And here is a few video clip from her time on the farm with Richard Kimondo, an expert coffee farmer.  (Richard took a very short break from teaching Jess all about coffee farming to tell her how long he’s been involved as a coffee farmer.  And then he jumped right back into the lesson.)  ;)

More pictures, videos and stories from this trip will be coming soon!

The other “newness” is the re-opening of our outdoor space (our “courtyard”). It had been closed for over a year, but now it’s back and better than ever! A big shout out goes to Sarah W., who overhauled the entire space. Thanks, Sarah! We’re excited to be able to offer our customers an cozy outdoor space to enjoy their beverages, so come take us up on that offer!

In the meantime, check out this clip from America’s Test Kitchen about automatic home coffee makers.  Since this method is one of the most common ways that people brew coffee at home, we think it’s important to look at (even though connoisseurs might scoff).  They tested a lot of home brewers (based on the initial criteria that the brewer needed to brew into a thermal server of some kind because of the fact that adding external heat to brewed coffee makes it deteriorate much faster).  Check out their findings to see if your brewer made the cut*.

America’s Test Kitchen video: Best Coffee Maker 

*Spoiler alert:  Unless you use a Technivorm MoccaMaster ($250), it didn’t.

A more complete explanation of the testing can be found at the link below, although you can’t see the full results without signing up for the trial.  However, the winner was the Technivorm brewer (with all the other brewers pretty much failing in every category tested).

Cooks Illustrated article on Home Coffee Makers

It’s probably the hardest thing for people to agree on.  That’s because taste is subjective.  However there are some obvious indicators that your coffee isn’t performing to its full potential.  So it’s part taste and part science.

The Specialty Coffee Association of America has stated the proper amount of coffee to use for a certain amount of water, but as I talk to customers I can see that they are often skeptical of that advice.  The SCAA recommends using 10 grams (about 2 tablespoons) for every 6 ounces of water.  And I can understand people who secretly think, “Yeah!  I’m sure they’d like me to blow through that much coffee!  Can you say ‘conflict of interest’?”

But, believe it or not, there is a method to the madness.  Using fancy gadgets like TDS meters and refractometers, and also professional palates and mass taste tests, they’ve tested brews at different strengths and determined a range of desirable results.  (A range…so there is some wiggle room.)

So what happens if you use less coffee?  Say, half as much (which would be 5 grams of coffee, or about 1 tablespoon, per every 6 ounces of water)?  The coffee will be over-extracted.  What that means is that the water has washed over the coffee grounds and eroded the bed of ground coffee, pulling out (extracting) all of the coffee solids that were meant to be tasted and consumed (all the good stuff), but then, instead of quitting while it was ahead, the water kept on coming (remember, this situation involves less coffee than recommended, so the proportions are off).  Now the water is extracting undesirables; solids that are more volatile and bitter.  There’s a reason that you discard a filter full of used coffee grounds.  You don’t try to brew a second pot with the same grounds, right?  And you don’t eat the grounds with a spoon.  That’s because we all know that there is part of the coffee that is useful for consumption and part that isn’t.  If you don’t use enough coffee, you risk extracting too much from your coffee…which spoils the flavor of the entire pot.  What does over-extracted coffee taste like?  Weak, thin and extra bitter.  Possibly even astringent (like a cleaning product).

No one ever asks, “What about using too much coffee in the filter?” because that’s a rare problem when using home coffee brewers (auto drip, anyway).  This is because the filters in most home coffee makers can’t hold the proper amount of coffee needed to brew a full pot.  So we recommend brewing a half pot or 3/4 a pot at a time (at the most).  That way, you’ve got room for the right amount of ground coffee (and room to let those grounds expand or “bloom”), and this way you’re also forced to brew more often which will improve the freshness of the coffee and the quality of your home coffee drinking experience in general.

But it’s worth mentioning for those who are curious (and for the manual coffee brewers out there) that using too much coffee can produce more sour or tart flavors or, at the very least, a coffee brewed too strong can overwhelm your palate and make it difficult to discern subtle flavors.  It would be thicker and more muddled; lacking clarity.  When you go to throw your filter of coffee away, you’d probably also notice that a lot of the grounds are dry, meaning that they didn’t get utilized in the brew (under-extraction).  You also run the risk of your filter overflowing once the brew has started (especially if your coffee is very fresh).

