These instructions are brought to you by Blue Star Coffee, located in Twisp, WA. They are advocates for the arts and a wholesale provider of world-class, hand-roasted coffee for our Valley and beyond.

Start with fresh clean cold water:

• Good water quality is critical for making good coffee – it makes up 98% of what’s in your cup.
• If your tap water isn’t good for making coffee, due to taste or mineral content, use filtered water to brew with.
• Never use distilled water – coffee needs some minerals in order to extract well.

Use the right grind:

• Espresso – Fine
• Aero Press – Medium Fine
• Drip (electric and filter methods, such as Kalita & Chemex) – Medium
• French Press – Coarse
• Cold Brew- Coarse

Measure your coffee:

• The standard measure is 2T of coffee per 8oz cup (check out our brew guides for our preferred recipes in detail!)
• Know your brewer and how many ounces of coffee you are making to determine your recipe. Electric Drip brewers can be especially deceiving since every brand defines a “serving” as being a different size – hence the confusion. If you don’t know how many ounces your brewer makes, break out the measuring cup and check it out!

Water Temperature:

• Coffee brews best at temps between 195 – 200 degrees F. (Just off the boil, if you’re manually brewing.)

Brew Time:

Brew time refers to the amount of time that coffee is exposed to the water. ‘Over- extracted’ is a term that refers to coffee that has been exposed to water for too long and will often have bitter flavor qualities. ‘Under- extracted’ refers to coffee that has not been exposed to water for long enough, not allowing for the full flavor and naturally occuring sugars to develop, often resulting in watery or sour coffee qualities. Brew time matters. Use the timer on your phone!

Aero Press- 10 seconds

Chemex- 4 min

French Press- 4 min

Cold Brew- 16 hours

Keep Your Coffee Fresh:

• Buy it fresh every week, if you can (check out our coffee subscriptions!)
• Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight (best on a countertop or in the cupboard, NOT in the fridge! Or the freezer! )
• Keep the bag sealed between uses. Oxygen is the enemy of freshness.