August Coffee of the Month: Costa Rica Guanacaste

BREW GUIDES

ESPRESSO

1. Remove the portafilter from your machine and wipe clean, if needed.

2. Flush your group-head, ensuring the shower screen is free from any previous residue. 

3. Dose 18.5g of coffee into the basket.

4. Level the coffee within the basket, take your tamper and apply a firm amount of pressure, ensuring all the grounds lay flat and even.

5. Gently insert the portafilter back into the group-head, placing scales and cup underneath.

6. Start extraction. 

7. When you have achieved a 35g yield of espresso, brewed between 30-35 seconds, stop the extraction. 

8. Remove the cup, serve with silky steamed milk or enjoy black. Try it with almond milk to accentuate the almond and caramel notes.

V60

1. Place filter paper into V60 and wet. Weigh out 18g coffee and grind to a setting on the coarser side of medium. Place coffee into filter paper and level. Tare scales and heat water to 96°C ideally.

2. Set a stopwatch and begin by pouring 40g of water onto the centre of the coffee, ensuring all grounds are saturated, stirring or swirling if required. 

3. Wait until the timer reaches 30 seconds, allowing for the coffee to bloom, releasing gases and oils from the coffee. Then, pour in concentric circles around half a centimetre away from the edge of the coffee until you reach 110g of water. Slowly raise the brewer, swirl coffee and tap it onto the top of the server to ensure grounds are flat, therefore ensuring an even extraction.

4. Allow for the coffee to steep and wait until the timer reaches 1.30. Once again, pouring in concentric circles, raise coffee to 180g. Swirl and tap.

5. Wait until the timer reaches 2.30, pour up to 240g, swirl and tap the brewer. 

7. Allow for all the water to draw down through the coffee, aiming for an extraction time of between 3-3.30.

8. Let the coffee sit for a minute before swirling and pouring the coffee into your cup from a height to aerate the coffee.

9. Enjoy a smooth sweet filter coffee with caramel and citrus notes.

AEROPRESS

1. Weigh out 18g of coffee and grind to a fine-medium setting.

2. Fill your kettle and start to boil. Heat water to 93°C ideally.  While waiting, place the filter in the cap and, once the kettle has boiled, wet the filter to remove any paper taste.

3. Add 18g of coffee into the Aeropress before leveling the grinds and placing it on scales. Tare scales.

4. Start timer and pour 50g of water onto the centre of the coffee, before stirring to ensure all grounds are saturated. Leave the coffee to bloom for 45 seconds, to allow the release of gases and oils from the coffee.

5. At 45 seconds, pour up to Number 3, which should weigh out to 225g and then leave to brew for two minutes.

6. At the 2.45 mark, add the plunger before slowly pressing down on the plunger with a consistent force, until you’ve pushed out all the water. This should take around 30 seconds.

7. Remove the Aeropress and discard any used grinds. Grab your favourite mug and enjoy the sweet, caramel notes of Guanacaste

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