10 grams of coffee for every 6 ounces of water isn’t meant to be a rigid rule.  Different brewing methods can vary slightly.  Also, everyone’s taste is different.  So it wouldn’t be ridiculous to use a little more or less coffee (by a gram or so), but be on the lookout for those telltale signs of over or under extraction.  Those guidelines are a great starting point for experimentation.  So give it a try before you rule it out.  If you find that coffee brewed at those “proper proportions” is too strong for your taste, you can try adding hot water directly to your cup to dilute the strength*.  This way, you properly brewed the coffee, extracting only what was meant to be consumed, and then diluted it to your individual preference.  Over time, you will notice that your preference may change.  Before you know it, you’ll taste the subtle nuances that each unique coffee has to offer without the need to dilute it with anything (including cream or sugar).

*Of course, this is assuming that you’re using the correct grind setting for your specific brewing method.  If your coffee is brewed at the correct proportions, but you are having issues with strength, you may need to adjust your grind.  At the recommended proportions (10 grams of coffee for every 6 ounces of water):  Go finer if you find the finished brew weak or thin and coarser if you find the brew too thick and muddled or sour.

Additional Note:  For further reading on this topic, we couldn’t recommend Scott Rao’s books enough (“The Professional Barista’s Handbook”, and his latest “Everything But Espresso”).  They are more geared towards a commercial environment, but for any coffee aficionado the advice is extremely valuable!

Well, that depends on how you’re brewing your coffee.  You need to make sure that you use the appropriate setting for your brewing method because each method requires your coffee to be in contact with the water in a different way and for a different length of time, so a different size granule of coffee is required.  If the coffee is ground incorrectly, the coffee will be either very thick and bitter or very thin and astringent.  Finding the right grind for each brewing method will most likely involve some experimentation to see what works best.  With every brewing method there is a degree of flexibility. You can usually go a touch finer or coarser and still be within a good range. If you’re doing everything right and you find your coffee is weak (or brewing too quickly, especially for pour-over methods or espresso), try grinding a little finer (and vice versa:  if your coffee is thick and taking a long time to brew, you should coarsen the grind). 

In general, french presses or siphon pots required a bigger granule or a “coarse” grind because the coffee is fully immersed in the hot water for the full brewing time (called a “full immersion” method).  Automatic drip brewers or pour-over methods require a smaller granule of coffee or “medium” to “fine” grind because the hot water is simply dripping over the coffee momentarily.  Espresso requires a tiny granule of coffee or “very fine” grind because it needs to be able to be firmly packed together into a puck that can withstand all of the heat and pressure that an espresso machine applies to it without allowing the water to push through the coffee too quickly (shots are typically under 30 seconds).  

The type of grinder is important too. Blade grinders simply utilize sharp blades to chop your beans (so calling them “grinders” at all is a bit of a misnomer), while burr grinders (preferable) actually crush the beans.  Other issues that blade grinders have are their grind consistency and repeatability.  If you grind some coffee with a blade grinder and spread a sample of the coffee out on your counter, you’ll quickly discover that it doesn’t grind uniformly (there will be lots of bigger chunks, lots of finer pieces and everything in between).  And even if you are happy with the results of your blade grinder, the results are usually hard to replicate with much accuracy.  Burr grinders control the size of the grind by how close the burrs are to each other.  So, it’s not up to the user to pulse a button for the right amount of time to control the grind size because the grinder is already set to do the work based on the chosen grind setting.  The result is much more uniform granule sizes and because the beans are being crushed instead of chopped, there is more potential for better extraction.

The only downside in the blade vs. burr grinder issue is the price.  I don’t know of anyone who has done a side-by-side taste test and chosen the blade grinder over the burr grinder.  Burr grinders tend to be more expensive than blade grinders, but they usually last longer because the burrs can be replaced when needed.  Lots of people ask us for home burr grinder recommendations, and the most affordable option that we recommend is the Hario Skerton Hand Mill ($50 at our shop), but it’s a hand mill…so you’ll need to be willing to put in the elbow grease (especially if you’re grinding fine…and this hand mill can grind super fine for espresso, which is something that not all home burr grinders can accomplish). Another benefit of this old school hand operated method is that the burrs are moving at the speed that you turn them, so there is minimal heat produced.  Electric burr grinders can generate some heat which can also heat the coffee a bit while it’s grinding, affecting the flavor of the finished product.  The other obvious benefit of the Hario hand mill is its portability.  Traveling?  You’re good to go!  Camping?  You’re covered!  Apocalyptic power outage scenario?  You’ll be glad you have it!

We’ve also heard good things about the Baratza Maestro Conical Burr Coffee Grinder ($99), but we don’t have personal experience with it.  Our personal favorite home grinder is the KitchenAid Pro Line Burr Coffee Grinder ($250).  It’s a little more pricey, but it’s solid (the nickel pearl version has no plastic parts at all) and will stand the test of time.  (We’ve had ours for almost 5 years, and it’s still as awesome as the day we bought it.)  You can replace the burrs yourself, so you’ll never need another home grinder.  (And they’re not even paying us to say this, folks!  But…maybe they should be?)  ;)  The only negative factor about this grinder is that it can’t quite grind fine enough for espresso (which is another reason why we have the Hario Skerton Hand Mill).

