more than one way to brew your coffee

There are a variety of ways to brew coffee and each has its own characteristics and benefits.

Espresso is best known for producing strong, intense coffees however other brewing methods such as percolators can also produce intense ‘hits’. Plungers are very good at drawing out the subtleties of African origin coffees and drip filters can produce a well-balanced, smooth brew. The use of a paper filter in making drip filtered coffee can result in the removal of essential oils from the coffee brew; some people find the resulting taste to their liking while others don't. Vacuum pots have the unique ability to remove sediment and are particularly good for producing a crisp brew with heightened flavours from delicate coffees such as those found in Central America and Africa.

The best brewing method to use depends upon your individual taste and convenience factors. Some beans are also more suited to one brewing process than another.

Here are some useful tips for brewing coffee using the most popular methods:

How to use the plunger

1. Make sure the glass and filter are clean.
2. Heat the water to just under boiling point: 90°-96°C (194°-205°F)
3. Warm the plunger by pouring warm water into it then dispose of the water. By pre-warming the glass you keep the coffee warmer in what is considered to be a relatively cold process, as the water is not heated during the long brewing process.
4. Scoop 7g (¼oz) of your favourite coffee (Purely Blue Coffee of course) into the plunger per cup. This is one coffee scoop or one heaped tablespoon per 150ml (5oz) cup. If you are using a mug you might want to double the amount of coffee you use.
5. Pour in the hot water from a sufficient height so that it agitates the coffee as it enters the plunger. Remember to use the appropriate amount of water for the number of cups you are making.
6. Remember that plungers can be hot and so it is a good idea to use a mat under them to prevent damage to table surfaces.
7. Stir the coffee with a spoon. It is best to avoid using a metal spoon since it might break the glass.
8. Put the lid on the plunger but do not permit the filter to descend into the liquid. This effectively traps the heat in the plunger and keeps the coffee warmer.
9. Wait four minutes.
10. Press the filter down slowly but firmly if you have used the correct amount of coffee and haven't packed it too hard the plunger should descend without much trouble. Make sure that the spout is open and clear to avoid the coffee flowing out.
11. Pour the coffee, enjoy the aroma and savour the taste.

Plungers make an excellent, subtle coffee where the pressure exerted as the coffee is ‘plunged’ extracts the acidity of the coffee that enhances flavour combinations.

How to use a home espresso machine

Each home espresso machine is different so it is advisable to refer to your machine manufacturers instructions for guidance; however, most follow a broad set of principles.

1. Make sure the equipment is clean, paying careful attention to the filter baskets and brewing heads.
2. Heat the machine to bring it up to pressure.
3. Prime the machine by running some water through the brewing head.
4. Place one measure 7g (¼oz) of coffee (Purely Blue Coffee of course) into the filter basket and ‘tamp’ it by applying firm even pressure to the ground coffee with the tamper provided with your machine. This is important since it ensures that the water flows through the coffee evenly with the right amount of resistance to achieve a perfect brew.
5. Place the basket into the brewing head.
6. Place a pre-warmed cup under the brewing head in readiness to receive the extracted brew.
7. If extracting of the coffee liquor is done manually it is important to stop the flow as soon as the coffee looses its bubble topped syrupy consistency otherwise the resulting brew will be bitter. The bubbles are called the coffee's ‘crèma’ are an important sign that you have got the process right.
8. Ideally the extraction process will force one measure (30ml/1oz) of water through the coffee over a period of 25 seconds. Stop the process earlier if you like stronger coffee. For a weaker coffee just add hot water.
9. Repeat the cleaning and priming process before making more coffee.
10. If you are using the machine to steam the milk, remember that steam requires hotter water and higher pressure than the coffee brewing and you may need to rest the machine until it returns to its normal operating temperature brewing more coffee.

Try Purely Blue Coffee's ‘Blue’ for that great medium espresso roasted flavour.

How to use a percolator

1. Ensure all parts of the brewer are clean, especially the parts which come in contact with the water or coffee like the basket and pot.
2. Fill the lower portion of the pot with water up to just below the pressure relief valve.
3. Fill the filter basket to the top with your favourite coffee (Purely Blue Coffee of course) and carefully scrape any loose coffee off the rim so that it will seal properly. It is important that you do not pack the coffee down like you would if you were using an espresso machine.
4. Assemble the brewer and place over strong heat. If you are using gas heating you can instantly stop the brewing process at the right time by turning off the gas. The same can be achieved if you are using an electric element by swiftly removing the percolator from the heat source.
5. Watch for the coffee to begin flowing into the top section of the percolator.
6. Pour immediately so that the coffee doesn't burn due to the pot's residual heat. Do not allow the coffee to brew longer than necessary otherwise overextraction will occur resulting in bitterness. For a weaker coffee just add hot water.
7. Percolators require medium fine grind otherwise the coffee won't come out syrupy. Conversely, getting a lot of coffee from your percolator could be a sign of too fine a grind.
8. With practice a stove top percolator can produce an excellent espresso coffee at a very manageable cost.

‘Out of Africa’ is an excellent richly roasted coffee for your percolator.

How to use a drip filter

1. Make sure that your dripolator is clean. A good quality paper filter will ensure that the paper does not affect the flavour of the coffee. A gold foil filter will prevent this problem but you should make sure that there is no soap residue on the filter before brewing takes place.
2. Ensure that the filter is assembled correctly in the machine.
3. Scoop approximately 7g (¼oz) of your favourite coffee (Purely Blue Coffee of course) coffee per cup into the filter.
4. If you have an automatic drip filter coffee maker the next few steps happen without your assistance.
5. Heat the water to just under boiling point and steep the coffee by pouring in a little hot water to soak the coffee grounds, and then slowly pour in the required amount of water for the number of cups you are brewing.
6. If you have used the correct proportion of coffee and water and the correct grind, your coffee will be perfectly brewed when the water stops dripping through the filter. Serve and enjoy the aroma and the taste. Drip filters produce a mild brew that is well balanced because the only pressure acting on the coffee is gravity. It is also a very forgiving brewing method, ideal for those with other things to do.

‘Mexican Sunrise’ and ‘Boudoir’ are two of our flavoured roasts that brew to perfection in a drip filter process.

How to use a vacuum pot

Vacuum pots are a rare and adventurous way to brew coffee. They can be cumbersome and fragile but the results are truly memorable.

The vacuum design of the vacuum pot ensures that the coffee is brewed for exactly the right amount of time at precisely the right temperature. With only the pot and the water coming into contact with the coffee there is no fear of taste contamination, resulting in a very pure tasting brew.

The thing that makes brewing coffee in a vacuum pot so much fun is the spectacle created by the process which is ideal for showing off in front of your friends.

1. Vacuum pots look a bit like an hourglass, with two glass pots being joined at their necks.
2. Place 7g (¼oz) per cup of your favourite coffee (Purely Blue Coffee of course) into the top pot and water into the bottom pot.
3. Heat the water and watch the water as it moves up the tube into the top pot where it infuses with the coffee.
4. The cooling water then creates a vacuum in the lower pot and the coffee is drawn down through a filter in to the lower pot.
5. Remove the top pot when the process is complete.
6. Pour the coffee from the bottom pot.
7. Enjoy the aroma, the great taste and the admiration of your friends!

Vacuum pots can be heated either electrically or by using a small oil or gas flame.

‘Blue’ is the perfect medium roasted coffee for vacuum pots.