Previously, we published a summary brew guide for each coffee box edition that we shipped using the recipes provided by the roasters. From now on, in addition to the recipes provided by the roasters, we will take our monthly selection of coffees to three different baristas every month and ask them to brew the coffees for us. The result will be a fresh take on each one of our delicious coffees from a different group of people with a great love of and understanding of coffee.

Today, we are introducing our guest Nicolas Castagno who is the owner of legendary Amsterdam coffee bar Scandinavian Embassy. Scandi, as it’s lovingly called by friends and fans, is undoubtedly one of the best places in town to drink filter coffees and one of only two where you can enjoy coffees from Nordic roasters. We asked Nico to offer his take on the super yummy Costa Rican coffee from Per Nordby that we shipped out as part of our most recent coffee box.

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 timer)
• A good quality burr grinder such as the Comandante Grinder
• Your favourite brew method (Kalita Wave, V60, Aeropress etc)
• A clean vessel for brewing and decanting
• A timer (can be on your phone)
• Filtered water
• A pouring kettle but a regular kettle will also do, however, it requires more precision

When working with whole beans, it’s crucial to make sure to always freshly grind your coffee just before preparation because it quickly loses its aroma and old coffee ends up tasting stale and hollow.

Now, ready? Let’s brew!

During the recent heat wave that gripped much of Europe for days, many of us were drinking nitro cold brews or making flash brews at home using simple V60 / Kalita Wave setups, but if you want to take things to the next level, you have to take your time to get the most out of your coffee.

Scandinavian Embassy in Amsterdam’s De Pijp neighbourhood is one of the few places in town where you can regularly enjoy Per Nordby’s coffees, thus it seemed only logical that we’d approach Nicolas Castagno to give us a recipe for Per’s exquisite Costa Rican coffee from Alejo Castro.

Nico suggested right away that he’d prepare this coffee overnight and then share his recipe for a simple but tasty cold brew with us. The next day I popped in to have a taste and Nico happened to be filtering the coffee that had been steeping the night before. “It’s such a great coffee, this one,” he said as he filled the V60. “I love this brew method because it brings out the best elements of this coffee in a balanced manner.”

He gave me a cold glass and poured me a cup of this refreshing cold coffee. It was creamy and tart at the same time and probably would even taste great with a bit of ice cold almond milk added in for extra flavour.

As if reading my thoughts, Nico added: “The hot infusion highlights the rich flavour and green apple acidity while the long low-temperature extraction rounds the cup off with a creamy and soft cinnamon aftertaste. What do you think?”

I took a few greedy gulps and put the glass down for him to give me a cheeky refill and just silently enjoyed the deliciousness that I was being presented with here.

Nico’ recipe for filter:

Carafe (Chemex or any other): Take 24g of coffee ground medium-coarse. Place coffee inside carafe and then add 72g of freshly boiled water to steep for 1 minute. Stir vigorously to kick-start the extraction. Then add 228g of water at room temperature, cover carafe with cling film and leave for 12 hours.

Once done, take a filter device like the V60, Kalita or Clever dripper, place filter inside and rinse with water to remove the paper taste. Filter coffee from the carafe into a clean vessel. Optional: place glass in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving for that extra touch of refreshment.

Per Nordby’s recipe for filter:

Kalita Wave: 28g of coffee ground medium-fine. Add 450g of water at 95°. Brew time: 2:45 minutes.

Per Nordby’s recipe for espresso:

18g of coffee ground fine. Extraction time: 30 – 35 seconds. Yield: 40 – 45g.

Did you also receive this coffee from our box? Add your recipe below and let others know how you like to prepare this stunning coffee from Per Nordby.