The Best Coffee, Ever

At least I think so... I've tried everything from ye olde stovetop percolator to the Saeco espresso robot and everything in between and so far, this is the best I've ever had. Even better than good coffee house drip. It's simpler than you might think and well worth five minutes.

If you wanna try it, here's what you need:

• Quality, coarse-ground coffee, the type you'd use for a French press, but you don't need the press. If you have one then by all means, press away, but sometimes I get tired of the silt and just want a cleaner liquid. Sometimes I need less silt. It gets caught in my teeth and I look like live outside.
• A very fancy Pyrex (or similar) heat-proof, glass measuring cup. 1-cup capacity is fine unless you like the Bladder-Buster size or want to make enough for two or three, and then you can adjust the recipe for that.
• One (1) wooden chopstick, preferably pilfered from your favorite Asian-style restaurant. Or a spoon. Ruin the fun if you must.
• Fresh, filtered hot water - not boiling, but almost or just recently was - it should be between 195° and 205° F.
• A Melitta-style "one cup" brewer thingie - the kind that sits on top of your mug.
• One of those gold filter thingies - paper filters absorb the oils that create great flavor - paper, bad.

So, first - put the kettle on. If you want to be super nerdy about it, you can use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the water's at the right temperature, but after a while you get to know when it's about to boil and won't have to geek out.

If it comes to a boil, just wait a few minutes before pouring it onto the grounds - that should get it down to the desired temperature range.

Measure out the amount of coffee for however you like your brew and put it right into that glass measuring cup. Peet's recommends 2Tbs coffee per 6oz water. 

Use good quality coffee. If you're using supermarket coffee, this method likely won't improve that flavor. Though if anything could, this might... Along with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, but I digress...

I have a coffee measuring scoop that I think = 2Tbs. For this recipe, I use 2.5-3 rounded scoops - usually closer to 3 'cause I like it strong. The Pyrex 1-cup measure, filled to the top, is about 12oz, maybe a tad more, but close enough.

When the water's ready, pour it into the glass measuring cup, pretty much all the way to the top - not all the way so it spills, but you know, fill it like a big girl. (A standard mug's capacity is 10-12oz.)

Stir gently to ensure all the grounds are swimming nicely, then rinse your chopstick (or your spoon) and set aside. 

Wait 3-5 minutes. Go check your email. Make some toast. Text a friend. Use the bathroom. Pet the cat. Don't go away for too long, but don't rush it. This is when the coffee is "blooming." Sounds nice, doesn't it? It is.

After 3-5 minutes, pour the coffee mix into the gold filter inside the cup-top brew thingie, on top of your cup, ideally, and it'll filter into your mug. Enjoy. Super smooth - even if you make it strong. No bitterness, no burnt edge - just perfect.

It's pretty much the same process as brewing French press, but with a little (or a lot) less silt. You'll still have some at the bottom of your cup, but not nearly as much.

But again, if you don't mind a little silt, go with the press. Either way, the key to deep, rich flavor is letting the grounds bloom fully in the hot water. That, and the proper water temperature, fresh clean water, and good quality coffee of the right grind. Even better - grind fresh whole beans right before you brew. 

Later, dump the grounds into a container you can take outside to dump onto your plants. Roses love spent coffee grounds.

Happy brewing!

p.s.  Most of the time I'm brewing good quality decaf and it still tastes amazing, even decaffeinated.