01
Ethiopia · SCA 88brew guide
GREAT COFFEE AT HOME. NO MAGIC.
Three methods and three recipes our baristas swear by, down to the gram and the second. You need a scale, a timer and a little patience. The coffee does the rest.
What you need
- Scale
- to the gramit matters more than you think
- Grinder
- burror ask for it ground
- Water
- filteredit’s 98% of the cup
- Coffee
- 5–30 daysafter the roast date
01 / 04 · clean, bright, aromatic
V60
The Japanese cone draws out everything delicate in a coffee: acidity, fruit, florals. It asks for a little care when you pour and repays you with the clearest cup in this guide.
- Dose
- 15 g
- Water
- 250 g
- Ratio
- 1:16.7
- Grind
- Medium-finelike sea salt
- Temperature
- 93–94 °C
- Total time
- 2:45–3:15
Timer · V60
Elapsed0:00
Put the mug on the scale, tare it and start the timer as you pour the first water.
Step by step
- before
Rinse the paper filter with hot water (it washes out the papery taste and warms the cone), pour that water away, add the coffee and give the cone a shake so the bed sits flat.
- 0:00
Bloom45 g
Pour 45 g of water, just enough to wet all the coffee, and swirl the cone gently. The coffee swells as the CO₂ escapes.
- 0:45
First pour150 g
Pour in slow, small circles, from the centre out and back, up to 150 g.
- 1:15
Second pour250 g
Carry on the same way up to 250 g. Avoid the paper: the water should go through the coffee, not around it.
- 1:45
Swirl250 g
Give the cone one gentle swirl so the bed settles flat, then let it drain.
- 2:45
Done≈ 220 g
The last drops fall between 2:45 and 3:15. Lift the cone, swirl the cup and serve.
Common mistakes
- 01Ground too fine: it drains slowly, runs past 3:30 and tastes bitter. Open the grinder up a notch.
- 02Pouring on the paper: the water bypasses the coffee and the cup turns watery. Pour in the middle, in small circles.
- 03Boiling water: it scorches the delicate aromas. Give it 30 seconds off the boil.
Coffees that suit it
- Ethiopia · SCA 88
- 02
Kenya · SCA 87 - 03
Rwanda · SCA 86
02 / 04 · quick, sweet, forgiving
AeroPress
The coffee syringe that fits in any rucksack. It’s almost impossible to make a bad cup with it, and two minutes gets you something sweet and full-bodied, wherever you are.
- Dose
- 15 g
- Water
- 230 g
- Ratio
- 1:15.3
- Grind
- Medium-finea touch finer than V60
- Temperature
- 88–90 °C
- Total time
- 2:00
The inverted way: flip the AeroPress plunger-down, do everything the same, then fit the cap and turn it over onto the mug. Not a drop escapes before you press.
Timer · AeroPress
Elapsed0:00
Put the mug on the scale, tare it and start the timer as you pour the first water.
Step by step
- before
Put the paper filter in the cap and rinse it. Set the AeroPress up the standard way, straight on the mug, and add the coffee.
- 0:00
All the water230 g
Pour all 230 g of water in about 10 seconds, enough to wet every ground.
- 0:10
Stir
Three short strokes, back to front. Set the plunger in by 1 cm: the vacuum stops the drip.
- 1:30
Swirl
Hold the mug and gently swirl the whole thing so the coffee settles at the bottom.
- 1:40
Press
Press the plunger slowly, over 20–30 seconds. Stop when you hear the hiss.
- 2:00
Done≈ 200 g
Taste it. Too strong? Add 20–30 g of hot water, like a small americano.
Common mistakes
- 01Pressing hard: high pressure pushes bitterness into the cup. Press with the weight of your hand, not your body.
- 02Unrinsed paper: it tastes of cardboard. A few seconds under warm water fixes it.
- 03Want it stronger? Raise the dose to 17–18 g rather than brewing longer.
Coffees that suit it
- 01on sale
Ethiopia · SCA 89 - 02
Guatemala · SCA 86
03 / 04 · full-bodied, round, unhurried
French press
The simplest method and the most underrated. Coarse coffee, hot water and four minutes of waiting. The secret is what you do after the timer goes off.
- Dose
- 30 g
- Water
- 500 g
- Ratio
- 1:16.7
- Grind
- Coarselike coarse salt
- Temperature
- 94–96 °C
- Total time
- 4:30
Got time? After skimming, leave the jug for another 5 minutes before pouring. The fines settle and the cup comes out even clearer.
Timer · French press
Elapsed0:00
Put the mug on the scale, tare it and start the timer as you pour the first water.
Step by step
- before
Warm the jug with hot water, tip it out and add the coarsely ground coffee.
- 0:00
All the water500 g
Pour all 500 g of water in one go, wetting all the coffee. Leave the plunger off for now.
- 4:00
Break the crust
Stir the top layer three or four times with a spoon. The grounds sink to the bottom.
- 4:15
Skim
Lift off the foam and floating bits with two spoons. That’s what makes the cup clean.
- 4:30
Pour≈ 450 g
Fit the lid, lower the mesh just to the surface, not to the bottom, and pour slowly.
Common mistakes
- 01Plunging to the bottom: you stir up the sludge and the cup turns muddy.
- 02Leaving it in the jug: the coffee keeps extracting and turns bitter. Pour it all, or decant it into a flask.
- 03Ground fine: it slips through the mesh and is hard to press. For french press, coarse and even.
Coffees that suit it
- 01
Brazil · SCA 84 - 02
Peru · SCA 84 - 03
Indonesia · SCA 84
04 / 04 · and espresso?
ESPRESSO IS A CRAFT OF ITS OWN.
Pressure, tamping, a fine adjustment with every new bag. If you have a machine at home, start from the recipe below and tune the grind until the shot runs on time. If not, come to the café: that’s our job.
visit the café- Dose
- 18 g
- In the cup
- 36–40 g
- Ratio
- 1:2
- Grind
- Fine
- Temperature
- 93 °C
- Total time
- 25–30 s
Coffees that suit it
- 01
Colombia · SCA 85 - 02
BlendBrazil, Colombia - 03
BlendBrazil, Sumatra