Artisan coffees are created when the grower is willing to take the extra steps to ensure quality results, and the roaster is willing to pay the premium price necessary to support quality.
Artisan coffees evolve from sustainable farm practices which include a respect for the habitat and good production values at each stage: meticulous selection, milling and drying of the raw hand-picked coffee at origin, and careful crafting of the coffee into a finished form by the roaster.
Artisan coffee roasting is a marriage of science and sensibility. The science involves controlling the roasting medium via the roasters knowledge of the roasting machine, the raw product (green beans) and the roaster’s visual and tasting sensibility.
Distinguish, differentiate, define: these are the guiding words of a new generation of artisan coffee growers who will influence the future of boutique coffee. Modeling the wine industry, artisan growers are promoting their “terroir” and distinguishing themselves by finding ways to differentiate their harvest. They are exerting more control over their coffee, defining it by micro-region, varietal (coffee plant) and milling method. This approach is a radical departure from the custom of selling one’s harvest to middlemen, who then mill and blend it anonymously with other coffee from the region prior to export.
Taking ownership of the milling process is a critical step towards producing a boutique coffee. Artisan growers are investing in state-of-the art micro-mills that allow them to “design” their coffee and separate it into micro-lots with different characteristics. This step improves the quality of the coffee, enhances the attributes of terroir, and, adds a signature flavor that artisan roasters prize.
There are amazing movies about coffee that take you inside the world of the professionals, showing the hard work and dedication behind the scene. There are many ways to learn and get inspired in what you do -
As barista's might say working at a well equipped café, I can’t imagine myself brewing or pulling an espresso shot without a scale. It tells us exactly how much water and coffee we are using, and it enables us to be consistent with each brew as well as to each other.
During this pandemic, we are all trying to stay home, but we must have our daily caffeine! Not everyone has all the tools at home. So, here are some tips on how you could brew an excellent pour over of coffee without a scale.
For this example, I use 24.5g of coffee to 380g of water — a 1:15.5 ratio. (You could also do 1:14 or 1:18 ratio depending on what recipe you’d like to use. In order to weigh out 24.5g of coffee beans or ground coffee, I used a ¼ measuring cup and filled it up all the way as shown in the picture below.
Afterwards, using a bigger measuring cup or a mason jar that has measurement, you can measure out approximately 380ml (13oz) of water and boil that to 205°F. If you don’t have a measuring cup, grab a 12oz mug and fill it up all the way to the top and use that to brew coffee, your final brew should be an inch (2.5cm) below the rim of your mug. Then, proceed to brew normally! Put a filter on your pour over device and make sure to give it a thorough rinse with hot water. Your first pour needs to be about twice the volume as the coffee you are using, and let it bloom for 45seconds. After the bloom, you can pour in a slow circular motion and fill it up all the way and let it drip for about 10seconds. Repeat this process a few times until you run out of water.
