chunks of cheese and bread make this a satisfying and simple lunch or brunch dish. “Some time ago I visited a halloumi producer in Cyprus,” says Tebbutt. “I was never a big fan of this cheese until then, but the producer showed me the best way to eat it – straight from the warm salted brine it sits in. It was a revelation, and the resulting texture is totally unlike the dry grilled stuff. It’ll change your life!”

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 250g (9oz) block good quality halloumi cheese, still in its packet

• 2 slices of stale crusty bread, torn into chunks

• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 thick slices of watermelon, cut into 8cm (3in) chunks

• 4 slices of Parma ham

• ½ small bunch of mint leaves

• 1 handful of basil leaves

• 1 handful of flatleaf parsley leaves

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil then add the halloumi, still in its plastic packet. Turn down the heat and let the cheese simmer for 20 minutes to warm through and soften. Remove from the water and allow to cool before opening.

2. While the halloumi is cooling, put the bread chunks in a bowl and drizzle over the sherry vinegar and two tablespoons of the olive oil. Allow to sit and soak for 10 minutes, then toss together. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the watermelon and season with salt and pepper.

3. Arrange the watermelon chunks on a serving dish, lay the ham slices on top, then scatter over the mint, basil and parsley. Open the packet of halloumi and drain off the liquid. Tear the halloumi into chunks and add to the salad to serve.

Weighing the beans makes all the difference when aiming for a perfect coffee.