Coffee, coffee, coffee. Did you know we're fans of coffee? We love eating our coffee obviously but would never abandon our ritual of a morning cup O' joe.

If you can imagine, we've tested a lot of ways to consume coffee. We like to think that makes us experts in the field.

Making a fresh, delicious cup of coffee is one thing, but it's crucial to start with the right beans (fresh).

Also, your grinder is actually very important and we recommend a Burr Grinder. For a smooth, well-rounded cup, the size and shape of the coffee grounds matter. The helicopter motion of a blade grinder produces uneven-sized grounds, while a burr grinder uses abrasive, cylindrical surfaces (the burrs) to crush beans into a uniform grind size. Burr grinders also have different settings, so you get the right consistency for the brewing method you’re using. [1]

We've broken down making the perfect cup into 5 different methods for you, depending on what tools you have in your caffeinated wheelhouse.

1. THE PERCOLATOR - An icon in the coffee world.

Use coarse grounds for a rich and strong brew.

For those of you who've never heard this word, a percolator is essentially a pot that holds the coffee grounds in a little chamber while super-hot water is circulated through it.

It also happens to be the name of a really awkward dance move, but we won't go there (we'll let your imagination take this one from here).

So how exactly do you make coffee with one of these things?

1. Keep all parts of the percolator as clean as possible. This might mean using a pipe cleaner to get all the hard-to-get spots.
2. Use freshly ground coffee.
3. Fill the Coffee Percolator with water to below the line on the stem where the filter basket will rest.
4. Put the filter basket in its and add a heaping tablespoon of coffee for each cup of water in the pot.
5. Put the basket lid on and let it begin percolating.

Note: If you are using an electric percolator, plug it in and turn it on. Now you trust the electric machine to do what it's supposed to do until it's done. If you are using a stovetop percolator, put it over a low flame to begin heating up the water. Right when you see the first blip of coffee in the little glass bubble, turn your heat down.

6. Watch the pot closely. As soon as the pot stops perking, remove it from the heat.

7. This is the most important part of making coffee in a percolator.

Being careful not to give yourself third-degree burns, remove the lid and entire filter stem. If you leave it in there, the steam from the coffee will continue to condense and drip over the spent coffee grounds and into your coffee (no thank you!).

8. Fill up your cup and get energized!

Just remember: practice makes perfect, and for the love of coffee, don’t let the water boil. [2]

2. THE AEROPRESS - a strange-looking little gadget that produces a superb cup of coffee. [3]

Grind to a texture slightly finer than sea salt for a quick, smooth brew.

The AeroPress is a fun little gadget that was invented about 13 years ago by the engineer, physicist, and Stanford lecturer, Alan Adler. He was impatient with the process of making a good cup of coffee (we can relate).

Before you begin, make sure you have all the right tools needed.

Alright, enough explaining. Let’s AeroPress:

1. Measure out and grind up about 2 ½ tablespoons.
2. Prep your contraption. Place the filter in the basket, then rinse the filter out with hot water and preheat the brewer. By doing this you will be able to warm everything up and get rid of the paper flavor.
3. Add the coffee! Attach the basket to the bottom of the brew chamber and place this over your mug. Use the coffee loader or funnel that comes with your AeroPress to add in your coffee and remove the funnel once complete.
4. Add the h2o. When you start to pour, set your timer and saturate all your grounds within 10 seconds. You will want to pour to the number 4 (about 220g of water). Spin the chamber to make sure all the coffee is saturated.
5. Place plunger and wait. Once you reach the number 4 on the chamber, stir your coffee and water mixture around. Place the plunger on the brew chamber pulling up slightly to create a pressure seal. Don’t plunge yet!
6. When your timer hits 1:15, remove the seal and stir your coffee mixture once more. NOW you can plunge. Start gently and press down using steady pressure. You’ll want to stop as soon as you start to hear a hissing sound.
7. Clean and enjoy! [4]

Do you feel like a space-aged superhuman yet?

