How to Make Great Coffee at Home

Welcome to our brewing methods section. Here we talk about some of the different ways to make your coffee at home. Most the brewing items and their supplies are available for purchase in our retail locations.

We want to hear from you! If you have any suggestions or comments about how you make your best cup of coffee, send us a message using our online comment form.

MANUAL DRIP BREWING
The manual drip brewing process produces consistently superior coffee. The extraction method is quick and the true coffee flavors are brought to perfection. With this type of brewing you can use either paper filters (oxygen-bleached are best) or reusable gold filters.

Grind - What type of filter are you using?

•	Paper Filter? Then your grind should be fine. (Approximately 18-23 seconds in a blade grinder until the coffee is the texture of granulated sugar.)
•	Reusable Gold Filter? Then you need a medium-fine grind. (Approximately 13-18 seconds in a blade grinder.)

Directions

•	Put one tablespoon of coffee in the filter for each five-ounce cup and place it on top of an insulated coffee carafe.
•	Moisten the grounds with a little water (just off the boil), making sure they are evenly damp. Wait five seconds, and add the rest of hot water, allowing it to fill to the top. (Note: For best flavor, let the grounds completely coat the sides of the filter, not settle into the middle.)
•	Remove the filter, stir your coffee, and enjoy!

AUTO DRIP
There are two types of auto drip machines available: the cone-shaped filter and the flat-bottom filter design. The cone-shape design is similar to the manual drip method except it's controlled electronically. Both brewing methods are easy, and may include extras such as automatic timer, thermal carafe, etc. The cone-shape filter calls for a finer grind and delivers slighter stronger flavor and better body than the flat-bottom design.

Grind - What kind of filter are you using?
Cone filter? Then your grind should be fine (Approximately 18-23 seconds in a blade grinder).
Flat-bottom filter? Then your grind should be medium. (Approximately 10-15 seconds in a blade grinder until the coffee has the texture of coarse sand.)

Directions

•	Fill the coffee maker with cold water.
•	Place the filter into the basket, add one tablespoon of coffee for each six-ounce cup.
•	Place coffee and filter into the holder, close the lid, and turn on.

COFFEE PRESS
This popular method uses a cylindrical glass carafe and a stainless steel mesh filter to separate the coffee grounds from the water. The grounds stay at the bottom and the strained coffee stays above the filter, ready to pour. A coffee press is excellent for highlighting darker roasts and blends. However, expect some sediment to pass through the filter into your cup; giving the brew a slightly fuller texture. This method brews cooler, so be sure to preheat your plunger pot first with hot water.

Tip: A coffee press is also a great way to prepare and serve loose tea!

Grind: Coarse. (Approximately 5-10 seconds in a blade grinder.)

Directions

•	Preheat pot and plunger with hot water.
•	Add one tablespoon coffee for each five-ounce cup into the glass cylinder.
•	Pour in water just off the boil and stir the grounds.
•	Set the plunger on top of the cylinder (don't press down on the plunger yet!) and steep four minutes.
•	Press the plunger down slowly (Note: if the plunger does not press down easily, try a slightly coarser grind.)
•	Allow sediment to settle for 30 seconds before pouring.