Brand new to coffee and I have questions

[CoffeeBBQandCigars]

Daniel,

You certainly didn't make yourself sound stupid. It's quite the opposite!

What you described is probably exactly what lots of people experience when they make pour-over coffee. The aromas, the ritual, and the relaxing nature of the brewing method all contribute to a pleasurable experience.

Rose

so drinking coffee is like smoking a good cigar. The smells, the taste, the ritual, and the relaxation. It's why I light a fine cigar.

 

[Kudzu]

^^^ I'm interested in the link. Sounds cool!

The book is, Perfect Coffee at Home, by Michael Haft and Harrison Suarez. While it is not the ultimate resource, it presents a lot of the basics very clearly and will, at least, save you some fumbling around in the beginning of you quest for better coffee. There is a link on their homepage to buy the book.

Perfect Coffee at Home - How to Make Coffee by Michael Haft and Harrison Suarez

 

[peterjschmidt]

Allen, if you want to start into the world of pourovers, just get yourself a Clever Coffee Dripper. Marty would agree. The excel because you don't need a fancy kettle, nor do you have acquire any pouring skills. A true pourover will make you learn to pour to wet, bloom, pour in a way to keep the slurry temps up, and not pour too fast so the coffee can have enough contact time with the water. There may be a slight benefit to all that, but it's slight. A CCD is a simple way to jump in.

 

[CoffeeBBQandCigars]

Im checking these out now.......I have something just like this to brew tea with. Would that work as well? I mean its almost the exact same design. Even holds the liquid until yu sit it on the cup to drain it. I also have a variable temp kettle as well.

 

[peterjschmidt]

My guess is the unit you have would work equally well if you can find a filter that fits it.

 

[Bacchus]

I'll add my $.02 - I've tried a few various methods from an electric drip coffee maker to a French press to a Melitta pour-over and finally settled on a Clever dripper. In my experience, the French press produces mug sludge which, I'm sure I've said before that I detest, and, while the Melitta utilizes a filter to avoid the sludge, it offers no control over steep time. The Clever allows you to steep your coffee as long as you want to and its filter eliminates the sludge. It's an inexpensive device and an inexpensive teakettle will quickly and easily provide water at the temp you desire. For me, it's a perfect fit.

 

[friedcoffee]

I am currently having a FrenchPress to make my coffee. Should I switch to Clever Coffee dripper to get more taste?

 

[friedcoffee]

And also, what's the simple and short process to make coffee in Clever Dripper?

 

[peterjschmidt]

If you're happy with your press post, then stick with it. Some people prefer the cleaner coffee, with the coffee's oils trapped in the paper filter, others prefer the fuller mouthfeel with the oils still suspended in the coffee. It's all what you like.

Place CCD on countertop, insert paper filter, add ground coffee, add hot water, cover, let steep, place CCD on mug to drain, drink.

 

[Bacchus]

.....

Place CCD on countertop, insert paper filter, add ground coffee, add hot water, cover, let steep, place CCD on mug to drain, drink.

Or, to be a bit more precise:

1. Set your kettle of filtered water to boil.
2. Weigh your coffee beans to your desired weight - 22 g per mug (we like big cups of coffee) and Clever Coffee Dripper’s are great for a BIG single cup of coffee.
3. Take the paper filter (we like “Kalita 103” paper filters with Clevers but the Melita #4s work also) and fold the bottom seam over one time and then fold the side side over once. This helps the filter best fit into the Clever.
4. Put the paper filter into the Clever Coffee Dripper. Wet the paper filter with hot water to eliminate a paper taste in your coffee. Pour the hot water out.
5. Put the Clever Coffee Dripper and it’s coaster onto your scale and tare to zero. TIP: Be sure the cup/mug you are using can hold the amount of water you plan to brew with the coffee AND that the Clever fits properly on top of it.
6. Grind the coffee in your conical burr grinder. We recommend a medium to coarse filter drip grind. Pour the freshly grounded coffee into the Clever Coffee Dripper with the wetted filter. Tare the scale back to zero.
7. Take the boiling kettle off the stove and let it set for 30 seconds. The water temperature goal is to brew with water that's around 205-206F.
8. Start a timer. “Bloom” the coffee grounds by pouring 75-100 g of water (for 22 g of coffee) onto the grounds taking care to wet the grounds evenly. Let the coffee bloom for 15 sec. Then give the bloom a five back and forth stirs with a spoon (one stir is a back and forth(.
9. Using a continuous circular motion, pour the water over the coffee. Pour water until you reach the desired weight (e.g. 365-374 g of water for 22 g of coffee - the 1:17 ratio is 374g but once you get your technique down, feel free to experiment - we recommend 365g of water for 22 g of coffee yields a very good cup with Clever Drippers). The fill should put your timer at the one minute mark.
10. Then stir filled coffee slurry with a second round of five back and forth stirs with a spoon (one stir is a back and forth). Put the lid onto the Clever Dripper.
11. Once your timer reaches the 2 minute mark (including the bloom time), take the Clever Coffee Dripper off the coaster and put it directly on top of your coffee cup so that the bottom mechanism is engaged and coffee starts dripping into your cup. Your coffee will be ready once the coffee has filtered through completely to the cup - about 3 and a half minutes. Lift the Clever lid and the grounds will appear moist without any liquid.
12. Take the Clever Coffee Dripper off of your cup and ENJOY your cup of coffee!