3. DRIP FILTER - for those who have more patience than an AeroPress user.

Also known as pour-over coffee.

Grind to a texture comparable to sea salt for slow-drip goodness.

1. Bring water to a boil (at least 600 grams or 20 oz).
2. Grind your coffee (3 tbsp or 30 grams) to a sea-salt-like coarseness.
3. Place a filter in the dripper. If you don’t want the taste of paper in your coffee, we recommend wetting the filter beforehand with hot water.
4. Add the ground coffee to the filter and gently tap to level the surface of the grounds. Place the brewer on a carafe or cup. For precision, place this entire set-up onto a digital scale set to zero.
5. Pour #1 of 4. If you’re a coffee-nerd like we are, this part is the most exciting. This is when you will see the coffee “bloom.” As hot water first hits the grounds, Co2 is released creating a blossoming effect—the grounds will rise up en masse. [5]
6. Start a timer. Begin slowly pouring the water over the coffee. Start at the outer rim and spiral in toward the center at a steady pace. Stop pouring when the scale hits 60 grams. Make sure all the grounds are saturated, even if you need to add a little water. The pour should take about 15 seconds. Give the coffee an additional 30 seconds to drip before moving on to the second pour.

1. Pour #3 of 4. As the mixture of water and coffee from the second pour drops, pour another 100 grams of water using the same pattern (a total of 250 grams). This should take about 20 seconds.
2. The final pour! (#4 of 4). When the coffee and water from the third pour falls to the bottom of the filter, complete the final pour. Add 100 grams, (total of 250 grams of water). Again, this should take about 20 seconds.
3. You did it. Enjoy! 

4. COLD BREW - Easier than we thought and stronger than we thought.

Grind to a coarse texture for a strong, very strong brew.

Unlike the previous methods, there are a zillion ways and opinions on how to make a solid cold brew. Some use a fancy Cold Brew Tower and others make it more simply. We’re going to give you the simple way because we don’t expect you to buy a pricey glass tower. If you’re feeling up to it, go ahead and try the fancy way. We will cheer from the sidelines.

Alright. Let’s brew:

1. Grind the coffee beans on the coarsest setting on your grinder. Make sure you have about 1 cup of coffee grounds.
2. Combine the ground coffee and water (4 cups) in an air-tight container (an upright one… we’re not making soup here).
3. Stir gently with a tall spoon to make sure the grounds are fully saturated.
4. Place in the refrigerator and let it steep overnight.  Make sure to close the container so you don’t end up drinking dust-bunnies.
5. Strain the coffee after about 12 hours by lining a strainer with cheesecloth placed over a measuring cup or bowl.
6. Store the coffee by transferring it to a bottle or jar. Good for up to a week.
7. Serve! Dilute the cold brew with as much water or milk as you prefer. Remember, this stuff is strong so tread carefully at first until you find the right balance. We like ours served over ice with a dash of cream. 

5. FRENCH PRESS - Oh là là!

This one sounds fancy, but it’s pretty cheap and very simple.

Grind to a coarse texture for a solid brew.

1. Measure your beans. Let’s start with a ½ cup.
2. Grind! They should look similar to breadcrumbs. [6]
3. Pour the grounds into the French press.
4. Heat the water until it boils, then cool for about 60 seconds. It should go down to about 195°F (not as hot as boiled water). Feel free to use a thermometer if you want to be sure.
5. Measure out 4 cups and add to the French press.
6. Stir the brew vigorously like you’re trying to build your biceps, using an up and down motion.
7. Steep for 4 minutes for a solid brew. This might vary slightly.
8. After 4 minutes, push the plunger all the way to the bottom.
9. Drink your coffee! It will get weird if you leave it sitting inside the French press for too long. Nobody likes weird coffee.

Stumptown went the extra mile and provided videos if you’re into that.

Think you’re more of a coffee expert? Shoot us an email at marketing@eatyour.coffee

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