BREWINg tips, Storage and Freshness

Having a morning cuppa is a ritual for many Kiwis.  But it’s not a good idea to be complacent when it comes to preparing your favourite morning beverage so a few tips on ideal brewing practice won’t go astray.

 

general tips

There are a number of factors that can affect your brew.  Listed in order of importance they are:

  • The quality and freshness of coffee
  • The cleanliness of the brewing equipment
  • The quality of the water
  • Coffee to water ratio
  • Grind size
  • Water temperature
  • Contact time
  • Heat retention

 

The ideal brewing practice is:

  • Start with fresh (roasted on date is your guarantee) quality coffee purchased from your local roaster
  • Grind immediately before you brew
  • Use fresh, filtered water
  • Pre-heat your vessels
  • Drink prepared coffee immediately

 

If you have some left over coffee and you want to consume it later pour into a heated carafe; don’t let it stew in the pot.

 

There are many ways to prepare your coffee and enjoy this romantic drink. Far be it for us to tell you what the best way is because enjoying this beverage, like any other, is very personal and, in general, there are few absolutes when it comes to making it.

IN THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS WE DESCRIBE THREE OF THE MORE COMMON AND VERY POPULAR BREWING METHODS: ESPRESSO, PLUNGER AND STOVETOP. HOWEVER WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO EXPERIMENT AND TRY AS MANY MEANS AS YOU CAN. YOU’LL BE AMAZED AT HOW THE SAME BLEND CAN TASTE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WHEN USING DIFFERENT PREPARATION METHODS.

brewing methods