What Is a London Fog Drink? 

The London Fog is a hot drink that combines Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup and steamed milk, and creates a cloud-like appearance (hence the name). Sometimes referred to as a London Fog Tea Latte, it’s sweet and simple, and makes the ultimate cozy drink on a cold and/or dreary day. 

How to Make a London Fog Drink

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 bags of Earl Grey tea
• 1 oz. vanilla syrup: Amoretti, Monin and Torani all make a good vanilla syrup.
• Milk of choice: If you’re wanting a thick tea drink, use cow’s milk or, if you prefer a plant-based alternative, try oat milk. 

Directions 

• Pour hot/boiling water over Earl Grey tea into your mug, filling the mug about half-full.
• Steep for 3 minutes and remove the tea.
• Add 1 oz. of vanilla syrup to the tea.
• Froth warmed milk or steam your milk of choice. 
• Pour milk into your mug and enjoy!

The post Cozy Cuppa: How to Make a London Fog Drink appeared first on My Blog.

Caffeine is an essential component of coffee plants, which is why even decaffeinated coffee is never 100 percent caffeine-free. Why is this, and exactly how much caffeine is in decaf coffee? Can decaf coffee keep you awake? And what about decaf tea? Using our own coffee expertise, along with some insight from medical professionals, we’ve answered the most common questions around decaf coffee. 

What Is Decaf Coffee? 

Decaf coffee is regular coffee that’s gone through a process to remove as much of its caffeine as possible; these processes typically extract 95 to 97% of caffeine. Unfortunately, the caffeine-removal process can also remove compounds that give a coffee its sweetness, body and flavor. This is why it’s important to buy quality, specialty decaf coffee: if the coffee isn’t good quality to begin with, it definitely won’t taste very good after being decaffeinated. However, there are a variety of modern and eco-friendly decaffeination methods that are designed to preserve the flavors of high-quality, specialty beans.

How Is Decaf Coffee Made?

According to legend, decaffeinated coffee was “discovered” when a batch of green (unroasted) coffee was submerged in salt water during an overseas journey. The first commercial decaf was invented in 1900, by a German named Ludwig Roselius; his company would later become known as Sanka.

Historically, decaffeination required subjecting beans to a bath in Benzene—a chemical that’s now recognized as a known carcinogen. This is why many consumers associate decaf coffee with unhealthy, or toxic, chemicals. Luckily, this technique is no longer used, and the FDA has strict standards around any chemical components used in the decaffeination process.

These days, most specialty coffees are decaffeinated with non-toxic, eco-friendly methods that retain flavor far better than the methods of the past. These methods mainly soak or steam the unroasted coffee beans until they become porous, and then use a natural solvent to extract the caffeine. 

The three most common decaf methods in specialty coffee are Swiss Water, Mountain Water, and Sugar Cane Process.

Swiss Water and Mountain Water Decaf

Swiss Water and Mountain Water are very similar to one another. They involve soaking the beans in a water solution, which dissolves the caffeine (and other flavor components) into the water. The water is then passed through a filter that traps the caffeine molecules, but allows the other flavor compounds and oils to pass through. The beans are then reintroduced to the filtered water, and all of the non-caffeine compounds are absorbed back into the beans.

Sugar Cane Method (or Ethyl Acetate)

Ethyl Acetate (EA), also known as the Sugar Cane Method, is another specialty process for decaffeinating coffee. It’s popular in areas that grow and process sugar cane because it uses a byproduct from the sugars to produce a solvent that extracts caffeine from the coffee. Beans are steamed open and “rinsed” with a solution of water and Ethyl Acetate for a period of hours until the caffeine is mostly extracted.

None of these methods can extract all of the caffeine, which is why decaf coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine. 

How Much Caffeine Is in Decaf Coffee?

So then how much caffeine is in decaf coffee? Since most roasting processes remove about 97 percent of the caffeine, you may see a cup containing 2 to 3mg of caffeine, instead of the usual 65 to 115 mg (depending on type of coffee and brew method). Overall, “the amount of caffeine in decaf coffee is dietetically insignificant,” says Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD, FAND. 

