6 Elements of Proper Coffee Brewing

Kelsey Vendetti

Coffee is personal - the right way to make it is how you like it best. That being said, mastering these six elements will help you perfect your technique and create consistency your customers can depend on. We encourage you to experiment with different roasts, origins, or preparation methods. Here are six elements for proper commercial coffee brewing.

WATER: Fresh, good-tasting water is essential since it makes up more than 98 percent of a cup of coffee. Mineral content can affect the taste. For best results, water should never be artificially softened and should not exceed the following parts per million (ppm) of dissolved minerals:

  • Ideal - 50-100 ppm (50-100 mg/L) or 3 to 6 grains of hardness
  • Acceptable - Below 300 ppm (300 mg/L) or 18 grains of hardness

VOLTAGE offers a complete collection of commercial-grade water quality filtration systems for use with commercial brewing equipment to ensure customers are getting the best tasting beverage possible.

TIME: The brewing time or the time water is in contact with the coffee grind, determines the amount of coffee material extracted. This is the major component affecting the flavor.

  • Contact/brew time should never exceed 8 minutes.

TEMPERATURE: The temperature of the water during brewing affects flavor and extraction.

  • Ideal Water Temperature – 92º - 96ºC Higher temperatures may result in undesirable coffee flavor and lower temperatures will result in poor extraction.

TURBULENCE: Turbulence is created as the water passes through and over the coffee. It should cause the particles to separate and create a uniform flow of water around them for proper extraction.

FILTRATION: Paper filters produce the clearest cup of coffee. All paper filters VOLTAGE carries are:

  • Porous enough to allow free flow of the extracted coffee solubles.
  • Perfect for coffees requiring exact brewing, like decaf and flavored coffees.
  • Strong enough to prevent collapsing.
  • Produced using an elemental chlorine-free method.

CLEANLINESS: Make sure everything related to coffee brewing and serving is clean and free from lime and hard water deposits. Specifically, assure the following are spotlessly clean:

  • Serving area
  • Sprayhead/Funnel
  • Servers
  • Water Reservoir/Pitcher

Never clean with a steel wool or other abrasives which can cause flaking or scratching which can lead to further pitting, corrosion and deposits.

6 Elements of Proper Coffee Brewing

Why VOLTAGE?: Voltage Coffee Supply has been serving the specialty coffee industry since 2015. By forging relationships with our customers and manufacturers that are based on trust and a commitment to quality, we strive to be the best place to purchase coffee and espresso equipment on the Internet. When you buy with VOLTAGE you can expect high-quality and superior support.

Our mission is to provide superior customer service and premium products at the best price.

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