How-to Guides
These concise guides are aimed to help you get the best out of your coffee:
Storage - Keeping Your Coffee Fresh:
Roasted coffee has a very limited lifespan. However, under ideal storage conditions, whole beans will keep fresh for at least 4 weeks after roasting. They should be kept in a cool, dark place in a one-way valved bag. We recommend that ground coffee be used immediately and not prepared ahead of time - see below for more tips on grinding. Some guidelines for keeping your coffee fresh:
- Store the beans in the pantry, not the fridge (cool, not cold).
- Keep them dry and away from damp air (such as in the fridge or freezer).
- Only remove and grind enough coffee for each use - don't leave beans in the grinder hopper or ground coffee in a jar, for example.
- Squeeze the air out of the valved bag after each use to minimise oxidation.
Keep in mind that it is possible for coffee to be TOO fresh. Beans reach their peak flavour 7-10 days after roasting so it is a good idea to order your beans several days ahead of when you anticipate needing them.
Grinding and Grinders:
Grinding coffee exposes it to air and rapidly accelerates its deterioration. For this reason, we recommend that ground coffee be used immediately and not prepared ahead of time. Grinding on demand, using freshly roasted coffee, can result in one of the biggest improvements in your coffee at home.
Contrary to popular belief (and advertising), the most important piece of equipment needed for great coffee is not an espresso machine but a good quality burr grinder. Even a high-end espresso machine will be limited by an inferior grinder. Likewise, a high-quality grinder can dramatically improve the clarity and complexity of the flavour of coffee from even a humble plunger. The consistent particle size produced by high quality grinders allows the flavour to be extracted from the coffee grounds evenly - and this is important for both brewed and espresso coffee.
The good news is that some relatively inexpensive grinders are very capable of producing a consistent grind. We at Zombie Coffee are happy to make suggestions for the best grinders in your price range and to point you to reputable retailers. Feel free to contact us with any questions you have about choosing a grinder.
Plunger-Brewed Coffee:
The plunger (also called the French press) is a simple, inexpensive and underrated coffee brewing device. The method involves mixing coarsely-ground coffee grounds with hot water for 3-4 minutes, then separating the grounds by means of a metallic mesh "plunger". As a brewed coffee method, the plunger highlights a different range of coffee flavours to espresso. In particular, the plunger is well-suited to light- to medium-roasted coffee. This allows a far wider range of flavours to be experienced compared to espresso coffee.
The following video - from the Square Mile Coffee Blog - gives an excellent intro to using the plunger.
Videocast #2 - French Press Technique from James Hoffmann on Vimeo
Espresso Coffee:
For many, the word coffee refers exclusively to espresso-based drinks. While brewed coffee is becoming more popular in Australia amongst specialty coffee drinkers, espresso still dominates.
Espresso coffee is defined as being prepared by applying hot water under pressure to compressed, finely ground coffee in order to extract approximately 50-60mL concentrated liquid (called an espresso) from approximately 14-18g coffee. This espresso can be drunk as is, or mixed with hot water and/or steamed milk, depending on the kind of drink desired.
The following link provides a series of videos introducing the many aspects of making great espresso coffee - we recommend them to you: