Start with a cafetière. “The most abused piece of equipment in the house, a cafetière can also make an incredible cup of coffee – when used properly!”
Invest in quality coffee. “Don’t worry about spending thousands on fancy coffee machines – it’s the coffee that matters. The delicious coffee we serve here at NORSK comes from Union Coffee and you can buy it direct from us.”
Use freshly ground coffee beans. “That ready-ground stuff that’s been sitting at the back of your fridge for months? Chuck it out. The fridge is the worst place to store coffee as it will take on all the aromas from the other foods kept in there. Ideally, you want to freshly grind your coffee and use any that is left over within three days – five at the most. Ground coffee should be stored in a metal airtight container in a dark cupboard.”
Get measuring. “It’s all about the coffee to water ratio. For 3 people, I’d recommend 50g of coffee to 800ml of water.”
Buy a water filter. “Honestly, this will transform your coffee. 97% of a cup of coffee is water so if it’s full of limescale and has a high mineral content then you don’t stand a chance of making a decent cup.”
Never use boiling water. “Pouring boiling water on your coffee will just burn it. Ideally, you want the water to be 94°C, so once your kettle of filtered water has boiled, leave it for a minute to cool slightly.”
Go slow. “Next, slowly pour just 50ml of water on to the coffee in the cafetière to wet the coffee bed. Leave for a moment then pour in the remaining 750ml. Give it a stir and leave for 4 minutes. Scoop off any scummy foam which forms on the head of the coffee with the spoon as this will remove any bitter notes. Press the plunger down very slowly.”
Get decanting. “Don’t leave the brewed coffee in the cafetière once you’ve pushed the plunger down – the bitter leftover coffee bed will continue to brew and spoil the flavour. Decant the coffee into cups or a Thermos jug. Leave the coffee for another 3 or 4 minutes before drinking. As the coffee cools all the notes will become apparent, which is impossible when it’s scorching hot.”
Enjoy. “Finally, it’s time to enjoy your coffee. I’d always recommend drinking it black but, of course, add milk if you’d prefer. Use your favourite mug – we have some great mugs from NORSK's in-house brand to buy here, slogan cups by Nordic brand Sögne here and chic espresso cups here. Taking a little more time and using the right equipment will transform your morning coffee.”
For the perfect coffee moment, nothing beats a rich slice of carrot cake. Now you can use NORSK’s very own recipe to make your own at home. Enjoy!
