Can We Trust the Brewing Recipes That Come with a New Brewer? - Driftaway Coffee

Can We Trust the Brewing Recipes That Come with a New Brewer?

By 06/20/2017Coffee cademy

Most coffee makers come with instructions on how to use them. While parts of these instructions are useful, the recipes included in them often aren’t reliable. Here’s are some examples to show why you shouldn’t trust the brewing instructions that come with new coffee makers.

Most Coffee Makers Recommend Using a Scoop

Most coffee makers’ brewing instructions recommend using a scoop to measure out the coffee grounds you use.

As we explained in our post on coffee scales, however, scoops are unreliable ways to measure out coffee. Scoops measure by volume, which can vary depending on bean size. A scale is a much more accurate method of measuring out coffee and the one we recommend.

The standard instructions that come with coffee makers don’t take into account nuances like this. It’s attention to details like this that can be the difference between an alright cup of coffee and a great one.

Most Coffee Makers Don’t Recommend Letting Fresh Coffee Bloom

As the specialty coffee industry has grown, more and more people are drinking fresh coffee that needs to bloom during the first stage of brewing. (Blooming involves getting grounds damp and letting carbon dioxide escape for about 30 to 40 seconds before continuing with the brewing process.)

Many coffee maker manufacturers, however, haven’t kept up with this development in the industry. While there are some high-end auto-drips that let people control how long their grounds bloom for, the vast majority of coffee makers’ brewing instructions don’t mention anything about bloom.

If freshly roasted coffee isn’t allowed to bloom, carbon dioxide will be trapped in the brewed coffee. The result is a sour-tasting brew that’s, at best, not nearly as good as the coffee could be. In some cases, it can even be too sour to enjoy.

Even Respected Coffee Makers Have Poor Instructions

The deficiencies in coffee makers’ instructions aren’t limited to low-end coffee makers. Even the Aeropress — which many specialty coffee enthusiasts use and we’ve covered extensively — has bad instructions.

The Aeropress’ included instructions recommend using water that’s 175 degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature is far too cool for brewing a decent cup of coffee. Unless making cold-brew, the water used to brew coffee should be between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Aeropress community has created many great recipes. The company’s standard included instructions, though, show that even well-respected coffee makers’ brewing instructions can be poor.

Find a Trusted Source for Coffee Information

If you’re looking for a trusted source that regularly provides detailed, thorough and accurate information on making coffee, check out CoffeeCademy. Unlike manufacturers who work in factories producing goods, we at Driftaway Coffee are roasters who are constantly working directly with coffee. We roast weekly, and we’re drinking coffee daily. When not handling coffee, we’re often researching it or otherwise advancing our knowledge. We’ve written a lot on coffee, and we know coffee brewing.

To keep up with CoffeeCademy, like us on Facebook. We regularly keep our Facebook fans abreast of new pieces that are on our site.

Author Scott

Scott is a professional writer for Driftaway Coffee. He worked as a barista for eight years, but today prefers to enjoy his beverages from the other side of the counter. When not drinking Driftaway Coffee, Scott usually has a mug of his own roasted coffee nearby.

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