Tag: Trade Coffee

My Coffee Subscription

As I improved my coffee-making skills in the French Press, AeroPress, and Chemex, I began to consume more coffee. Coffee I purchased at the grocery store was fine. Here in Southern Utah, we have a few local coffee roasters that sell beans I can grind at home. But over the past year, I got bored with my limited choices. So I began to search for a coffee subscription service.

trade-coffee-new

I decided to give Trade Coffee a try, mostly because I like the design of their website. I signed up, and my first bag of beans arrived about a week later. Besides offering coffee beans from dozens of roasters around the US, they have some features that keep me with the service. Among them:

  • Ability to change order date (earlier or later)
  • Coffee rating system
  • Gift service (sending my favorite coffee to friends!)
  • Tips on different brewing techniques

I didn’t expect to be so satisfied with my first foray into a coffee subscription, but Trade has been fantastic in exposing me to coffees I wouldn’t have otherwise tasted. When I signed up, Trade asked me to answer a few questions to determine the type of coffee I might like along with my preferred brew method. Of the dozen or so bags of coffee, Trade has sent, only one bag wasn’t that memorable.

A couple of my favorite coffees so far: Colombia San Roque and Guatemala Finca Nuevo Vinas.

My Coffee Routine

With the coronavirus running rampant through the world, I’ve been making a lot more coffee at home. The Starbucks, Perks and other local coffee shops are open, but only for take out or drive-thru. After several years of using mainly the French Press method, I switched to Chemex. Here is my routine for making coffee each morning for my spouse and myself.

Equipment

Preparation

I begin by measuring 1100 grams of filtered water into my kettle, and then set it on the stove to boil. I then measure 62 grams of coffee beans and hand-grind them at a medium to course setting. I set the ground beans aside and prepare my Chemex. I’ve found folding the Chemex filters down the middle helps keep it in place when I begin my pour-over.

Chemex, Coffee and Chris Botti

One reason I like the Pour Over gooseneck kettle is because it includes a thermometer on the lid. When the water reaches just past 200 degrees Fahrenheit, I pull it off the stove. I then put my Chemex with filter on my scale and tare it before I pour 100 grams of water over the filter. This rinses away any paper taste from the filter and helps warm the Chemex vessel.

Dump the water from the Chemex, and then carefully place your coffee grounds into the filter. Tare the scale again, and slowly pour about 120 grams (or twice the amount of coffee) over your beans, make sure to cover them all. The goal here is to allow the water to release the carbon dioxide from the beans and prepare them for the pour over. Let the coffee bloom for about 30-40 seconds.

Then take your kettle and slowly pour about another 400 grams worth of hot water over the beans. I’ve found making smallish circles with the gooseneck allows for a more even extraction of beans. Take a spoon or bamboo stick and gently stir the slurry to make sure there’s no clumping going on. Then pour the rest of the water using the same circular motions.

The entire pour-over, from start to finish, should take about 3:30 to 4:30 minutes, although don’t stress too much if you take a little longer. I’m probably taking closer to 5 minutes most mornings, but that could be because I’m barely awake before my first cup.

I allow the coffee to brew until I see it begin to drip from the filter before tossing it in the trash. I then give the fresh coffee a quick stir before enjoying it with a few ounces of half-and-half. If you’ve used good quality coffee, give it a taste test before adding a lot of sweeteners. You might find the flavors of the coffee are enough to please your palate.