When it comes to that morning cup of joe, necessity has been the mother of invention for many of us this year. Out has gone the habitual visit to our cheery local barista – hello, Marco! – replaced with a need to duplicate the taste and buzz from the relatively espresso-machine-free surrounds of our kitchens.
But before you do anything desperate, like drink instant, help is available. Here’s how to make filter coffee perfectly every time, using three different methods.
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One of my favourite ways to make coffee is the pourover – complex, strong, dark, like every mysterious stranger you’ve ever fancied. It’s easy to do at home too: all you need is filters and a pourover cone (experts say you should pour from the kettle in a slow anticlockwise direction). The Hario ceramic V60 is the absolute gold standard. This is probably the most labour-intensive way to make filter coffee, but produces a damn fine cup. Oh, and grind your own beans.
Some people (ie me) don’t like faffing around with coffee in the morning; they just want a big pot of the black stuff, no messing, no fuss and quick. That’s where a coffee machine comes in. Filter in, grounds in, water in, go for a shower, there it is. The Moccamaster is beautiful and comes in lots of colours, but hotels’ supplier of choice Bravilor is for people who take their coffee seriously. Also, grind your own beans, seriously.
It’s the faffiest of all the ways of making filter coffee but also the quickest, and the AeroPress produces a seriously delicious cup of coffee. Chuck in the usual filter, ground coffee and hot water, give it a stir, and wait just 60 seconds, then drop the plunger and you’re setting off some major caffeine TNT for yourself. By the way, I’m not joking: grind your own damn beans.
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