Hi - Mike Duensing here and I want to show you how to make a fantastic cup of rich, dark, full-bodied coffee each and every time. First of all, I want to quickly give you a little background of why would you take my advice on such a critical matter as coffee.
My wife and I owned a coffee, tea, and wine cafe for many years in Northern California. The economic crisis of 2007-8 was a major reason we moved on to other adventures, but since then there is not a day where we don’t warmly think about the memories and friends we had the privilege to share life, community, and beautiful coffee, food, or wine. Yellow Wood was the name of the cafe, where we crafted daily world class coffee creations for a large, thriving, amazing community. Here is a picture of my wife Lauren and I:
I am a massive researcher and become obsessed with driving certain (not all for sure) refinements to perfection - particularly coffee and wine. To give you an idea of what I mean, I would stay up to about 2 AM during the early days of Yellow Wood for weeks experimenting with tweaks of coffee grind size, combinations of water volume, and coffee grind weight.
Through this process I was able to get to what I humbly think is an amazing method for making superb tasting coffee. Our remarkable customers also validated the taste feedback many times over the years. Espresso and cappuccino are other such endeavors (including latte art) which I won’t cover in this post.
Just to show you I’m not making Yellow Wood up, here’s a quick picture of our cafe - then I promise we’ll get started on how to make the perfect coffee...
OK, now let’s get going. I’ll try to make this succinct so you can get to making your tasty coffee.
The Main Ingredient
So what is the main ingredient of great tasting coffee at home? You thought I was going to say coffee! Actually, brewed coffee is mostly water. So it’s very important that you have pure, great tasting water. If your water tastes bad it will for sure taint your coffee experience - not good!
That is why I strongly recommend using purified water in a coffee recipe. If you don’t have purified water in your kitchen, then purchasing an “inline” water filter for your kitchen sink is a simple solution.
I use the Woder filter, which has the following benefits:
Removes 99.9% of contaminants.
The filtered water will come right out of your existing cold water supply on your sink.
Can be installed by yourself in about 15 minutes without special skills or tools.
Removes Chlorine, Lead, Chromium 6, Heavy Metals, Bad Tastes, Odors & Contaminants
Lasts about 3 years.
Will automatically provide great tasting water for drinking and for coffee or tea every time
It’s supremely less hassle than refilling portable water pitchers with filters.
The Woder filter is very effective and I highly recommend to produce great tasting pure water. You can go straight to it from the link below.
I want you to know that if you click on this or other links provided and make a purchase, we receive a small commission, of which a portion goes to people in need, including Hand Up. No worries if you don’t, I just want to be clear.
When you get there you’ll also notice that there is a very handy video that shows you step-by-step how to install. I'm not very handy with mechanical things and I was able to quickly install. It's really very easy.
See more about the Woder Filter here.
The Coffee
If you want your coffee to taste better you need to use coffee from great roasters. After all, the best chefs use the best ingredients and have finely honed skills to create extraordinary dishes. The same is true with coffee roasters. Great coffee roasters source the very best arabica beans and have the skills to craft superior roasts. I have tasted coffee from many roasters, and this is one of the best roasters in the U.S. that I absolutely love.
Caffe d’Arte - Meaning of Life
This is an excellent, rich, super smooth coffee, and is the perfect ingredient as I show you how to make tasty coffee at home. It’s an award-winning drip blend from one of the long-time classic Italian style roasters in Seattle. It is truly spectacular and definitely a key ingredient in the coffee recipe we will be using!
This coffee is available as whole bean or ground in 16 ounce bags at the links below where you can find out more and get delivered directly to you to try out.
The Grind
You can buy your coffee as whole bean or ground. If you use whole bean and grind just before brewing the taste will be fresher. However buying pre-ground is certainly acceptable - using the method I describe in this guide will result in very tasty, rich, full-bodied coffee no matter if you grind or get pre-ground. Believe me, it’s not whole bean or nothing. Either way is OK - whatever suits your routine and preference.
Having said that, if you buy whole beans and are going to grind, using a “conical burr” grinder is a must-have. A conical burr grinder creates a precision, uniform, grind. You may be familiar with a “blade” grinder. These are less expensive for a reason - they do not produce a precise grind, and can generate a lot of heat in the process which will change the coffee taste profile, including a burnt taste.
I have used different conical burr grinders over the years, and the one that I use and recommend is the Capresso Infinity 565 conical grinder. Here are a few reasons this is an excellent grinder:
Consistent, precise grind with 16 settings for extra fine, fine, regular, and course output.
Preserves flavor by not generating flavor-altering heat because it uses a low speed, low friction motor.
Commercial grade burrs that are easy to clean.
Great user experience and design.
For French press, you can use a courser setting. Contrary to what some shops use, I personally like a fine setting to create more surface area for the water to saturate. Go ahead and experiment to see what works for you.
You can find out more about this grinder here.
Coffee Storage
If you are like me, your coffee is a treasure that you wake up to each morning, and you want to keep it safe and sound, because there are adversaries that you need to guard against.
The enemies of coffee are air, light, heat, and moisture. I can’t emphasize enough how critical it is to preserve your opened coffee beans or grinds from certain demise by storing them in an airtight, light-proof container in a cool area. Don’t keep the lid off for more than even a minute. And - don’t put in the freezer or fridge since those create opportunities for moisture to develop.
For many years I had a beautiful ceramic container, that unfortunately fell off the counter and shattered on the kitchen floor. Not able to find it again, I was excited when I found the BlinkOne coffee container. It is one that I use now and have been very pleased. It provides all the essentials:
BPA-free airtight silicone seal.
Completely light-proof.
Stainless steel material to keep cool. Um, it also looks cool.
18 oz. capacity.
Lifetime warranty and guarantee.
Another reason I love this canister is that I am a huge fan of form and function design. In addition to everything you need correctly preserve your coffee beans or grounds, this coffee canister is visually appealing with it’s simple, cool looking stainless steel design. Don’t use the scoop that comes with - instead see my next section about the proper scoop.
You can find out more about this container here.
Scoop It Right
Remember, consistency is key to making the best coffee. You don’t want to have to think about measuring each time, even though it is super important. That’s why I always use my solid 2 tablespoon coffee scoop that I pull out of the kitchen drawer each morning. Use 2 level scoops.
Don’t heap, just keep it level with each and every scoop. If you measure a level scoop every time, you will have a consistent taste every time. Remember, you look forward to that perfect cup of coffee each morning and want it to taste as rich and full-bodied as the last cup. Here’s the actual scoop that I use:
This scoop has a long handle for dipping and is a solid, stainless steel member of your coffee making toolset that will last many years. True to form, it has very nice feel and nifty design as well. Here’s link to find out more and purchase.
You can find out more about this scoop here.
French Press Brew
When it comes to brewing, using a French press is definitely the way to go. It’s also known as a coffee press, coffee plunger, press pot, and caffettiera a stantuffo. After trying every method under the sun, not only do I think that the french press is the best way to make coffee vs any other method, I really, really enjoy the experience. And making coffee is kind of a ritual - right? So for me, the process helps me ease into the morning and gives me that one little thing to look forward to. I think we all need something to look forward to - even the smallest of joys help in our day.
Just show you how I do it - below is the French press that I use. I like this one not only because it has a solid feel because it is wider than most, but also because it has a great design. Another great benefit that I really like is that I can use lines on the stainless design elements as guides for how much hot water to pour in. This makes it super simple to make the same perfect cup of coffee every time!
I highly recommend this Bodum 17 ounce french press for making great coffee.
You can find out more about this press here.
OK - now, here’s how to make perfect coffee using a french press. What I tell you next will pertain to one cup of coffee, but you simply multiply by the number of additional cups if you want more than one.
Put 2 level (important - please make sure each is level) scoops of ground coffee info your French press. 2 scoops is equivalent to 1/4 of a cup. Wait on doing this until your water is boiled and ready to pour in. As soon a you let coffee grounds sit in the open air, the taste characteristics will start to change, so wait until you are ready for the water.
Pour 8 ounces of hot water into the French press. If using the French press that I use above, pour water to the top of the second horizontal or vertical lines from the bottom (*see picture below) . Note - After trying, if this is a little too strong for your taste, then experiment by using 10 ounces of water the next time.
Stir the coffee and water for about 20 seconds. This ensures that all of the grounds have a chance to get well saturated with the water.
Put the plunger filter top in the French press and push down to it reaches just above the top of the water (not touching the water).
Now, let it sit for about 4 minutes. Don’t go longer than that.
Make sure the opening at the pour spout is swiveled to the open position.
Finish it off by pushing the plunger filter all the way down.
Pour into your favorite coffee cup, take a good smell to take it all in, and enjoy!
*Note: the first arrow from the bottom marks the water line for one cup of coffee. The second arrow for 2 cups. And so on...
Perfect Boiled Water
When making coffee with a French press I use a water heater that is super fast, and of course, has a stunning design that looks great in your kitchen. I also use this kettle for heating water for tea.
I use the Capresso water kettle, which I have been using for years and was popular at Yellow Wood. Here’s why this is a great water kettle:
It heats water very fast and is whisper quiet.
No cords to deal with. The electrical cord attaches to the base that the kettle rests on.
It’s very well made - German Schott Duran glass shows off the beauty of water and has been tried and true for almost 20 years.
Swivels for right or left handed use.
Elegant design - looks so great in your kitchen. I have had many people admire mine and ask where I got it. It was also super popular in our coffee & tea cafe.
I highly recommend this water kettle, because as I mentioned earlier using a french press is the best way to make coffee. Having said that, you can also use this water kettle for single drip coffee and tea.
You can check it out further here.
Using a Drip Machine
As I said, from my experience, using the French press with the process I outlined above will create coffee that tastes better than any other method, and is what I wholeheartedly recommend. However if you are making for a larger group, this is not always practical. For larger volumes, a drip coffee maker can be used, and here’s one that makes tasty coffee and has all the quality that I expect. I have used this one many times and I highly recommend.
One of the key reasons I like this machine is that it uses a special coffee “showerhead” to make sure the grounds in the filter are fully saturated before the drip process begins. Lower quality machines don’t have this capability and there is a significant negative impact on taste. The other reason this is such a good machine is that the temperature is perfect and consistent, and the coffee drips into a thermal pot to keep your coffee warm. Oh, and it is also a beautiful design so it looks fantastic in your kitchen - a non-starter critical factor for me as well.
Find out more about this coffee maker here.
The cup of morning coffee cheer!
My hope is that you will give this method a try and you will be enjoying the most best tasting coffee ever when you start each and every day!
-Mike
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