The automatic drip brewer is one of our favorite brewing methods these days. Which may sound crazy at first — but hear us out.
These machines have come a long way from the Mr. Coffee you grew up using. More and more, we’re seeing a new generation of home focused, automatic coffee makers that take careful consideration of things like water distribution, temperature, and brew time — allowing for quality in the cup that rivals, if not beats, many manual drip options. And for those results, it requires no manual skills. Sit back, relax, and let the coffee happen.
We wanted to share with you our recipe for these machines, which is based on the same brewing ratio we use in our cafes, as well as in our lab when working on roast profiles and quality control.
So, let’s go!
Recipe:
44g Coffee
25oz Water
Start by measuring out 44g of coffee on a kitchen scale. The reason that weight-based dosing is so important (rather than using tablespoons or some other volume-based option) is that all coffee has different physical properties, including things like density, which means scoops do not translate from bean to bean. Using a scale will allow you to get consistent results no matter what coffee you’re using.
Once you’ve weighed out the coffee, you should fill your brewer with water. For this recipe and ratio, you'll want to fill to the 25oz (or 5 cup, on most brewers) line.
The next step is preparing the filter. Most automatic machines use similar #4 filters from the grocery store. To prepare, just fold the filters along the seams, which will allow it to sit more flatly inside the brewing cone.
Now, for the grind. This part is going to vary a bit depending on a lot of things, including your grinder, and the water quality in your home. Our recommendation is to grind slightly more coarse than coarse salt. The image below should be a good guideline, but you may find through experimentation that going slightly finer or slightly more coarse will work better for your situation at home. It may take a few brews to figure out exactly where you should be.
Once you’ve ground, just add the coffee into the filter, give it a shake to level it out, and brew.
Remember to experiment with the grind size, and to use coffee within 3-4 weeks from the roast date for best results. Any questions? Get it touch with us through our contact form. We’d love to help.