Will Decaf Coffee Keep Me Awake? 

Certain people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. The older you are, the more sensitive to caffeine you are. Enjoying coffee with food helps mitigate the effects of too many refills, explains Ayoob. “However, most ‘normal’ people (that is, without health conditions that cause them to react to caffeine) won’t be affected by the small amount in a cup of decaf.”

As a general rule, caffeine’s effects peak after about an hour and stay in your body for about six hours. So as long as you avoid that after-dinner cup of Joe, you should be able to enjoy a cup of delicious decaf in the morning and sleep well when bedtime rolls around. 

Is Decaf Coffee Bad for You?

No, thanks to these modern, non-toxic decaffeination methods. And beyond the decaf process, there’s not much difference between caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee since the antioxidant compounds are about the same. “The decaffeinating process will reduce the antioxidants and phenolic compounds by about 10 to 15 percent,” says Ayoob. “But that still leaves A LOT of antioxidants available.”

Also, research suggests there may be more benefits to decaf coffee than we know. “This study found that coffee polyphenols (the good compounds) had anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, but that caffeine could sometimes antagonize these benefits (e.g. the caffeine may have benefits, but also some potentially negative side effects, particularly on the cardiovascular system),” explains Ayoob. “They concluded that decaf coffee deserves more investigation for its potential benefits.”

Is Decaf Coffee a Diuretic?

“Caffeine is a diuretic as it causes the body to make and excrete more urine by increasing blood flow to the kidneys,” explains Lisa Richards, nutritionist and author of The Candida Diet. “Decaf coffee can have similar diuretic effects as regular coffee, just to a lesser degree.”

Benefits of Decaf Coffee

While regular and decaf coffee provide many of the same health benefits, Richards and Ayoob agree that decaf coffee can provide its own unique health qualities for some individuals, such as those who can’t tolerate coffee. “Some coffee consumers must moderate how much caffeine they take in for various reasons, so decaf coffee gives these individuals an alternative to fully caffeinated coffee,” says Richards.

The Best Decaf Coffee Beans

Just like our selection of specialty coffees with caffeine, all of our decaf coffees are hand-curated and roasted fresh from the nation’s finest artisan roasters. Browse our freshly roasted selection of decaf coffee beans, or check out our Coffee Sampler (which is a great way to explore decaffeinated coffee and decide if it’s right for you).

Does Decaf Tea Have Caffeine?

Just like coffee, tea plants contain caffeine as one of their natural components. This includes black, green, oolong, white, and pu’er teas. These teas can be decaffeinated through a process similar to coffee, where tea leaves are soaked in water and a solvent is used to extract the caffeine molecules. Herbal teas, however, are often made from non-tea plants, herbs, and extracts, which are naturally caffeine-free. And here’s another trick to get decaf tea: Make a cup of tea, dump it, and use the same tea bag a second time. You’ll get almost all of the tea flavor and only a fraction of the caffeine.

The post How Much Caffeine Is in Decaf Coffee? appeared first on My Blog.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What Is an AeroPress Coffee Maker?
• AeroPress Accessories
• AeroPress Instructions: The Inverted AeroPress Method
• The Best Coffee for an AeroPress
• How to Clean an AeroPress
• AeroPress Comparisons

What Is an AeroPress Coffee Maker?

The AeroPress is a simple brewing method that allows you to quickly press hot water through coffee. While it’s not the most stylish of coffee makers, it’s lightweight, very portable, and will brew up a sweet, full-bodied cup of coffee every time. That’s why it’s often the preferred brew method for camping coffee. 

AeroPress Accessories

To get started, you’ll need a few accessories for your AeroPress; here’s a complete shopping list:  

• AeroPress: The AeroPress goes for about $30 on Amazon.
• Fresh Coffee: Grind to coarse sand consistency (or medium grind). 
• Grinder: We always recommend a quality burr grinder!
• AeroPress Paper Filter: You can find both name-brand filters and generic versions on Amazon.
• Coffee Scale: These are our coffee scale recommendations. 
• Kettle: We prefer an electric gooseneck kettle.

AeroPress Instructions: The Inverted AeroPress Method

We prefer the inverted AeroPress method, as it prevents dripping and allows for better control over brew time. Follow these AeroPress instructions for a great cup of coffee on the go. 

1. Heat the Water

Bring your kettle water to a boil, or if you’re using a temperature-controlled kettle, set it to 205°F. 

2. Prep the Filter

Unscrew the black AeroPress cap before placing the circular paper filter inside of it. Rinse the filter with heated water to remove the paper smell/taste. Shake out the rinse water from your AeroPress cap and set aside. 

3. Measure Your Coffee

Tare your scale and add 15g (or 3 tbsp.) freshly ground coffee into the filter. Give it a gentle shake to level out the grounds. Tare your scale again. 

4. Start the Brew

There will be two pours in total. This is the first. Start your timer and bloom the coffee by pouring 40g of heated water onto the grounds. This first pour should be about double the weight of your coffee. The goal is to saturate all of the grounds. Let bloom for 30 seconds and enjoy the aroma! 

5. Pour Again

Pour your next round of water (another 200g) about 1-inch away from the top of the AeroPress. After your pour, attach the cap with the filter and screw it in place. 

6. Attach the Cap

Secure the cap in place. 

7. Invert the AeroPress

At the 2-minute mark, prepare to invert the AeroPress. We like to hold a mug over the cap before flipping it, but the plunger’s seal should prevent most leaks.  

8. Wait for the Hiss

Slowly push the plunger down until you hear a hissing sound. This step should take about 30 seconds. 

9. Serve

Pour your coffee and enjoy! 

Want to experiment with other recipes? AeroPress publishes recipes from the World AeroPress Champions here.

The Best Coffee for an AeroPress

Light to medium roasts taste especially delicious in the AeroPress, since the quick extraction and paper filter result in a clean and bright cup that allows complex flavor notes to shine. 

How to Clean an AeroPress

Unlike many brew methods, it’s safe to clean the AeroPress in the dishwasher (top rack), though we still recommend hand-washing it with warm water and unscented dish soap. You’ll definitely want to remove the seal from the end of the plunger and give it a good clean from time to time. 

AeroPress Comparisons

AeroPress vs. AeroPress Go

Even though the traditional AeroPress is portable, AeroPress also makes a version specifically for travel, called the AeroPress Go. Here’s how the two compare:

• Size: The AeroPress Go is undeniably smaller and lighter (though the original AeroPress isn’t big and bulky by any means).

• Storage: The AeroPress Go is stored in a small cup with a silicone lid. The regular AeroPress doesn’t come with any storage.

• Parts: The original AeroPress comes with a funnel, while the AeroPress Go comes with a folding stick for stirring.

• Compatibility: Like the AeroPress, the AeroPress Go is compatible with the Fellow Prismo attachment for those wanting to make an espresso-like drink. 

Overall, there’s not much of a difference between the AeroPress and the AeroPress Go, and we’ve always found the original AeroPress to work great for travel. They’re even priced about the same (though the AeroPress Go is actually $2 more on Amazon).  

AeroPress vs. Pour Over

Here’s how the AeroPress differs from a pour over method:

• Serving Size: The AeroPress will yield about 8 ounces of coffee at a time, while the Hario and Chemex can scale up the recipes to serve multiple people at once. 

• Method: With a pour over method such as the Chemex, you literally pour hot water over ground coffee and through a paper filter. While you essentially do the same with the AeroPress, there’s the added step of pushing a plunger down. 

• Taste: AeroPress recipes can be extremely versatile, allowing for tons of experimentation. This can result in everything from vibrant, light and refreshing cups to silkier and more concentrated cups.

• Portability: The AeroPress travels well, while the Chemex does not. (If you’re looking for a pour over brewer that travels well, try the plastic Hario V60.) 

The post AeroPress Instructions: The Inverted AeroPress Method appeared first on My Blog.

