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In the Novo world, behind every flavor is a story. Your freshly brewed cup is an open door of discovery. With the nose over your steaming cup, learn to translate aroma of fruit, flowers, or earth into images of coffee’s terroir, variety, and handling. Coffee has 1,500 discernable components of flavor - three times more than wine, and tasting Novo coffees can be compared to tasting an assortment of the finest wines. Line up a few Novo coffees and do a tasting at home. Compare acidity, body, aroma, flavor, and aftertaste. Get closer to your coffee.
Make sure it is brewed properly or all the meticulous work to produce a top-notch bean will be lost. By the way, just say no to the black and oily and the pre-ground. Over-roasting and pre-grinding are sure signs that the life of your coffee has been robbed before it arrives in your kitchen.
Always store your coffee in an airtight container away from the light, heat, or changing humidity. Do not store coffee in the refrigerator or freezer unless you are not going to use the coffee for some time. In this case, store unopened bags in the freezer until you are ready to use. Remove from freezer, open, and use within ten days for optimal flavor.
Regardless of method, extract 18 to 22% of the weight of your coffee evenly into your brew using 55g of coffee per liter of water as a brew ratio. Oh, and make sure you use clean-tasting, unsoftened water between 195 and 205 degrees. And don’t forget great freshly roasted and ground Novo Coffee. Use mesh filters whenever possible as paper invariably robs coffee of its body and its aromatic oils.
A finer grind will result in greater extraction, a coarser grind decreases extraction. You’re trying to get between 18 and 22%, and you will be able to taste your way to the perfect grind setting for your brewing method (using a burr grinder instead of a mill grinder ensures adjustable and consistent grind coarseness). If your extraction is above 22% (too fine), your coffee will have a bitter aftertaste. Below 18% (too coarse) and coffee will taste thin and incomplete. Adjust coarseness until you get full-flavored coffee that flows over the palate without leaving anything but smooth, pleasant aftertaste, regardless of coffee type.
If you’re going to use an automatic home drip brewer, you’ll have to spend in excess of $200 to get a brewer that extracts evenly from the coffee and maintains appropriate brewing temperatures. Try the Dutch Technivorm Brewer. It brews a solid cup.
The easiest way to the best cup is by using a French Press (a.k.a. Artisan Press™). Add water just off the boil to fresh, coarsely ground coffee (keep in mind correct brew ratio). Wait four minutes and then press. Taste and decide if grind was at the right coarseness, and, if necessary, make adjustments accordingly.
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