The Art of Brewing

There’s Nothing Like a Great Cup of Coffee!

(Grinds, water, freshness)

Half the fun is discovering how to create a cup of coffee that is satisfying to you. It’s as much about art as it is science. It’s about finding your own unique coffee ritual.

• Do you like to brew your coffee once and have a reserve supply and on-hand for a neighbor or for that second cup before you head out the door? A drip brewer using the freshest possible coffee and a thermal carafe to store your hot coffee for the right moment will be perfect for you!
• Do you prefer brewing your coffee one delicious cup a time with just the right amount of freshly ground coffee & hot water for a personalized “one-cup”? Then the one-cup cone from Melitta will be just right for you.
• Are you ready for the adventure of making your own vanilla latte at home on a cozy Sunday before you sit down to read the paper? It’s not difficult at all and the results can be truly satisfying.

Whatever your preferred method or time of day, join with coffee lovers down through the centuries and in every culture and find a wonderful coffee ritual just right for you. The following guidelines will help.

Beans
Great coffee begins with freshly roasted beans. Buying directly from a knowledgeable roaster is the best guarantee of quality and freshness. Try to avoid the bulk bins in supermarkets and specialty stores unless you can determine how long the beans have been sitting in the open air. Chattanooga Coffee Company varietals and blends are produced from the world’s finest “high-grown, mild” arabicas and will never be available for sale past a roasted age of 72 hours. Roast dates are posted so that you are insured of recieving the freshest coffee. In most cases your coffee will have been roasted on the very day it is purchased.

Storage
Coffee is a perishable commodity just like any agricultural product. If you are able to buy your beans on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, you can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. However, if you need to store your coffee for two weeks or more, it is recommended that you transfer a few individual portions to airtight containers and freeze them. Avoid plastic storage containers which may be tainted with other food tastes and odors that the coffee will easily absorb. Remember that the more the container is opened and closed, the more your beans are exposed to oxygen and the more quickly they will age.

Grind

How your coffee is ground has a big impact on the overall taste. Coffee is ground in a wide range of textures depending on the brewing method used and, generally, each grind is signified by a corresponding number. However, the numbers associated with each grind may vary depending on the type and brand of grinder used. Be sure when using a self-serve grinder that it has not been used for flavored coffees, as your beans may pick up this flavor. Chattanooga Coffee Company recommends the following grinds:

• Espresso – Fine, Powdery: 2
• Melita Filter – Very Fine: 3
• Cloth Filter – Medium Fine: 4
• Auto Drip – Cone/Gold Filter: 5
• Auto Drip – Flat Bottom Filter: 6-7 (depending on filter type)
• French Press – Coarse: 9
• Keurig – Coarse: 9
• Percolator/Cold Brew- Very Coarse: 13

If you are preparing to purchase a grinder for your home or office, be sure you select a grinder that has a Burr grinding element. This type of grinder processes the coffee in a way that perserves the flavor and produces a grind best for brewing, shaving your coffee to the proper grind rather than chopping it or pulverizing it as many grinders do.

Water
The source of life and one of the most important components of great coffee.
98% of your cup of coffee is water. Therefore, the taste of your coffee is directly related to the taste of the water with which it is brewed. We recommend that you use fresh, filtered water that has reached an optimum temperature of 190-205 degrees prior to brewing. Let it cool down after you brew the coffee if it’s too hot to drink, but brew it with almost boiling water, unless you are doing a cold water extract.

Proportion
The ratio for brewing great Chattanooga Coffee Company coffee is 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee per 6 ounces of brewing water. If you pour too much water through too little coffee, you will over extract your coffee and end up with a bitter cup. If you prefer your coffee less concentrated, dilute it to taste with hot water after brewing with the above proportion.