5 Reasons Your Coffee Tastes Bitter 

1. The Coffee Is Too Finely Ground

Grinding coffee too fine is a common cause of bitterness (also known as over extraction). How do you know what grind size is right for you? This often requires a little experimentation, but here’s a general rule of thumb based on each brew method:

• AeroPress: Coarse Sand Consistency 
• Chemex: Sea Salt Consistency
• Drip Machine: Kosher Salt Consistency 
• French Press: Kosher Salt Consistency
• Hario V60: Table Salt Consistency 
• Moka Pot: Table Salt Consistency 

2. The Grounds Steeped Too Long

When using a French press or any brewing method in which coffee grounds are steeped, avoid leaving the coffee grounds submerged in water for more than a few minutes. Expert Tip: We’ve found the magic number to be four minutes. Serve the coffee immediately after it’s done steeping to prevent it from meeting a bitter (over extracted) fate.

3. Your Water Is Too Hot

When it comes to optimal brewing temperature for coffee, 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit (or two to three minutes off-boil) is the sweet spot. If your water is too hot (or over boiled), you’ll extract the bitter compounds from the coffee.

4. Your Coffee Is Mismatched to Your Expectations 

Coffee preferences and tastes are very subjective, and our expectations for coffee can vary depending on what we’re used to drinking. Our tastes can change, and our perception of bitter foods can become more or less sensitive over the course of time. A coffee drinker who enjoys a darker roast will often label a lightly-roasted coffee as stale, sour, or tart. If you’re used to lighter roasts, a darker or roastier profile may come across as bitter and unpalatable. This isn’t necessarily an issue with your brewing method or an imperfection in the coffee. 

5. It’s the Color of Your Cup

Who knew? Even after controlling for freshness, grind, roast profile, time, and temperature, there’s a well-known psychological aspect to perceiving bitter coffee: the color of the cup. 

Because of the color contrast, coffee’s dark color seems even darker compared to the white of your mug, and we are apt to perceive coffee served in a white mug as stronger in profile. By contrast, sipping our coffee from a clear glass, with the sunlight streaming through it, encourages us to imagine we’re drinking something lighter and sweeter.

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How to Buy Fresh Coffee Beans

Here’s how to ensure you’re buying truly fresh coffee beans: 

• Buy Coffee from Bean Box: Enough said! We’re dedicated to delivering you the best quality beans, roasted to order and shipped fast. Peak freshness and flavor: we guarantee it.
• Go Directly to the Source: If you don’t buy it from us, buy it directly from the roaster. Coffee stocked through other middlemen, either online or on grocery store shelves, can sit for days, weeks, even months before you get it into your kitchen. This is why many artisan roasters won’t work with other coffee companies, or sell their beans through stores other than their own cafes.
• Look For a Roast Date: Look for a roast date on the coffee bag, and try to only buy coffee within a month of that date (and ideally within a week or two). If you see an “expiration date,” know that many expiration dates are six months to a year after the beans have been roasted! 
• Buy Whole Beans: Buy whole-bean coffee and grind the beans (preferably with a burr grinder) just before you brew.

How Long Do Coffee Beans Last? 

When it comes to the shelf life of coffee beans, roast type plays a major role, and generally speaking, the darker the roast, the faster the decay. 

Light Roasts: Lighter roasts can survive—when properly stored—for up to a month and beyond. This is because they don’t spend as much time in the roaster as dark beans. (Fun Fact: This is also why light roasts also tend to have more caffeine than dark roasts). 

Dark Roasts: Longer roasting times introduce a new set of flavors, but also destroy the structural integrity of the bean. This means that dark roasts will age faster than lighter roasts (as evidenced by the shiny oils you’ll see appearing on these beans). However, the good news is that as coffees age, their lighter, brighter flavors fade first. So the darker roast may age faster, but you won’t notice as much of a flavor impact. 

3 Ways to Tell If You Have Expired Coffee 

As beans age and taste flattens, the coffee will start to lose its nuance, and taste more and more bitter. (Ironically, within the first week, many light roasts will taste sour, so don’t brew too soon, either!)

Oils: Depending on whether the beans are dark or light roast, seeing spots of oil on the surface can also tell you a lot. Very dark roasted coffee will exit the roaster already oily on the outside, even when perfectly fresh. But medium and light roasts should not show any visible oil on their surface when they’re fresh. As beans age, the oils within the body of the bean will migrate towards the surface. And once the oils reach the exterior, exposure to the environment increases, as does the speed of decay.

Coffee Bloom: The coffee bloom—when hot water interacts with coffee still in the process of off-gassing—indicates fresh coffee, and is most obvious to see when using a brew method such as the Chemex, since you can clearly watch the coffee and water bubble up. Here’s how to do it: make your first pour of hot water just enough to saturate the grounds. The grounds will “fluff” up if the coffee is fresh, and you’ll see active bubbling at the surface. You should also see some slight rainbow effects (oil) on the surface of the bubbles. If you don’t see any rise, fluffing, or bubbling of the grounds, the beans are past prime.

Taste: Of course, the other major way to detect spoiled coffee is by drinking it. The most common indicator of stale beans is a very flat, “nothing” taste. If it tastes bitter, you can troubleshoot the issue with this list of possible causes for bitter coffee. If it tastes sour, it might be for one of these reasons. But in many cases, it’s likely that your coffee beans are old. 

Can Ground Coffee Go Bad? 

All coffee, especially ground coffee, can go bad. Because ground coffee has a lot more surface area to expose to the environment, it ages more quickly. Repeated exposure to air is the worst culprit for ground coffee, which happens when you have a large amount of ground coffee and the container is opened over and over every day for brewing.

If at all possible, buy your coffee whole bean, which keeps better, and only grind as much as you need, immediately prior to brewing. This part is so crucial that we always say: when spending money on coffee gear, the best bang your buck comes from a quality burr grinder. Check out our complete guide to brewing coffee beans here.

Can Brewed Coffee Go Bad? 

Yes, coffee that sits too long—think drip coffee on hot plates at a dine—will begin to taste bitter. It’s best to let your coffee cool a bit so you take in all of the tasting notes, then serve immediately. 

How Long Does Coffee Last in the Fridge? 

Storing your coffee in the fridge or freezer is okay and in some cases, may actually enhance the coffee. We don’t suggest leaving your coffee in the fridge or freezer for an extended period of time, however. And repeatedly thawing and re-freezing your beans isn’t advisable, because it will introduce moisture into the beans and cause freezer burn and bad flavors.

How to Store Coffee Beans

Packaging and storage influence shelf life for both whole beans and ground coffee. Bags that are flushed with nitrogen can stall bean spoilage, but only if they remain sealed. Also, bags lined with airtight materials (like all Bean Box bags!) prevent contact with the environment, preserving the life of the beans.

If your coffee bag doesn’t have any of these features, airtight containers and tins are the way to go. 

The post How Long Does Coffee Last? appeared first on My Blog.

The Cup of Excellence Competition

Let’s start with the Cup of Excellence competition, a contest for a country’s best coffees. Some call it the ‘Olympics for Coffee’ or the ‘Oscars for Coffee.’ The level of scrutiny that Cup of Excellence coffees undergo is unmatched anywhere in the specialty coffee industry.

Each year, thousands of coffees are submitted for consideration and through the competition process, a few hundred awarded as CoE coffees which are then sold on a global internet auction at premium prices. Nearly all of the auction proceeds go straight to the farmers.

The CoE competition has pioneered integrity and transparency in the coffee industry, ensuring the value of winning coffees. Each sample entering the competition process is assigned a number known only to the auditor for each competition, and each jury member cups the coffee blind. In addition, each lot is documented through the entire process so that winning coffees are traceable to the farm and exact micro-lot from which they came.