 

[PinkRose]

Or, to be a bit more precise:

Bacchus,

Thanks for the thorough step-by-step "recipe"

Do you use metric measurements regularly, or did you do the conversions for this particular post?

I wonder if the next question will be "What's filtered water?"

Rose

 

[Bacchus]

No, I copied the whole thing from a google lookup I did to help answer this question. For my own purposes, I converted the units to ones I normally deal with, i.e., ounces, etc. The usual ratio I've found is 20 grams of coffee to 300 grams of water. If memory serves correctly, 300 grams of water is a little over 10 ounces.

 

[CoffeeBBQandCigars]

How big is a big mug?

 

[Bacchus]

A 12 oz mug works just fine with a Clever. I find that it takes almost 13 oz of hot water for the pour-over part since some is lost to the grounds and filter. Experimentation will get you to the right proportions...

 

[Mr.Peaberry]

Or, to be a bit more precise:

1. Set your kettle of filtered water to boil.
2. Weigh your coffee beans to your desired weight - 22 g per mug (we like big cups of coffee) and Clever Coffee Dripper’s are great for a BIG single cup of coffee.
3. Take the paper filter (we like “Kalita 103” paper filters with Clevers but the Melita #4s work also) and fold the bottom seam over one time and then fold the side side over once. This helps the filter best fit into the Clever.
4. Put the paper filter into the Clever Coffee Dripper. Wet the paper filter with hot water to eliminate a paper taste in your coffee. Pour the hot water out.
5. Put the Clever Coffee Dripper and it’s coaster onto your scale and tare to zero. TIP: Be sure the cup/mug you are using can hold the amount of water you plan to brew with the coffee AND that the Clever fits properly on top of it.
6. Grind the coffee in your conical burr grinder. We recommend a medium to coarse filter drip grind. Pour the freshly grounded coffee into the Clever Coffee Dripper with the wetted filter. Tare the scale back to zero.
7. Take the boiling kettle off the stove and let it set for 30 seconds. The water temperature goal is to brew with water that's around 205-206F.
8. Start a timer. “Bloom” the coffee grounds by pouring 75-100 g of water (for 22 g of coffee) onto the grounds taking care to wet the grounds evenly. Let the coffee bloom for 15 sec. Then give the bloom a five back and forth stirs with a spoon (one stir is a back and forth(.
9. Using a continuous circular motion, pour the water over the coffee. Pour water until you reach the desired weight (e.g. 365-374 g of water for 22 g of coffee - the 1:17 ratio is 374g but once you get your technique down, feel free to experiment - we recommend 365g of water for 22 g of coffee yields a very good cup with Clever Drippers). The fill should put your timer at the one minute mark.
10. Then stir filled coffee slurry with a second round of five back and forth stirs with a spoon (one stir is a back and forth). Put the lid onto the Clever Dripper.
11. Once your timer reaches the 2 minute mark (including the bloom time), take the Clever Coffee Dripper off the coaster and put it directly on top of your coffee cup so that the bottom mechanism is engaged and coffee starts dripping into your cup. Your coffee will be ready once the coffee has filtered through completely to the cup - about 3 and a half minutes. Lift the Clever lid and the grounds will appear moist without any liquid.
12. Take the Clever Coffee Dripper off of your cup and ENJOY your cup of coffee!

Am I the only one that finds humor in the fact that Bacchus has just provided a 12 step process for making coffee. Isn't the first step supposed to be admitting you have a problem, lol!! :decaf: