We hope you can enjoy our coffees at home as well as in our stores. And preparing and serving great coffee at home is not as hard as you might think. So to help you enjoy great coffee at home whenever you want it we recommend you consider the following coffee principles.

Coffee Proportions

It is important to get the right proportion of coffee to water. The recommended dose is 10 grams or about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for 180 ml of water. Adjustments for personal taste preferences can be made by adding water after brewing.

Coffee Grind

Coffee beans can be bought as whole beans or as ground beans. However for a fresher cup we recommend that you grind your beans at home each time you brew a coffee.

Whether the coffee is ground at home or in one of our stores the brewing method dictates how the coffee should be ground.

• The best grind levels for different brewing methods are:
• Turkish, Lebanese and Greek Coffee-very fine grind
• Decaffeinated coffee-all brewing methods-fine grind
• Espresso coffee-fine grind
• Drip or brewed coffee-medium grind
• Press or plunger coffee-coarse grind.

Water Quality

The fresher and better tasting the water the better the quality of the coffee brewed at home.

Most local tap water is perfectly adequate for a great cup of coffee as long as the water is fresh and pure. However if the water quality is not at this standard then you should consider using bottled or filtered water.

Freshness

Coffee Beans (whole or ground) should not be stored in a freezer or refrigerator.

Coffee beans should not be exposed to light or excessive air. They should be stored at room temperature in an opaque, airtight container.

This is important to maintain the flavour and quality characteristics.

Coffee should be stored in The Coffee Emporium bags that the coffee is bought in or in suitable containers available in our Accessories Range.

Making Great Coffee at Home-the French Press

The French Press or plunger is probably the simplest brewing method-you simply need ground coffee, hot water and the French Press.

The first step is to ensure the French Press is clean-this includes the glass bowl and the press or plunger mechanism. To clean the mechanism you will need to pull it apart by unscrewing the pieces, rinse in warm water and reassemble.

To make a great coffee you need to ensure the coffee is coarsely ground-this ensures the water will flow smoothly over the ground coffee.

Then add the coffee. The recommended dose is 10 grams or about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for 180 ml of water.

The next step is to add water-water that is just below boiling point is the recommended temperature.

Then lay the press mechanism plate on the top of the brewing coffee and place the top of the mechanism into the top of the press bowl to retain the heat.

Leave for 4 minutes and then gently push the plunger mechanism base to the bottom of the press bowl by pushing the protruding rod.

Your coffee is ready to enjoy.