I am writing this shortly after coming back from a lengthy trip to Asia that saw me visit South Korea and Beijing. As you may already know, I am a passionate explorer and love nothing more than to see the world.

Originally, I was meant to go on this trip with my ex-partner Michal but I ended up going alone because we recently separated. There was a bittersweet feel taste to it, I’m not going lie. But if there’s one thing that I know very well how to do, it’s travelling. And for me, this was part of my healing journey.

As is always the case, coffee helped me to connect with people wherever I went. From Seoul to Beijing and from Sokcho to Beijing, the coffee community is truly wonderful. Much coffee was drunk and new friends were made.

But enough about that. Let’s dive into this month’s Coffeevine edition, which is a really exciting one to say the least. It features three fabulous European roasters, two exciting Global roasters and a top notch decaf. Plus, our first-ever Canephora release! I am so thrilled to offer you something so different this time and I hope you’ll enjoy this edition as much as I enjoyed selecting the coffees for you.

Let’s dive into the brew guide! Ready? Go!

Basic Setup

As in any good kitchen or bar, you want to be sure to have a few key items at your disposal that will aid you in preparing a delicious cup of coffee.

These include:

• • Scales (with or without a timer – you can use your phone or your watch)
  • A good quality burr grinder such as the Comandante Grinder
  • Your favourite brew method (Origami, Kalita Wave, V60, AeroPress etc)
  • A clean vessel for brewing and decanting
  • A ladle or stirrer for agitating the grounds
  • Water for brewing. I mix my own using the Lotus mineral drops. I’ll share a recipe soon!
  • A pouring kettle but a regular kettle will also do, however, it requires more precision

It’s very important to always freshly grind your coffee just before preparation because coffee is very volatile and quickly loses its full aroma in a matter of minutes.

You can also vacuum pack your coffee in portions, name and number each batch and then keep it in a dry cool place or put it in the freezer.

For espresso, I use my home espresso machine, a Profitec Pro600 espresso machine and a Profitec ProT64 grinder.

Hard Lines’ recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 19g of coffee Grind: Medium Water: 300g Temperature: 95°C

Start with a 30 second bloom using 60g of water. Then, continue with the second pour up to 120g and at 1:30 minute, add the remaining 120g into the brewer. Let drain completely. Enjoy!

Hard Lines’ recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 18g Grind size: Fine Yield: 44g Extraction time: 30 – 32 seconds

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MOK’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 15,5g of coffee Grind: Medium fine Water: 250g Temperature: 95°C

Use Sibarist filters if available. Add your coffee and then start with 50g of water poured right into the center. Wait 45 seconds and then continue with 150g. At 1:30 minute, go up to 250g.

MOK’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 18,5g Yield: 45g Extraction time: 24 seconds

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L’Alchemiste’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 20g of coffee Grind: Medium Water: 340g Temperature: 93°C

We recommend total water hardness 70 PPM and alkalinity 45 PPM. Use the three pour method. Start with a 60g bloom for 45 seconds, then pour up to 200g and at 1:30 minute, go up to 340g. Make sure the slurry always stays wet.

L’Alchemiste’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 19g Yield: 50g Extraction time: 24 seconds

Intellect’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 15g of coffee Grind: Medium Water: 240g Temperature: 90 – 93°C

Add your filter to the brewer and rinse the paper. Then add your coffee and level the bed. Start with a 30g bloom for 30 seconds. Then, pour in slow continuous spirals until you reach 240g. Give the brewer a good tap and let drain.

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What did you think of these recipes and and the coffees themselves? Feel free to leave a comment down below to share your own recipes and favourite brew methods.

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