Our favorite method of preparation is press pot coffee.  It is an inexpensive way to have total control of the brewing paramaters and you can carry it with you while you travel.  Here is our suggestion for preparing the perfect press pot.

You will need a:

Press Pot
Coffee Grinder
Water Kettle
Scale or Tablespoon
Timer
Thermal Carafe

Always start with high quality, fresh coffee and grind just prior to use.  Clean, filtered water is a must and always make sure your equipment is clean and free from any coffee residue.

1.       Weigh out your coffee with a digital scale or portion the coffee with a tablespoon.  We recommend 2 ounces of coffee by weight for each liter of water.  So if you have a one liter press pot, weigh out 2 ounces of coffee.  Another acceptable practice (although much less precise) is one rounded tablespoon for each 4 ounces of water.

2.       Grind the coffee.  We suggest using a good quality burr grinder rather than a blade style grinder.  The burr grinder is much more gentle with the coffee and produces a more even particle size.  Inconsistent particle sizes can lead to undesirable flavors.  For example, very fine grounds will overextract and cause a bitter cup.

3.       Dump the ground coffee in your press pot.

4.       You will need to boil your water and let it rest 30-45 seconds.  This will allow the temperature to drop to around 200 degrees.  Pour the water into the press pot aggresively enough that all of the ground coffee is thoroughly saturated.  Be sure to leave at least one inch from the top of the press pot to allow the "bloom" room to expand.  The bloam is foam that forms on the top of the coffee and is most present with fresh coffee.

5.       Start your timer as soon as you are done pouring the water into the press pot.  This should only take a few seconds to complete.

6.       After about one minute, the expansion should be complete and you can now stir the coffee.  This will help ensure complete and even saturation and extraction.  You will also need to top off the press pot with water from your kettle, then place the lid on the press pot.

7.       When your timer reaches about 3 minutes and 30 seconds (or 30 seconds if your timer is counting down) begin pressing the plunger to the bottom of the press pot.  The key is to press slowly and evenly so you don't spew and water out of the pot.  Keep your hands away from the spout in case any water is forced out as you do not want to burn yourself.

8.       You should be pouring your coffee out of the press pot and into your thermal carafe at 4 minutes.  It is important not to let your coffee sit in the press pot as it will continue to extract and you will end up with a funky, nasty cup of coffee

9.       Now pour a cup, drink and enjoy

10.   Order more Cuvee Cofee & repeat process.