Coffee 101

It's one of those things that you've heard, but you don't remember when or where or why.  It was also one of those things that you never remember at the appropriate time.  Then one day it all came together.  I was sitting in a hotel in Vancouver, and took a sip of their bitter and burnt coffee and set my mug down right next to the salt shaker.  After some back and forth in my mind, I did it... I took the plunge.  I sprinkled a tiny bit of salt into the mug.  I stirred it around, and went in...

It's time to get creative.  Let's talk about the Aeropress.  You may have seen it.... may have heard about it in coffee shops... But have you ever tried it?  If you haven't, you need to.  This will brew one of the smoothest cups of coffee you've ever had. The Aeropress was invented by Alan Adler (inventor of the Aerobie Frisbee), and has spawned its own culture of coffee brewing.  There's even a World Aeropress  Championship (yes, seriously)! The long and short of the Aeropress is smoother coffee (higher ph, so less acidity), and a super short brew time. There are...

French Press coffee is probably the easiest way to get a great cup of coffee without putting in too much work.  With four kids (soon to be five - pray for me) running around, I do not need extra work in the morning!  That makes this my go to method of brewing coffee in the morning. Why French Press instead of traditional drip?  The paper filter in drip coffee absorbs some of the oils, robbing you of that great, full bodied, flavour.  Completely steeping the grounds completely also is far more efficient than a drip brewer, which can over saturate...

Pourover coffee is the easiest way to make coffee while looking as fancy as possible...but does it have any benefits over traditional drip coffee makers? Both appear to be the same: hot water is poured over coffee grounds, and gravity does its job. While appearing the same, these two produce drastically different results. There are a few reasons for this that we’ll dive into briefly.The first reason is water temperature. Ideally you want to brew coffee with water between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. A drip coffee maker has trouble reaching that temperature, so you don’t get the full extraction...