Easiest way to start brewing specialty coffee
Brewing specialty coffee can be very overwhelming. Right from choosing good beans, desired grind size, capable equipment, brewing method and extraction time; a lot of things matter. But what's great is, you can easily simplify these methods. In this blog, we will give you a headstart on starting your specialty coffee journey.
Using the Wobh Coffee Drip Bags
You do not necessarily need to invest in expensive equipment. It is a myth that buying good equipment would translate into making coffee better. We've seen brewers who do not have any sophisticated equipment just rely on technique to make excellent coffee. Let us show you how convenient it is to brew good coffee. All you need is Wobh Coffee Drip Bags. Add 10 to 15 grams of ground coffee, pour 180 ml of off-the-boil water in a mug, dip this bag for 4 minutes and voila. You can also control the taste by playing with the brew time or coffee quantity. Cloth filters ensure that the coffee has a good body and there are no fines that pass through.
Buy good quality whole beans
We recommend buying freshly roasted good quality whole beans. There are a lot of parameters that affect the bean quality. Buying a good quality bean would be the first step of making a good cup of coffee. Consider where your favourite beans come from and how dark they are roasted. Keep an eye on which processing method is used - Naturals, Washed, Fermented. There could be cases where a particular processed coffee will not suit certain equipment. You can always ask your roaster for details on which brewing equipment would his beans taste the best.
Knowing the roast date
One of the most important things that we would like to focus on is that each consumer should know the roast date of their coffee. It is generally considered that the coffee tastes best from the 5th day to when it's roasted to the 25th day. The freshness of the coffee could be determined by the roast date. Roasters marking the roast date on the packet has brought in an additional level of transparency for consumers. Smaller quantities of freshly roasted coffee pose the biggest logistical challenge when dispatching them.
Grinding your beans
There is a lot of debate on whether one should buy whole beans or grounded beans. If you are just starting your coffee journey, a grinder is not essential, but don't fall into the trap of buying low-grade grinders, so go with grounded coffee. My experience with coffee boils down to the point that a good grinder is more important than an expensive espresso machine. When you grind the beans just before the brew, the flavours, aroma and taste are brought to their highest level. Adding this extra step won't matter much once it becomes a routine for you, it will get easier.
Using the right recipe with the right brewing equipment
Every brewing equipment has a unique recipe matched in heaven, and to find it, you got to be patient. Even if you miss one of the parameters, the result will be vastly different. Experimenting with multiple recipes to find out your favourite one could be a journey in itself. However, if the appropriate method is not chosen, the desired brew would be difficult to produce. One of the brew-changing tips that I have received is to keep most of the variables constant. For example, using off-the-boil water can be easily redone multiple times. The easiest way to find a good recipe for your setup is to just search for it or ask a fellow coffee lover.
These were some of the simple steps to entering the world of specialty coffee. It is not difficult, it's just honest and consistent. And for starters, all you need is a Wobh Coffee Dripper Bag. Let me know if you have begun your specialty coffee journey. If yes, what was your first step and if no you should start is soon because you are missing a lot of fun.
- Adhi from Wobh