What grinder is working well for you at home?  (Pros?  Cons?  Price point?)

(P.S.  I definitely deserve some type of medal for avoiding the cliche “daily grind”-type references in this post.  You’re welcome!)

When we’re talking about freshness, we’re talking about 3 different stages of freshness:

1.) Freshness from the roaster

2.)  Freshness from the grinder

3.)  Freshness from the brewer (or other brewing method)

Freshness from the roaster:  A common misconception is that coffee should be consumed right out of the roaster for optimal freshness.  This isn’t actually true.  In reality, coffee fresh from the roaster should be allowed to rest and “de-gas” (release carbon dioxide) for at least 48 hours before consumption for optimal flavor.  After a day or two of de-gassing, the coffee starts to reveal more of its inherent flavors.  Some coffees continue to get more and more flavorful as they approach the 5^th or 6^th day out of the roaster.  As a general rule, most coffee “peaks” between 3-7 days after being roasted.  After that, the coffee can still be delicious and maintain its flavor for a while, but it has peaked, so it’s only downhill from there.  Some coffees peak at 5 or 6 days, and then maintain their flavor and deliciousness for a whole week before there is a noticeable decline in flavor.  Other coffees aren’t as forgiving.

Look for a “Roast Date” on your bag of coffee.  If your coffee doesn’t have a roast date on it and you’re buying it from a coffee shop, ask the baristas.  They are the ones stocking the shelves, so they should have an idea of approximately when the coffee was roasted (or at least when they received it).  But if you’re buying your coffee from a grocery store, you can assume that the coffee is at least one month old.  (More often, the coffee is 3-6 months old.)  At big chain coffee shops, the coffees are usually 1-2 months old as well. 

Also, don’t buy your coffee in bulk.  We believe that whole bean coffee should be treated more like fresh produce (& less like a bag of sugar!). So we suggest buying your coffee as often as you buy your milk to ensure that it’s as fresh and flavorful each time you serve it. 

When the coffee is in a permanently sealed bag, this slows the aging process down significantly.  So as a general rule, we say that once a bag of coffee is opened, it should be consumed within a week for optimal enjoyment.  And even then, it’s helpful to store the beans in an airtight container (like a mason jar or a Bodum storage jar, $10 at our shop).  You want to keep your coffee away from air, light and moisture (so putting coffee in the refrigerator isn’t advised.  It absorbs the odors from your food…and the excess moisture too.).  If you have a sealed, unopened bag of coffee that you aren’t going to be using within a week, putting it in the freezer is an option that can help to prolong its life.  (I’ve heard of coffee that was in the freezer for 6 years still tasting good to a coffee expert.  But, of course, it would have tasted even better 6 years prior.)  But once you bring it out into room temperature and open the bag, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature.  (Never defrost a bag of beans and then refreeze it.  Putting it in the freezer over and over will only cause a buildup of moisture and condensation.)

Freshness from the grinder:  Ground coffee ages much faster and loses aroma and flavor faster than whole bean coffee.  So avoid buying pre-ground coffee or having your whole bag of coffee ground when you purchase it.  Studies have shown that up to 45% of coffee’s carbon dioxide (which influences aromatics) is lost within the first 5 minutes of coffee being ground.  So the longer coffee is ground and sitting, the less flavorful it will be in your cup.  It’s best to only grind the amount of coffee you need right before you brew it.  (We’ll talk more about types of grinders and grind settings in the next blog.)

Freshness from the brewer:  Once coffee is brewed, it should be consumed within 30-45 minutes (or less!).  Flavor deterioration is noticeable 15-20 minutes after brewing.  Also, never re-heat coffee because the flavor oils break down and become extra bitter.  Any flavors or aromatics left in the coffee will be zapped and turn ugly on you if you microwave that cold cup of coffee (Are you reading this, mom?).  By brewing smaller batches more often, you’ll definitely increase the quality of your coffee. 

How all of this works at Square One:  All of the coffee on our retail shelves has roast dates on the bottom which show that the coffee is either right out of the roaster or very close to it. (We have to work hard to keep our shelves stocked, so old coffee is never an issue!)  All of the coffee we brew and serve is generally 3-7 days out of the roaster (peak freshness!), it’s ground right before it’s brewed, and our brewed coffee is dumped every 45 minutes (if it lasts that long, which is rarely the case).  We’d rather brew small batches more often and risk running out of coffee from time to time than to serve old coffee.  Most of our customers agree that they would rather wait a minute or two for a fresh pot than get what we should be dumping down the drain.

