Tag Archives: coffee brewer

Hario v60 Brew Method

The v60 is a staple in specialty coffee; it’s used at home, in coffee shops, at brewing competitions, and just about anywhere else that you find great coffee. It’s a fickle beast, not nearly as forgiving as the Chemex, and deceptively simple when you first try it out.

Brewing in the v60 takes time and practice, but once you get it down it’s really not difficult to throw together your morning cup of coffee. I talk about the highlights in the below video, but here are a few other things to keep in mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vndGMlvAs9s&feature=youtu.be

  • Use fresh beans – There’s nothing worse than going through the trouble of manually brewing coffee only to remember that you’re using month old stale beans. Freshly roasted coffee beans have a shelf life of about 2-3 weeks before they start losing the tastes that make them unique (read: go stale).
  • Grind your beans properly – You’re going to want to use a burr grinder set to a medium grind (also often called a drip grind). Too course and the water will fall straight through, too fine and you’ll be left wondering why it’s taking so long to brew while the water pools. To hit that sweet spot, try a few different grind settings hovering around medium to find what works best for you.
  • Bloom – Let your coffee breath. The bloom is critical and essential when doing any manual pour-over brew method, but I can’t stress its importance enough with the v60. I start with 60g of water and let the coffee bloom for 30-45sec. What’s a bloom? Basically, you’re letting the coffee grounds release the unwanted CO2 that’s trapped inside.
  • Coffee-to-water ratio – The brew method I use is 415g of water to 28g of coffee. There is an endless supply of brew methods online (here are a couple from Intelligentsia and Stumptown).
  • Don’t be afraid to play – Figure out what works for you, then run with it. If you don’t like the product that my recipe turns out for you, change the coffee-to-water ratio or the bloom time. Play with it until you get something you enjoy drinking.

Get brewing!

The Coffee Guy

You can buy the Hario v60 for about $16 on Amazon as of this writing. Now you have no excuse.

S1 Episode 4: Cold Brew

Episode 4 - Cold Brew

In this 4th installment of The BoiseCoffee Podcast I talk about cold brew coffee – what it is, how you make it, and why it’s suddenly become a cultural phenomenon this summer. For a quick guide on brewing, check out this post from earlier this summer.

I recommend using the Toddy Cold Brew system, available on Amazon here. Alternatively, you can use the French Press method or simply a mason jar with cheese cloth.

To read more about the $9 million that Bulletproof Coffee scored to launch their brick-and-mortar stores, check out this report from Fox.

The music used in this podcast is from the Free Music Archive. The songs are Strong Black Coffee by Jared Mees & The Grown Children and Loaded by The Losers.

Read my full review of Green Alert here, and support them on Kickstarter here.

Want to share your cold brew recipe or learn more about how to brew in a Toddy? Leave a comment on this post or hit me up on TwitterFacebook, or Tumblr. Have an awesome week!

The Coffee Guy

This alarm clock/coffee brewer combo is a reminder that coffee is still the best way to wake up in the morning.

When Coldplay’s Viva la Vida came out, I loved the title song. I loved it so much, in fact, that I decided it would be a great idea to wake up to it every morning. After about a month, I hated Viva la Vida. I still jolt into a post-sleep scare whenever my ears pick up the now haunting intro strings. Surely there has to be a better way to wake up.

Designer Josh Renouf has been making news in a big way over the last week because of his newest creation: the Barisieur.

IMG_0427_2The Barisieur is an alarm clock and coffee brewer. It eases the user into the day with the subtle movement of stainless steel ballbearings that boil the water through induction heating, accompanied by the smell of freshly brewed coffee. It encourages a ritual before going to sleep, signalling to the body and mind that it is time to unwind and relax. Living slow even when times are fast.

The Barisieur looks exactly like what I would want an alarm-clock-turned-automagic-coffee maker to look. Sleek. Sexy. Like it belongs in George Jetson’s home if he moved to Portland, Oregon and wore flannel scarves to work every day.

The method behind the Barisieur is fairly simple: you load up the coffee contraption before heading to bed, then set the alarm. When you wake up, a piping hot cup of freshly brewed pour-over coffee is ready for you. The setup even includes a milk container and a drawer for grounds and sugar.

IMG_0117

I’m not sure I’d ever purchase the Barisieur, mainly because I enjoy the full ritual of brewing coffee too much. That said, I certainly approve of the form-factor and the heart behind this invention. Even if I did want one, unfortunately they aren’t for sale – yet. Renouf’s website says that when it launches, the Barisieur will retail for between $250-$420. Quite a price spread for something that may end up ruining your bed sheets if you’re inclined to an early morning arm stretch.

Keep your eyes peeled and your wallets waiting if you want the Barisieur when it comes out. My sincere hope is that this never turns into someone’s Viva la Vida.

Until it debuts, why not pick up an Aeropress for 1/8th of the price?

The Coffee Guy