the perfect cup of coffee

by Rachel McCarthy
My morning is not complete without coffee. Actually, I don’t think I can function without coffee! And although I will not be picky when I’m in need of caffeine, there is nothing wrong with craving the perfect cup of coffee.

When it comes to making that perfect cup, there are typically three methods we chose from in our house: the coffee maker, pour over and French press. The coffee maker is almost always saved for weekdays since it’s the quickest way to get coffee in your bloodstream, while pour over and French press are saved for the weekends. 

Although the pour over and French press method are the much fancier options, you can still make a great cup of coffee with a coffee maker. I think the most important step is filtered water. I’m sure my husband is laughing while reading this because I never believed him! But after tasting the non-filtered and filtered versions, you can definitely taste the difference. We use two scoops of ground coffee for 10 cups water when using the coffee machine — we like really strong coffee! 

For the two fancier methods, one of the two is a much more recent obsession. French press coffee seemed like “the thing” in the boutique coffee world for the past few years. And while I do love it, a more recent obsession takes the cake when it comes to making the perfect cup of coffee. Pour over coffee has become a new trend in coffeehouses around the country and we first discovered this trend at our favorite coffee shop in Annapolis, Maryland: Ceremony Coffee Roasters. If you live or ever visit the area and love coffee, this is a must-see. And although we don’t get to Annapolis all that often, our local Whole Foods store carries a few of the blends which just feeds our addiction even more. {P.S. One of my first blog posts ever I talked about Ceremony Coffee. You can see that post here!}

With both the pour over method and French press, the boiling water is poured over the coffee grounds and either filtered through to the carafe or pressed out. For the pour over method, you are technically suppose to use a kitchen scale to weigh the coffee grounds. We just improvise 🙂 


I have included detailed directions below for both methods. 

 

Mug: Anthropologie, Holiday 2014 {black & white version here}

French Press Coffee
{what you will need: ingredients}
1/2 cup coffee grounds
4 cups cold water

{what you will need: equipment}
French press
Stovetop kettle
Long spoon

{directions}

Pour the coffee grounds into the French press. Measure the 4 cups of water a place in stovetop kettle. Heat the water to boiling and remove from the heat, allowing the boiling water to rest for at least 30 seconds. Add the water to the French press and stir the mixture vigorously. Allow the coffee to steep for about 4 minutes. Press the plunger all the way to the bottom. Serve and enjoy the coffee immediately. 



Pour Over Coffee
{what you will need: ingredients} 
1/4 cup coffee grounds
1 cup water

{what you will need: equipment}
Coffee filter
Dripper
Pour over kettle
Stovetop kettle

Fold the seams of the filter and place in the dripper. Place the dripper on the carafe or cup. Heat the water to boiling in the stovetop kettle. Add the coffee grounds to the filter and begin pouring the boiling water over the grounds, just enough to soak the grounds. Allow the coffee to filter before adding more water. Continue pouring the water over the grounds until you have used all the water. This process should take about 3-4 minutes. Serve and enjoy immediately. 


Thanks for stopping by and Happy Tuesday!

23 thoughts on “the perfect cup of coffee”

  1. I love this Rachel!! Great tutorial! Nothing like a good cup of coffee! We love our French press but do not use it nearly enough!! Pulling it out soon!! Hope your Tuesday is terrific!!!

  18. Confession – I don't know how to make coffee. I can cook just about anything, but I can't make coffee. I always go to coffee shops and pick up something on the way to work. I got a Keurig hoping that would help, but then I never actually learned how to use it… I don't even know what a French press is… Obviously I should learn these things…

    Nikki
    thefashionablewife.com

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