Coffee is a tradition at our house. First thing in the morning, fresh coffee.  Cappuccino for her.  Black for me.

There are many variables in making a good cup of coffee.  Blend or Varietal, Terroir, Roast, Grind…. all of these  terms become rather confusing. Add on the question of the how to: machine made, cold drip, stovetop, presspot, percolator, etc and you end up with stress instead of a good cup. Life’s decisions can be intimidating.

The Solution?  Start with fresh coffee- and work from there.


One of our favorite things to do is the pour over technique. You may have seen this at the local coffee house- hot water poured on grounds- simple…but what a beautiful sight and smell first thing in the morning!

Royal Doulton introduced their Coffee Studio line. It’s focused on coffee and includes a personal pourover kit: mug, filters, and filter holder- something special just for you.

We asked our friends over at Firecreek Coffee to give us some help with the pourover technique.

  1. Use freshly ground coffee, if possible. Good water, too.
  2. Place the filter into the holder and onto the mug.
  3. Add coffee grounds. Doulton suggests about an ounce. Think about halfway.  This is something you can play with to taste as well.
  4. Wet the filter and the coffee with hot water. Try not to add more water than needed to just get everything wet. You can use a special ‘dripper’ if necessary (like Firecreek) but we’ve been able to do this carefully with a small saucepan.
  5. Wait about 30 seconds.  This causes a ‘bloom’ (see above) where the air in the grounds begins to escape and causes bubbling.
  6. Slowly and evenly add the remainder of the water (less than a cup). Circular motion tends to be the best.  The idea is to try to keep the brewing process stable.
  7. Watch and smell.
  8. Drink.

Seems fairly simple?  It is.  The key is to play with the variables to define your own taste. Too weak? Add more coffee or a smaller grind. Then mix it up. Try a different roast.  Add sugar or flavor. Foam? Sure.  Above all, have fun.  This is about your enjoyment. Start your own tradition.

Coffee Studio is available at amusespot in Henderson, Nevada or Starrlight Books in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Online at amusespot.com

$24.99 on sale.

 

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