Ive been getting into plunger lately, its a great way to drink coffee as a long drink, when travelling, or when you are sick of the finickiness or machine cost of espresso :P
Ive been reading up on the plunger/cupping guides on the net and Coffee Snobs, and have seen a number of differences in recommended preparation procedure. Its very similar to the variables involved in tea making, which I have a fair bit of experience in. With lighter-fermented tea varieties, the slightest difference in preparation, say 3 degrees celsius or an extra minute of steeping, completely changes the taste profile. I just threw out a pot of oolong the other day because it steeped a minute too long ;D A thermocouple in the kettle is a MUST.
Changes in preparation variables dont seem to make as marked a difference in making coffee by direct steeping (i.e. plunger/cupping) but I’m still getting used to unique subtleties of its flavour. Here are the differences in preparation variables Ive noted between the guides:
Coffee/water ratio (amounts have are often given per 4-5 ounces, and have all been converted to suit a standard 300mL plunger):
Coffeegeeks guide to cupping: 18g/300mL
Coffeegeeks guide to plunger: 21g/300mL
Sweet Marias: 15-18g/300mL
Coffee for Connoisseurs: 17g/300mL
So far I’ve found the upper end of these ranges better, about 21g/300mL.
Water temp:
Coffeegeeks guide to cupping: 195-205 F (202 F is the “professional” standard)
Sweet Marias: 195-200 F
Water temp is often not given precisely, something like "coming to the boil" or "let the kettle sit a bit after it has boiled".
Some guides recommend stirring. Most notably, Alan Frew stirs constantly for 90 seconds, paired with a short steep time of 2 minutes. Others let it sit and stirred after a minute or so with the plunger sitting just above the “bloom”. Some mentioned that for smaller volume plungers, a shorter steep time is better, particularly if stirred. Most advised around 3 minutes of steeping for the 300mL plunger.
Finally, it’s often said that plunger takes lighter roast profiles than espresso, but everyone knows that probably :P
Any cupping/plunger masters out there that want to post their opinions would be very welcome.
Cheers,
Richy
Ive been reading up on the plunger/cupping guides on the net and Coffee Snobs, and have seen a number of differences in recommended preparation procedure. Its very similar to the variables involved in tea making, which I have a fair bit of experience in. With lighter-fermented tea varieties, the slightest difference in preparation, say 3 degrees celsius or an extra minute of steeping, completely changes the taste profile. I just threw out a pot of oolong the other day because it steeped a minute too long ;D A thermocouple in the kettle is a MUST.
Changes in preparation variables dont seem to make as marked a difference in making coffee by direct steeping (i.e. plunger/cupping) but I’m still getting used to unique subtleties of its flavour. Here are the differences in preparation variables Ive noted between the guides:
Coffee/water ratio (amounts have are often given per 4-5 ounces, and have all been converted to suit a standard 300mL plunger):
Coffeegeeks guide to cupping: 18g/300mL
Coffeegeeks guide to plunger: 21g/300mL
Sweet Marias: 15-18g/300mL
Coffee for Connoisseurs: 17g/300mL
So far I’ve found the upper end of these ranges better, about 21g/300mL.
Water temp:
Coffeegeeks guide to cupping: 195-205 F (202 F is the “professional” standard)
Sweet Marias: 195-200 F
Water temp is often not given precisely, something like "coming to the boil" or "let the kettle sit a bit after it has boiled".
Some guides recommend stirring. Most notably, Alan Frew stirs constantly for 90 seconds, paired with a short steep time of 2 minutes. Others let it sit and stirred after a minute or so with the plunger sitting just above the “bloom”. Some mentioned that for smaller volume plungers, a shorter steep time is better, particularly if stirred. Most advised around 3 minutes of steeping for the 300mL plunger.
Finally, it’s often said that plunger takes lighter roast profiles than espresso, but everyone knows that probably :P
Any cupping/plunger masters out there that want to post their opinions would be very welcome.
Cheers,
Richy

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..... not nice at all
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