LEARN: MOCCAMASTER

This little batch brewer holds pride of place amongst many a great coffee bar.  The Dutch-born Moccamaster is particularly popular for it’s comparatively low price and ease of use, producing high quality batch brews when it’s used correctly.  As with any brewer, though, there are a few quirks to getting the best out of it.  Read on, my friend:

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Moccamaster, no.4 size filter papers, scales, timer, yummy coffee, filtered water, o-file for recipe.

1. Fold filter paper and place in cone.  Rinse, preferably with hot water, so the paper is fully wet and evenly sticking the the edges of the cone.
2. Measure coffee and water to recommended ratio on O-File.  Use 60g/L if you can’t find the recipe.
3. Grind coffee, double check the weight to +-0.1g of target & place into the cone.  Give cone a shake so the coffee is even and flat in the bottom.
4. Pour measured water into the top of the brewer.
5. Place carafe under the brewer ensuring it has pushed in the little white button at the base.
6. Turn brewer on.  Both the light on the switch and the orange light embedded in the side will be on, indicating the Moccamaster is heating water and about to brew.
7. Start a timer when the water first hits the coffee.
8. At 30 seconds, turn the brewer off and thoroughly stir the coffee for approx 10 seconds.
9. At 45 seconds, turn the brewer back on.
10. Wait for the brewer to dispense the measured water. During this period it doesn’t hurt to adjust the positioning of the cone and the spout to ensure even water distribution.
11. Once the brewer has finished dispensing water, give the cone a rigorous swirl in it’s holder, followed by two vertical taps.
12. Check total brew time. This is measure by when the top of the coffee bed is dry and the brewed coffee coming from the bottom of the cone has all but finished.  Generally, 500mL batches will taste best between 3.30-5.30, and 1000mL batches will be best between 5.30 & 7.30.
13. Give the thermos a good swirl before serving. This is particularly important if the pot has sat for a while or with larger batches. This will prevent the brew from settling.
14. Rinse & repeat.

• Your batchies will taste much better when they’re fresh – brewing smaller (500mL) batches more regularly will help reduce wastage.
• Speaking of reducing wastage, chill your leftover batch! It’s yum.
• Use at least two carafes – it will make serving fresh batch easier as you can simultaneously serve & brew your tasty filter coffee.
• Pre weigh your coffee & measure your brew water for the day to save time during service.
• Don’t stir the brew after the bloom; this will slow your draw down time.
• Do swirl the carafe before serving.
• Grinding – ah. Test & taste to find your perfect particle size. As a guide on an EK we start at #9.5 for a half litre batch, and #10.5 for the full litre. Your perfect grind size will change coffee to coffee, so make sure this is easily communicated to all staff!

If you’re interested, here’s an 8 minute video of some euro coffee frothers touring the Technivorm factory – pretty interesting!