A home brewer is a person who prepares and brews coffee to be consumed by themselves, using their personal coffee brewing equipment at home. Yep, right in their own homes, and for those of you who are used to fulfilling your caffeine needs by buying a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop, maybe this article will make you want to become a home brewer!
For those of you who want to know more about coffee, the ins and outs of the process, maybe becoming a home brewer is the way to go. Being a home brewer is very helpful to explore coffee further, because by directly learning to make it, you will understand many factors that affect each stage of coffee making.
Must-have tools as a home brewer
To get started as a home brewer, the first thing you should do is equip your small home bar with manual coffee brewing tools. This helps you to start your journey as a home brewer. The tools you must have to get you started as a home brewer are:
Manual grinder or electric grinder
Grinder is a tool for grinding coffee beans into coffee powder, the result of coffee powder is adjusted to the desired grind size. This size difference is adjusted by the coffee tool to be used. The advantage of a manual grinder compared to an electric grinder is that it does not require electrical power and is generally much cheaper than an electric grinder.
However, manual grinders also have the disadvantage of taking longer and requiring more power to grind the coffee beans you want to brew. Electric grinders have the opposite advantage of manual grinders, but that advantage is paid for by the need for more electrical power.
Of course, you can also ask your roaster or coffee bean provider to grind the beans before you buy, but keep in mind that ground coffee has a shorter shelf life than unground coffee. Also, buying pre-ground coffee means that you can only optimize the grind level for a particular brewing method. Just customize it to your needs.
Read also: Looking to Buy a Roasting Machine for Your Coffee Business? Check out this article first
Manual brewing tools
Of course you can’t make coffee without the tools, unless you’re making kopi tubruk. The manual brewing tool here aims to help the coffee brewing process and separate the coffee powder from the extraction results, so that the resulting coffee is free from dregs. There are various types of manual brewing tools , some of which use filter paper intermediaries, while others can be used directly without the need to use additional filters.
There are several kinds of tools that you can have. Examples of devices that are well known among home brewers are the V60, French Press, Vietnamese drip, Aeropress,and Chemex.
If you’re confused about which coffee dripper to get, just decide on the brewing method you want to learn at the beginning of becoming a home brewer. Each dripper is unique, and also has its own advantages and disadvantages. The results of steeping using each tool are also different, it would be better to try each method until you find your favorite method.
Kettle Coffee
Not only the brewing tools that you must have, the water kettle is also an important weapon in brewing coffee.
The choice of kettle shape is none other than to make it easier to pour water during the coffee brewing process. With a gooseneck kettle, it is ensured that the water can be spread evenly for maximum coffee extraction.
Scales and measuring cups
Scales are needed to measure ingredients used in the coffee brewing process, such as water, coffee powder, milk, and so on. The ingredients must be clearly measured (which must be in accordance with the recipe you make) in order to produce a delicious brew.
Besides being used to measure the weight of ingredients, accurate scales are also used by baristas to measure water pouring during brewing. This is done to ensure pouring consistency and to ensure that the right amount of water is used.
Espresso maker
This one is for those of you who want to get serious about your home brewing. Because the initial investment in buying an Espresso machine is not cheap. Espresso is coffee produced by brewing using water and high pressure. The extraction results in black coffee with a thick texture, and has a taste that tends to be bitter.
There are two kinds of Espresso maker, manual Espresso maker and Espresso machine. Manual Espresso maker is a device capable of producing Espresso without the use of electric power and pumps, while using human power to generate the pressure needed for Espresso shots. Some well-known brands of manual espress tools include presso skirt and flair. This tool is favored by many home brewers because the price tends to be cheap. However, using manual tools also has disadvantages such as the difficult cleaning process and the difficulty of maintaining shot consistency like an Espresso machine. In addition, you should have a manual steamer to making milk steam.
On the other hand, Espresso machines are definitely easier, faster, and more consistent in the process of extracting your coffee. You can also make cappuccinos with the steam wand provided. However, you have to spend more because the price is quite expensive and uses a lot of electricity. You also need to prepare enough empty space to place this machine in your house.
Also read: How to Store Roasted Coffee Beans Well to Stay Fresh
Of course, this is a must-have!
You need to realize, what does it mean to have the tools we mentioned above, if you don’t have coffee beans! Coffee beans if not stored properly will produce a less delicious coffee flavor, so you must store properly. Store in an airtight container, or keep it in its packaging with a one-way valve.
Good storage will keep the quality of the coffee beans intact, and of course the resulting flavor remains as good as when you first bought the coffee, and brewed it. It would be nice if you have several coffees with different origins, so that you don’t get bored because you only drink one kind of coffee every day.
How are you inspired to become a home brewer after reading this article?
If you are a coffee producer from various regions, do not hesitate to open a shop on the KopiKita platform, so that coffee lovers from all over Indonesia can taste your coffee production. Apply for a business on the KopiKita platformnow by filling out the the following form .
Are you a coffee lover? It’s time to visit the KopiKita platform to find coffee from various regions in Indonesia at the best price.
