Manual infusers - V60 - Kalita Wave - Origami
Intro
Specialty coffee can be enjoyed any number of ways, but in this first of a series of articles, I'm going to look at three different hand brewers and an approach to best using them. Colorès 's mission is to promote Slow Living and therefore to take the time, because in a world where everything goes fast, it is good to taste and above all to prepare well his coffee. This is one of the crucial steps in enjoying a fine coffee. The three methods below are excellent starting points for carefully preparing your coffee. Preparations and materials First, boil the water, weigh the amount of coffee and grind the coffee according to the instructions in the sheets below. (Every coffee grinder is different, it will take a few tries!) Once the hot water is ready, wet the infuser and its filter installed on the carafe. Discard the water and place everything on a scale again, along with the ground coffee. Shake lightly to distribute the coffee evenly. Set the scale counter to 0. (1g of water = 1mL of water) Pre-infusion consists of the first jet of water on the coffee. Ideally with a kettle that has a narrow gooseneck opening for more control, pour the hot water in a circular pattern to allow the coffee to breathe or commonly known as blooming. Wait 40 seconds. Then, pour the hot water slowly, in steps of 100 to 150mL, in order to reach the final quantity within the time range indicated. If the elapsed time is too low, grind the coffee more finely and vice versa. In the end, you need to arrive at the desired ratio (e.g. 1:16 means 1 part coffee to 16 parts water, so 20g of coffee will yield 20 x 16 = 320mL in total for the brew) These parameters give a basis for these types of infusions and are not limiting. Start from these parameters and experiment by adjusting the variables according to your taste. Each coffee reacts differently and each taste is unique! Hario's V60 Probably the best known of all, the latter provides the happy medium in most infusers for an ideal balance between acidity and body. Its conical shape with a 60° angle and its twisted stripes allow rapid flow to extract the subtle aromas and flavors of the coffee, but without too much. The result is a coffee that will showcase its tangy qualities, with a bit of roundness. Recommendation by Colorès For this type of infuser, I recommend coffees that will have fruity, floral or even spicy qualities. Also look for cafes with an altitude of 1500 meters and above. The V60 will highlight these attributes. Generally speaking, African coffees and high altitude coffees in Central and South America go very well with V60. Try with a ratio of 1:16 and adjust to 1:17 or 1:15 as needed. The Wave of Kalita The Wave range from highly respected Japanese manufacturer Kalita is one of a kind. The bottom is flat and there are 3 small holes, which ensures a certain retention during the infusion. There are several more or less different variations and models, but the important thing is that there is a flat bottom with the small holes.So this results in a bit more water retention during the brew and therefore a bit more extraction. This will essentially make the coffee rounder, softening the acidity and will enhance the body of the coffee (consistency) and its sweet side. Colorès Recommendation The cousin of the V60 makes it even easier to make a successful coffee and is, in my opinion, the easiest manual infuser to master. While all coffees lend themselves well to the Kalita Wave, denser, richer coffees with chocolate, nutty or sweet dried fruit flavors will come out very well with this infuser. It rounds off the acidity and won't go for the high notes that the V60 can do for example. As a result, coffees from the Americas at low to medium altitudes, and coffees from Asia do very well with the Wave. It's good to have a little more body with these coffees, start with a 1:15 ratio and adjust as needed. The recommended grind is one line coarser than that for the V60. Origami Sublimely aesthetic, Origami requires a little more experience to master. It comes close to the V60 in terms of result, but its fine Mino porcelain modeled like an Origami paper for aggressive percolation, and its orifice even larger than the Colorès Recommendation For this head-turning infuser, I recommend grinding the coffee finer than the V60 and the Kalita Wave, approaching a grind of a sand very fine. If you have coffees with experimental processes, or rather Funky origins like Yemen, Rwanda or Panama, Origami is definitely worth using. Properly infused, it will bring out the high notes of coffees at very high altitudes as well. On the ratio side, try 1:14, or even 1:15. Good coffee! ☕️
