South and Central American coffees are typically lighter in body, bright in acidity, and flavored by nutty or light floral spice.
Indonesian and Pacific coffees are generally full in body, smooth or low in acidity, and typified by earthy or herbal flavors.
African and Arabian coffees are usually medium to full in body, bright and tangy in acidity, and characterized by fruit/wine-like qualities.
With all the new crazy gadgets available to us these days, you may find yourself with a lot of questions about how to properly brew your coffee. The great news is that the basic rules for brewing apply to almost all brewing methods!
1. Make sure your gear is clean and ready. Coffee can stain, but did you ever stop to think that those stains carry flavors and odors that can go rancid? Clean your brewer after every use to ensure you taste the coffee and not the pot!
2. Use freshly roasted whole bean coffee. After roasting, you have roughly 10-14 days to use your whole bean coffee once it has been opened from its packaging. Darker roasted coffee will stale a bit faster because oils on the surface of the bean are exposed to air, moisture, and varying temperatures. Pre-ground coffee will stale at an even faster rate. Buy your freshly roasted coffee on a weekly basis. Store it in an airtight container at just below room temperature.
3. Grind the coffee to the proper consistency for your brewer. Most home grinders have a setting that corresponds to your brewer. The brew time helps to check the grind you’ve selected. Notice the chart below. If you have a blade grinder, it’s often trial and error or inconsistent, so get to know it well.
Home espresso: grind very fine, and brew for 20-30 seconds
Cone filter or vacuum pot: grind fine, and brew for 1-4 minutes
Commercial drip brewer: grind medium, and brew for 4-6 minutes
French press: grind coarse, and brew for 4-6 minutes
4. Use a measure of two level tablespoons, or 10 grams, of coffee per 6 ounces of water. People usually begin with this rule and adjust it to personal taste. If you stray too far in one direction, however, you will get either too strong or too weak a cup.
5. Use freshly drawn cold water. (Avoid softened water. Filtered water or good tap water work just fine.)
6. Brew at the right temperature. Your water should be heated to just before boiling point and used immediately.
7. Keep it hot and drink it soon. Brewed coffee loses a lot of its character over time. After brewing, hold it in a clean hot thermos and discard after an hour. Don’t ever reheat or microwave coffee!
]]>Here are some tips to brewing good tea:
Start with fresh, cold good-tasting water
The best tea is only as good as the water with which it is prepared. We recommend using filtered or bottled spring water with a natural mineral content that is neither too hard nor too soft. Distilled water is not recommended since water purified of its mineral content produces a flat tasting infusion. The freshness of the water is important as fresh water contains more oxygen, which enhances the taste of the tea. Never use hot tap water or water that has already boiled for a long time as this will result in a flat and dull tasting tea with little aroma.
Preheat the teapot
It is important to preheat the pot or cup in which the tea will be steeped. If hot water is poured into a cold vessel, the temperature of the water will drop too quickly and the full flavor of the tea will not be extracted. To preheat the pot: pour a little of the boiling water from the kettle into the pot and then pour this water off into the drinking cups to warm them.
Measure the appropriate amount of dry leaves
Ideally, 3 grams of dry leaves should be used for every 6 ounces of water. Since you may not have a gram weight scale, we recommend starting with one rounded teaspoon of dry leaves for each 6-ounce cup. Since different teas have widely varying weights, it is important to adjust the amount of dry leaves accordingly. With lighter weight teas such as large, wiry oolongs and whites, try 2 teaspoons per 6 oz cup.
Select the right water temperature
Black, Dark Oolong, Herbal – These types are best prepared with water that has come to near boiling. Don’t let the water boil too long or the oxygen content will be reduced and the tea will taste flat.
Green, White, Green Oolong – These types should not be prepared with boiling water as this will cook the leaves and destroy their flavor. Japanese greens tend to taste best with water at 170-180º F. China green teas tend to taste best with water at 185º F. Generally, the finer the green tea, the lower the water temperature should be. To brew green tea without a thermometer: pour the water at the moment that bubbles begin to rise from the bottom of your kettle, or bring the water to a boil first and then let it cool for two to three minutes before pouring.
Steep for the proper length of time
The time it takes for tea to brew depends on the leaf size. The smaller the leaf, the faster the tea infuses. Until familiar with a particular tea, steep for a minute or two, then taste. Pay attention to the taste rather than the color. When the tea tastes right, serve or pour off all the liquid to avoid oversteeping. Here are some general guidelines:
Japanese Green Teas: 1-2 minutes
Chinese Green Teas: 2-3 minutes
White Teas: 2-5 minutes
Green Oolong Teas: 2-3 minutes
Dark Oolong Teas: 3-5 minutes
Black Teas: 3-5 minutes
Herbal Infusions: 5-10 minutes
Some green, oolong and white teas are good for multiple infusions. Just add fresh hot water to the pot and increase the steeping time slightly for each subsequent infusion. Repeat until the flavor starts to fade.
Storing Tea
All tea has a shelf life. The enemies of tea are air, light, moisture and odors from other foods. To preserve its freshness as long as possible, tea should be stored in a cool and dry place, in a container that is opaque and airtight. An airtight tin is best. Avoid glass jars, as this exposes the tea to light. Since tea absorbs other odors very easily, it is important to store it away from any strong-smelling foods. We do not recommend that you refrigerate or freeze teas.