Everything about coffee

Speciality Coffee is currently on everyone's lips, but have you ever wondered what makes this coffee so special? Facts first: A coffee can be labeled as a Speciality Coffee if it achieves at least 80 out of 100 points in an assessment by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The decisive evaluation criterion is the taste, which must convince through unique flavor notes. This requires not only excellent and carefully processed beans, but also optimal roasting and the right grind. Our Winter Rendezvous filter coffee can also proudly boast this designation.

Why is the grind of a coffee bean important and what effect does it have on the coffee taste? Here you will find the small ABC of coffee grinding, with which you can score points at the next party (at least with coffee lovers). First of all, the basics: The grind depends on your chosen brewing method – everyone has probably heard that before.

• fine >> espresso machines
• medium >> filter coffee
• coarse >> French Press

The finer the grind, the shorter the contact time with the water. The grind and the contact time with the water therefore have a reciprocal influence on each other. If the grind is too fine for the selected preparation method, the coffee will quickly taste bitter and extremely strong. If, on the other hand, it is too coarse, the coffee tastes rather sour and watery. You want to know why exactly this is the case? Then here comes the next technical term: extraction. Extraction, or the extraction of the ingredients and aromas during the brewing process, is the crucial process in any coffee preparation. According to the SCAE (Specialty Coffee Association of Europe), the optimum extraction range is between 18-22%.

The roasting determines the coffee's development, i.e. whether it is later drunk as espresso or rather as filter coffee. Espresso beans are usually roasted longer and are consequently darker. As a result, they contain fewer acids, because these are broken down in the roasting process and the familiar strong, voluminous taste of espresso is created. Beans for filter coffee machines are roasted for a shorter time and are therefore less dark. This creates the harmonious flavor profile of filter coffee, as the flavors can develop better.

This is it: The Chemex – A handheld brewer, invented in Germany with some peculiarities.
Point 1: The standard, pre-folded, cone-shaped filter is not used here. Instead, you need the special slightly thicker Chemex filter paper, which you then fold into an elongated cone (but don't worry, it's super easy!).
Point 2: The apparatus itself is also special, because the cup and brewer are one part instead of two separate parts.

Quantities For half a liter of coffee: 30g of the freshly ground coffee you trust. Grind: medium-coarse 500g (filtered) water Brewing time: 2:30 - 3:00 min

And this is how it works: 1. Let's start simple with boiling water.
2. Fold Chemex filter into a cone as instructed and place in carafe. Make sure that the three-ply side is on the spout side so that the filter cannot slip down later.
3. Rinse the paper with a good amount of boiling water (this will eliminate the paper taste) and then pour the water away through the spout.
4. Put the ground coffee into the filter and distribute it evenly by shaking it gently.
5. Now it's time to get professional: place your prepared brewing equipment on a scale and tare it.
6. Start a timer and pour 60g of water so that all the coffee is wet. Let your coffee bloom for 45s. If you feel that the coffee is not yet fully saturated, swirl it a bit.
7. Now comes the actual pouring: The goal is to pour in 60% of the water, i.e. 300g), by about 1:15-1:30 on the timer. To do this, pour the water in concentric circles to cover the entire coffee bed. A good balance is needed here: the coffee should be stirred sufficiently to ensure that everything participates in the infusion process. But there should be no channel through which the water can slip without hitting all the coffee.
8. Now this probably sounds more complicated than it is, but don't worry - learning by doing!
**Your funnel is probably relatively full now. From now on, add water only in small, controlled pours that continue to be circular. Between 2:00-2:30 on the timer, the full 500g of water should have made it into the filter.
10. To knock the coffee off the edges and create a level coffee bed, you can now gently swirl the Chemex again. This allows the remaining water to drain off until it is finally completely drained. This can take up to 5 minutes.
**Last but not least, remove the filter and enjoy your exquisite, freshly brewed coffee.
Pro Tip: At Christmastime, a Elisen-Lebkuchen goes perfectly with this.

Keep it simple – use a French Press. Brewing with a French Press is one of the simplest ways to enjoy coffee. As the name suggests, this method originated in France, where it was invented around 1850. It is very popular because you don't need any other accessories, such as a coffee filter, which makes this method particularly environmentally friendly. We'll show you below how you can take your French Press coffee experience to the next level, because it's actually a little more than just putting coffee in, pouring water on, and pressing down.

Quantities: For half a liter of coffee: 31g of the freshly ground coffee you trust. Grind: coarse 500g (filtered) water Brewing time: 4:00 min

And this is how it works: 1. Let's start simple again: bring water to boil and then let it cool for 30-40s (water temperature about 92 degrees).
2. Secret Barista Tip: Pour the glass jug once briefly with hot water, so that the glass warms up and so temperature fluctuations are avoided.
3. Pour the water now evenly half into the French Press. Then stir briefly with a wooden spoon so that all the coffee powder is wetted with water. Then pour the remaining amount of water.
4. Timer time. Aim for a brewing time of 4 minutes. If you let the coffee brew longer, it will become slightly bitter, and we don't want that.
5. Just before the 4 minutes are up, you can break the coffee crust. To do this, stir the layer of coffee powder floating on top with a spoon and press it down a little. This causes the powder to sink to the bottom of the jug before the sieving process and the coffee is filtered more thoroughly and thus tastes "clean" and better.
6. Once the 4 minutes are up, press down slowly, evenly and not too hard.
7. Now don't let the coffee stand for too long in the French Press, otherwise further extraction may occur. Therefore, it is best to serve the coffee directly or transfer it to another pot.
Pro Tip During the Christmas season, the coffee is best enjoyed with a juicy Elisen Lebkuchen.