Brewing Filter Coffee

The perfect pot of coffee is no accident. By using the following tips, anyone, from restaurateur to the home coffee aficionado can achieve coffeehouse quality brews.

Always use fresh coffee
While coffee will never go “bad” in the way other perishable foods will, coffee’s flavors and aromas will fade as it ages. The best way to keep coffee is in an airtight container in a cool place, not in the fridge or freezer, as cold temperatures will dry out the flavor oils and the coffee may pick-up unwanted odors. For best results, use coffee within one week of opening its package.

Grind coffee fresh before brewing
Pre-ground coffee that is not sealed in a nitrogen-flushed package exposes all of the bean to oxygen, which causes rapid staling. Whole bean coffee could be compared to a loaf of bread, while ground coffee is like bread crumbs that quickly dry out and stale.

Use cold, fresh water
Do not use mineral water. The minerals will coat the heating element of the coffee brewer and eventually ruin the machine. Neither should you use distilled water, as some mineral content is required for proper flavor extraction. If using a machine with a water reservoir, run water through the machine before brewing the first pot of the day to get old water out.

Keep your machine & pot clean
For home use, coffee brewing equipment should be thoroughly washed in warm soapy water and carefully rinsed to remove any soap residue. For commercial equipment, we recommend using Squeaky Kleen or an alternative cleaner or light solvent specific to coffee equipment.

Use enough coffee
The minimum coffee to water ratio is 7 g of coffee per 6 fl oz, though many coffee lovers prefer a ratio of 10 g to 6 fl oz of water. In a commercial machine, 71 grams of ground coffee to 64 fluid ounces of water is the standard brewing ratio. Using too much coffee is rarely concern, while using too little causes coffee to be “overextracted”, resulting in bitter flavor. If the flavor is too strong, add hot water after brewing. In this way, you will dilute “good” flavor rather than over-extracting and adding a bitter taste to your coffee.

Discard brewed coffee once stale
If using a glass pot machine with a burner, the coffee will only be good for a maximum of one half hour (20 minutes is recommended). After that, the burner will have cooked off the flavors of the coffee and it will start to taste thick and muddy. If using a thermos, the coffee will only stay fresh for a maximum of an hour. Do not judge freshness by temperature. Coffee that is still hot will not necessarily be fresh.