The competition is rigorous, with cupping evaluations conducted over a three-stage process by industry experts: first by a National Jury of about a dozen qualified jurors (who have included Bean Box’s Director of Coffee, Maryna Gray!) from the origin country, and then by an International Jury, comprised of approximately 20 to 25 experienced jurors from around the world. Coffees are evaluated using the Cup of Excellence cupping form, designed by Cup of Excellence co-founder George Howell.

A competition with 300 entries yields an average of 9,000 analyzed cups, with each ‘Top 10’ coffee being cupped at least 120 times. This process ensures elite top-quality consistent coffees enter the CoE auction.

The Cup of Excellence and Its Impact on Coffee Farmers

The CoE program, including auctions held by Alliance for Coffee Excellence, has set the standard for the increased premiums that farmers have been able to receive for their top-notch coffees. It continues to build a more transparent infrastructure and gives farmers the tools needed to improve the economic model of their farms and how they get paid. With the potential funds that can be received from a winning auction bid, expansion of coffee in new markets around the world, and future direct trade relationships, the Cup of Excellence helps to incentivize and motivate farmers. They know there can be a recognition and financial reward for their hard work and effort.

Since 1999, together with a global family of coffee lovers, the Cup of Excellence has pushed to back coffee farmers and make a positive impact on the way people enjoy coffee. 

The Cup of Excellence at Bean Box

Bean Box receives a limited supply of Cup of Excellence-winning coffees from time to time. Always be on the lookout for email and/or social announcements. 

This post was written by Anna Abatzoglou, Managing Director, Marketing & Membership, for the Cup of Excellence. 

The post How Does a Coffee Win the Cup of Excellence? appeared first on My Blog.

What Is an Americano Coffee?

An Americano, simply put, is espresso poured over hot water (or hot water poured over espresso if you prefer). Also known as a “caffè Americano,” this coffee drink is believed to have received its name during World War II, when American G.I.’s in Italy would dilute espresso with water to drink the coffee they were used to in America.

Americano Recipe

Want to try making an Americano at home? Here’s how you can easily do it.

What You Need

• Fresh Coffee: Choose coffee beans when you can, and grind them just before you brew.  
• Espresso Machine: You can also use a Moka pot for an espresso-like drink.
• Gooseneck Kettle: We’ve found electric gooseneck kettles to be easiest to use, plus they provide more precision than a traditional kettle. 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of off-boil water
• Two ounces (double shot) of espresso

Directions

Step 1: Add a double shot of espresso (the standard for most specialty coffee drinks) to a tall coffee cup. Never made espresso before? Use our step-by-step guide to making espresso at home. 

Step 2: Pour your hot water over top. 

Expert Tip: If you’d like to keep the crema—the caramel-colored froth—on top of your Americano coffee, it’s best to add your water to the mug first, gently pouring your espresso over top. 

Tips for Making an Americano

• Use freshly filtered water, heated in a kettle or pot.
• Use a 1:4 ratio: 2 ounces of espresso and 8 ounces of water.

Types of Americano Coffee

There are a few variations on a traditional Americano coffee. Try these ratios for a different tasting drink.

• Long Black Americano: 1:2 ratio 
• Little Buddy or Italiano Americano: 1:1 ratio 
• Iced Americano: 1:4 ratio 

Using good ice (with good water) is key to a great tasting, iced Americano. 

To make an iced Americano, fill a glass with ice and pour cold water over the ice until the glass is about half full. Next and finally, pour your espresso over top. The espresso will float a bit, so snap a photo for Instagram and enjoy!

The post 2-Step Recipe: How to Make an Americano at Home appeared first on My Blog.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What Is a French Press?
• French Press Accessories
• How to Make French Press Coffee
• The Best Coffee for a French Press
• How to Clean a French Press
• French Press Comparisons

What Is a French Press?

The French press is a manual (or non-electric) coffee maker in which ground coffee is filtered and pressed through a mesh wire filter and steeped in water for a short time.

Is French Press Coffee Stronger?

Yes and no. Because the flavor is more intense, you might perceive your coffee to be stronger when brewed in a French press. And sometimes, French press coffee is stronger since the sediment continues to extract in your cup and even in your stomach once it’s been consumed. But ultimately, your grind and coffee-to-water ratio will determine the strength of your coffee. 

