What I Learned From the Local Coffee Geek

Months ago I read an article in the Willamette Weekly about pour-over coffee brewing. And well, since half of my friends in the Portland Metro are baristas (spell-check thinks I meant to say "bastards".  What exactly are you trying to pull here, Spell-check, with your shady algorithmic schemery?), I felt it was time to venture out and explore new things in the world of coffee making.  Well....new to me anyhow.   

My quest for a new coffee making mechanism was a major success this past weekend. My old red coffee maker is dying a slow death, but thanks to a run-in with Moscow's local coffee geek Andrew, who works at One World Cafe downtown, I've been turned on to new ways to brew coffee.  Okay, they're not really that new, but new to my palate anyhow.

Enter Andrew. I instantly knew I'd like him because he basically leaped over the bar in his excitement to demonstrate and educate someone on the science and art of a simple cup of coffee.

I had popped in to inquire about the Chemex, a rather cool (and dare I say sexy) hour-glass shaped coffee device supposedly great for the classic drip method.  But I was soon re-introduced to a craze I've seen all over Portland but not really understood until recently.
 
Enter the Clever Coffee Dripper.

Photo taken from someone else's blog:  Click here!

 How's this any different than a French Press, you might wonder?  Well, the finished product has no sediment seeping over into your cuppa, which is generally not possible with the Press (at least in my experience), not to mention the taste is so, so, very rich and smooth.  Perfection in a mug.

Here's some CCD tips via Andrew at One World: 

1.  Ground your coffee as for a standard drip coffee maker (not too fine, not too course).

2.  Place the filter in the CCD and dampen it with some warm water; then pour out the excess water before adding the coffee grounds. (I honestly don't remember why this step was important, but Andrew looked quite the Einstein of brewville, so okay...sure, whatever). 

Photo taken from Here

3.  Add coffee grounds, and then pour just enough boiling water to cover the grounds.  Wait 45ish seconds for the grounds to release their dose of carbon dioxide before continuing.  Andrew had this motion perfectly choreographed with his timer set to precisely 47.5 seconds.  He assured me experimentation was necessary to obtain the exact secondage in accordance with the amount of grounds to be brewed.  Experimentation, you say?  Sweet.  Thank you, I will most certainly take that to heart, Professor Snape.  (This part makes me feel like I'm in a science lab, concocting potions that will revolutionize the world.  But who are we kidding here?  I add so much milk and flavoring to my coffee, I could probably skip this step altogether and never know the difference, though I dare not confess this to Andrew.)

But I never skip this step.  Never.  I like to believe that without this critical 47.25 second pause, I would not have complete control over the extraction process.  And I do.  I truly do.  You see, here's what makes the pour over method taste so darn good (at least according to my own Force-sensitive, padawonish, amateur know-how.  There.  Have fun with that, Spell-check.  Padawonish, not shadowiness...hehe.)

With your standard automated coffee machine, the middle of the your coffee grounds are immersed in water and usually over-extracted resulting in too much bitterness, while the grounds on the perimeter are often under-extracted resulting in sourness.  (Poor, marginal coffee grounds.  I feel sorry for them.  Pitiful.)  Simultaneous under-extraction and over-extraction does not average out into a coffee sweet spot, unless you are a fan of super-bitter or sour coffee.  If that's the case, I can't help you.

So I set a 45 sec. timer on my microwave, you know, to de-gas those coffee grounds and all.  Critical, friends.  Absolutely critical.  As the carbon dioxide releases, the grounds began to bubble creating a slight caramel-colored foam.  It kinda makes me smile.  My potions master would be so proud. 

4.  Add the rest of the boiling water and wait about 4 minutes.  Then place the CCD on top of your coffee mug or kettle and watch the dripping process commence.  There ya go!

Photo taken from a coffee website I've never read:  Click Here

Photo taken from Here

Plus, the CCD costs just under $13 and since it requires no electricity, I can totally take it camping with me on the weekends.  Sweet!!

Needless to say I now own my own Clever Coffee Dripper and for my birthday this month Bruce got me an espresso machine.   And I'm beyond giddy about them both.  I've had a ball experimenting with all sorts of yummy coffee drinks in my kitchen. Maybe I'll post about the espresso machine later. 

Anyhoo, for those interested, you can check out some Portland, geeky, coffee news by clicking here:  Drip City.  

So once my work is done on this lovely, rainy day, I'll make myself another cup of coffee and get back to the important things in life.  *Sigh*  Cannot put this book down!