Bonus Question:  Be honest, what’s the longest you’ve ever kept a bag of coffee and then brewed it?  Was it any good?  (I’ll pick a random comment to receive a free bag of Square One coffee!)

Coffee is 98.5% water.  Read that sentence again.  Go ahead; the rest of the blog isn’t going anywhere.  ; )

What kind of water do you use to brew your coffee at home?  Maybe you haven’t thought much about it before, but consider this:  If so much of the finished product (“brewed coffee”) is made up of water, then perhaps it’s important.  (Especially if you’re hoping to improve the quality of your coffee!)

It seems like a lot of people use tap water from their kitchen faucet to brew their coffee at home.  And understandably so.  It’s convenient.  But the problem with tap water is that it’s usually pretty hard, or contains a high mineral content.  This can affect the flavor of the water, but when you’re using that water to brew coffee, two things happen: 

1.) It produces deposits of scale or lime which build up in your coffee brewer over time, reducing its life and efficiency, essentially, killing your machine (if you’re using a machine, that is).

2.) Hard/tap water will affect the flavor of the finished brew.  And by that, I don’t mean that you’ll taste the yucky water through the coffee (although that could be true if the water is foul tasting enough. If the water doesn’t taste good all by itself, it certainly won’t make good tasting coffee.).  Hard water has too much “stuff” in it, so it won’t pull out (or extract) as much from your coffee.  It’s like going to a dinner party, but stopping to eat something along the way.  If you’re full, you generally don’t eat as much.  Water that is full of minerals won’t have room to grab as much goodness from your coffee. 

How does this translate into your cup?  Well, coffee brewed with hard water will most likely lack interest.  Lackluster.  Sure, it will probably still taste like “coffee”, but don’t be surprised if you can’t really taste the subtle nuances of flavor that might be present in the coffee.  There’s a possibility that it may also taste weak (even if you’re using the correct proportions of coffee to water).   

But the opposite is true too.  If your water is lacking the right minerals (or completely devoid of minerals, like distilled water) it will extract too much from your coffee.  Think:  Hungry person at a buffet piling food a mile high on their plate and then going back for seconds and thirds.  The result in your cup can often be sharpness, exaggerated brightness or even a sour flavor.  

The ideal water for coffee brewing (and tea brewing too!) has a PH of 7, Hardness of 70-80mg/L and an Alkalinity of 50mg/L.  There are testing supplies made specifically for specialty coffee, but they can be pricey.  A cheaper alternative for home aficionados is buying basic water testing supplies at your local hardware store or pet store (the aquarium section). 

If you get your water from the dispenser on your fridge door, chances are that is has a basic filter installed (a taste and odor filter), which is definitely a step up from tap water.  A water pitcher with a filter (like “Britta” or “Pur”) will also do a good job at getting your water primed for coffee brewing.

So in review:  No tap water (unless you have a fancy water filtration system or something awesome like that).  No distilled water.  You want something in between the two.

But don’t just take our word for it.  Test all of this water nonsense out for yourself.  We did.  Seriously.  And it definitely makes a difference.  We’ve tasted coffee brewed with all three types of water (tap water, distilled water, and perfect “coffee water”).  We thought the difference was so remarkable that we spent a few months (and dropped some decent coin) overhauling the entire water system at our shop in Lancaster.  (*Shameless plug alert, so read these next two sentences with a classy British accent, like the Dyson guy*)  At Square One, our water goes through quite the journey before it gets to our coffee brewers. We completely remove all solids/minerals from our water (via reverse osmosis and carbon filtration), then add the proper minerals back into the water in the exact desired proportions.

Go ahead.  Call us geeks.

Hear that?

That’s the sound of no one disagreeing with you.

Side note for folks who have no alternative to tap water:  You may have heard that it’s important to always use cold water when brewing coffee with an automatic coffee maker.  This true in reference to tap water.  (It won’t really make a noticeable difference if you’re using filtered/bottled water.)  The reason it makes a difference for tap water is because of the fact that the cold water is fresh, while the hot water has likely been sitting in your hot water heater for hours (or even days) and is probably not fresh. Hot water heaters can have minerals and scale at the bottom of the tank that will only make the water even less appealing for brewing coffee.  So while tap water isn’t ideal, if you have no other option but tap water, make sure you use cold water.

Bonus Question:  If you were stranded somewhere (maybe visiting your in-laws?) and looking to brew up some delicious coffee (that you, of course, brought along with you), but all you had was a bottle of distilled water and a sink with tap water, what, if anything, could you do to make the best of the situation?  A free bag of coffee goes to the person to comment with the first and best answer!  (For reals.  We’ll ship it, if needed.)