Is French Press Coffee Bad for You?

Even the smallest bit of sediment will find its way through your French press and for some, this can lead to an upset stomach. You can avoid this by using a coarse grind. (But remember, a little sediment in your coffee is a good thing!)

French Press Accessories

In addition to the French press itself, you’ll need a few pieces of coffee gear to brew:

• Fresh Coffee: Get your coffee from Bean Box, of course! Grind coffee beans to a kosher salt consistency.
• Coffee Scale: Weigh your coffee with a coffee scale for the most accurate results. 
• Gooseneck Kettle: Gooseneck kettles provide the most precision when pouring off-boil water; these are our favorite electric gooseneck kettles.

How to Make French Press Coffee

Follow these step-by-step instructions for making French press coffee.

1. Heat Your Water

Set your kettle to boil, or, if you’re using a temperature-controlled kettle, to 205°F.

2. Determine Your Coffee-to-Water Ratio

Use this ratio and scale it appropriately for the amount of ounces: 1 gram of coffee to 16 grams of water, or 2 tablespoons coffee to 6 ounces water. The following recipe is for a 34-ounce French press.

3. Tare Your Scale

Add 50g (or 10 tablespoons) freshly ground coffee into the filter. Give it a gentle shake to level out the grounds. Tare your scale again. Your ground coffee should be coarsely ground and resemble the consistency of kosher salt. Fun Fact: All you need is one 1.8-ounce Bean Box coffee tasting bag for a 32-ounce French press. 

4. Let the Water Cool

If using boiling water, allow the kettle to sit off the stove for 30 seconds to cool.

5. Start the Brew

There will be two pours in total. This is the first. Start your timer and pour 100g of your heated water onto the grounds. This first pour, called the “bloom,” should be about double the weight of your coffee. The goal here is to saturate all of the grounds. Give the press a little swirl and let the coffee bloom for 30 seconds. Enjoy the aroma! 

6. Pour Again

Pour your next round of water to 1-inch away from the top of the French press, which will be another 700g (or 24 ounces).

7. Let It Sit

Give the French press a little swirl and gently place the lid on top to keep the heat in. Resist the urge to push the plunger just yet! Let sit for four minutes.

8. Push the Plunger

“

Slowly push it down.

9. Serve

Your coffee is ready—enjoy! 

The Best Coffee for a French Press

Coffees with a heavier body and medium-to-dark roast profile work best since the French press tends to bring out the richness of these roasts. But any coffee you enjoy—light, medium or dark roast—works well, as long as you use fresh coffee beans and grind just before brewing.  

How to Clean a French Press

It’s best to hand-wash your French press with warm water and non-scented soap. You can use the plunger as a cleaning assist, pumping it up and down to thoroughly clean the glass carafe and remove residual coffee oils. Next, remove the wire mesh filters from the plunger and clean each piece separately. 

French Press Comparisons

French Press vs. Pour Over

There are several differences between the French press and a pour over brew method such as the Chemex: 

• The French press uses a mesh wire filter, while the pour over methods require a paper filter.
• The French press yields a thick, full-bodied cup of coffee, often with sediment, while a pour over brew method such as the Chemex makes a clean, bright-tasting cup without any sediment at all. 
• The French press comes in plastic, stainless steel and glass variations, while any version of the Chemex is always made of glass. If you’re looking for a pour over method that comes in more variations, try the Hario V60. 
• You can travel with a French press, but it’s not so easy to pack up a Chemex because of its fragile nature.

French Press vs. Drip

Many people who start with a drip coffee machine move on to a French press when they’re ready to try new coffee gear. Here’s how the two compare: 

• The French press requires attentiveness, while you can easily “set it and forget it” with a drip coffee maker. 
• You can travel with a French press, but it’s a bit more difficult to bring a drip coffee machine on your beach vacation!
• There are more choices (in both brand and variety) in drip coffee makers than there are with a French press. 
• Drip coffee may vary in taste depending on grind size and coffee, while the French press yields a full-bodied cup.
• The French press requires a mesh wire filter, while you’ll need to use a paper filter with the drip coffee maker. 

