What better way to kick-start a Monday morning than with a bit of home brewing!
It makes a change than only brewing over the weekend when there is more time to really relax and enjoy the whole experience. Monday morning pre-work brewing takes some preparation and coordination… and it’s worth it.
Inside my lovely little Bean Bros subscription box were 2 Gardelli roasted coffees – Carmen and Moata. After readying the information on both packets, I decided to start the day in Panama with the Carmen. The taste description says plum, pineapple, orange, raisin and chocolate – what is not to like! For those in the coffee industry, this roast has an SCAA cup score of 90.25.. impressive. So the decision to make this my Monday morning brew was an easy one, which was great considering that I am not really a morning person.
I’d worked through my brewing recipe over the weekend. I have learnt over the years that there are a few key elements in successful brewing if you want your coffee to be drinkable – selection and quality of water, ratio of coffee beans to water, brewing apparatus and brewing time. As a traditional espresso drinker since birth – both parents are Italian so coffee is in my DNA, I’ve had years of experience brewing espresso in my Bialetti. I’ve now transferred what I have learned to filter coffee brewing. My creative side definitely overrules my scientific side, so my recipe for the Gardelli Carmen looks like this.
- 200ml Rocchetta Mineral Water. Seemed most appropriate for the Italian roasted coffee. Keeping it Italian and traditional, I decided to boil it a saucepan on the stove to get the temperature I wanted. My Mamma would be proud!
- 13 grams (2.5 Table spoons) freshly ground coffee
Ok, so we have the recipe, and now the very simple brewing method for this first Gardelli brew. Remember, for me it’s all about the experience.. so here it is.. Pour over method using both Cafflano and Clever Dripper.
- Measure out your 200ml of water and put in saucepan on the stove to boil
- While the water is boiling, measure out your coffee beans and place in your hand grinder. I used my Cafflano grinder on a fairly course setting. A good little workout for the arms especially in the morning
- Prepare your Clever dripper by positioning the filter and pouring through a half a cup of warm water to rinse the filter. Let the water completely filter thorough before using
- Check on your water. By this time it must almost be boiling
- With the filter ready, measure out the 2.5 Table spoons and place in Clever on the damp filter paper
- Take the boiled water off the slove and pour into the Cafflano lid which is used as a pouring device (love the Cafflano!)
- Make sure the Clever is on a flat surface, not on the cup, and slower pour over the hot water in a circular motion until all 200ml are poured in
- Stir very very slowly twice, and let the beautiful liquid brew for 1.5 to 2 minutes
- Once ready, place the Clever on your coffee cup and watch it magically drip through
- And there you have it! Your Monday morning coffee magic
Make sure you close your eyes and take in all the aromas before you take your first sip. Imagine yourself in Panama where those coffee cherries were picked and prepared. Those tastes described on the pack start to take life. The more you brew, taste and learn, the closer you will get to living those tastes. All I can say that my first ever Gardelli filter coffee was amazing. Can’t wait to try this same roast as an espresso..!
Take a look at the videos below to get some insights into my Monday Gardelli experience. I invite you to let me know if you try the recipe and to press like if you enjoy the videos.
Until the next cup…
Maria