Leveling up: Coffee-drinking #goals for 2020

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My goal is to make and drink better coffee in 2020—and spend less money doing it.  According to Mark Bittman, special advisor on food policy at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, we spend too much money on coffee by going out for coffee instead of brewing our own good coffee at home.  



Bittman suggests that the key to better coffee is grinding your own (fresh) beans, making stronger coffee (yes!), and opting for the more laborious pour-over versus relying on an automatic coffee-maker. When it comes to grinders, there are many good options---the point is to have FRESH beans and to grind them and use them while they’re fresh.

However, brewing stronger coffee requires more precision than just jumping on Amazon and putting something in your cart. Brewing stronger coffee is a mathematical endeavor.  Bittman recommends a ratio of 20 grams of coffee for every 10 ounces of water.  20 grams translates into 1/6th of a cup.

Pour-over is a rather fancy name for a very basic process that involves a cup, a filter, and a funnel. There are many options, ranging from simple plastic funnels with paper filters, to stainless steel or ceramic options.  Granted, you can’t make 8 cups of coffee at once with the pour-over process.  You must slowly pour the hot water (just a little cooler than boiling temperature) over the freshly ground beans---and then allow the coffee to bloom full of flavor and scent. 

If, however, your goal is to make post-dinner coffee for a party of 8, you should break out the automatic coffee-maker.

Like coffee grinders, there are literally hundreds of pour-over supply options on Amazon.  Funnels, filters, grinders, and coffee gift cards make great holiday gifts. And remember, you can always gift yourself.

Let’s make 2020 our best coffee-drinking year yet! Cheers.


DOING THE MATH IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

Comments

Emiliac said…
Nothing Beats Coffee!
Qué Pasa? Hope all is well.
HAPPY XMAS, HANUKKAH, SOLSTICE.
Hey that email for me is not one that I use!
December 18, 2019 at 10:06 AM
Emiliac said…
I have to get you what we Boricuas jokingly refer to as a Sock.
That was the only way when I was growing up.
The water was brought up to a boil.
Healing tablespoons of coffee were added and
It was poured into the (seasoned) Cotton Cloth/sock!
The ‘sock’ is sewn over a wire hoop Is most similar to the Pour Over.
Pour-over is a rather fancy name for a very basic process that involves a cup, a filter, and a funnel. There are many options, ranging from simple plastic funnels with paper filters, to stainless steel or ceramic options. Granted, you can’t make 8 cups of coffee at once with the pour-over process. You must slowly pour the hot water (just a little cooler than boiling temperature) over the freshly ground beans---and then allow the coffee to bloom full of flavor and scent.
December 18, 2019 at 10:19 AM
Nicole Gray said…
Emilia, I am now IN LOVE with Bustelo! Thank you so much!
January 2, 2020 at 11:39 AM
Excel Pipe Fitting Co said…
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February 13, 2020 at 6:26 AM
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