The post How to Make French Press Coffee appeared first on My Blog.

Seattle, WA – November 1, 2021 – The Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment (GCDE) has announced Bean Box as the 2021 recipient of the Governor’s Award for Small Private Employer. The annual awards ceremony recognizes employers for exemplary work recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting people with disabilities.

Bean Box earned this accolade for its commitment to hiring people of abilities. Since 2020, the coffee subscription company has hired nine employees with intellectual and developmental disabilities to work at its product manufacturing center in Seattle’s Georgetown area.

“Bean Box has always sought to build an inclusive, diverse workforce, and our partnership with Northwest Center has helped us fulfill that promise, creating meaningful employment opportunities for all of our team members,” said Ben Adler, VP of Operations. “We’re honored to accept this award, but even more proud of the work we’re doing with our team by focusing on capabilities, not limitations.”

Bean Box was nominated for this award by partner organization Northwest Center. As a leader in advancing equal opportunities for children and adults with disabilities, Northwest Center continues to support Bean Box’s commitment to creating an inclusive workspace.

“Since mid-2020, Northwest Center has had the honor of working with Bean Box to help close the employment gap for people with disabilities,” said Northwest Center Vice President of Employment Services Jenn Ramirez Robson. “Bean Box is an incredible partner in inclusion, and their success employing multiple people with disabilities at a comparatively small business is a terrific example for all businesses. Bean Box shows that inclusive hiring practices aren’t just a gesture, but a smart business practice that benefits the entire workplace.”

Northwest Center provides outsourcing solutions that meet the manufacturing and service needs of small and medium sized businesses, Fortune 500 companies, local government offices, and large federal agencies. 

ABOUT NORTHWEST CENTER

Northwest Center (NWC) is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive organizations serving the community with disability inclusion programs and services that advance equal opportunities for people of all abilities. NWC was founded in 1965 by Seattle parents who refused to give up when their kids with disabilities were rejected from schools, and who went on to pass legislation guaranteeing an education to kids with disabilities. Today, Northwest Center provides Early Supports and inclusive Early Learning for children from birth to school age, Employment Services to adults with disabilities in counties across Washington state and in Northern Idao, and is rapidly expanding inclusive early learning by training other organizations how to include kids with disabilities. For more information, visit www.nwcenter.org

ABOUT BEAN BOX

Bean Box curates, sells, and fulfills a wide range of unique Specialty Coffee tasting experiences, sourced from their network of 50+ artisan coffee roasters across the United States. Bean Box tasting products provide an all-access pass to the world’s best artisan coffee, allowing coffee lovers to enjoy an endless variety in the comfort of their own kitchen. Learn more, and have better mornings, by visiting beanbox.com.

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Economic Sustainability

• Choose local coffee roasters, to bolster local economies and small businesses
• Favor roasters who conduct “direct trade” with farmers
• Opt for microlot, specialty coffees over inexpensive commodity beans

Social Sustainability

• Remember that economic sustainability = social sustainability for farmers
• Seek out roasters who feature “coffees for a cause” – building schools, providing living wages, etc.

Environmental Sustainability

• Organic certification doesn’t always mean sustainable
• Favor coffees sourced from specific, named, multi-generation farms
• Look for small run, hand-roasted microlots

Product Sustainability

• Avoid flashy, slick packaging, and instead look for kraft and other recyclable materials
• Buy only what you need (hint: try Bean Box 2-ounce sampler products!)
• Beware certification labels, as they generally mean big farms and commodity beans
• At all costs, avoid coffee pods

Many of our favorite coffees also participate in the virtuous cycles of sustainable farming practices and better wages for coffee growers,
making every sip even more enjoyable; check out our Curator’s picks for Direct Trade, Fair Trade, and Organic Coffees. You can also read more about direct trade coffee.

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