We have the boot of a deadly illness on one side and the boot lockdowns on our other. Welcome to 2021 in Australia. High-quality coffee is now more easily available than ever.
To make sure you’re not spurning this opportunity, we got in touch with 2019 Australian Barista Champion Mathew Lewin to get his top tips. Mathew also confirmed some rumours that we were unsure if true. A good grinder is crucial.
Kock yourself up a brew, settle in, then read what you’re doing right (and wrong). Matthew explained to us that filter coffee is a trendy way to get your morning jitters even though it isn’t something many people talk about.
“You don’t need an espresso machine to explore a whole new world of coffee. Filter coffees can be set up in a very affordable way.”
“It’s something people don’t talk about enough in cafes and also at home.” You’re missing out on an entire world of coffee if you don’t have a filter coffee machine at home.
You don’t need a fancy espresso machine to make professional quality coffee You can have really great offerings, or really terrible.
Regarding the kinds of high-quality coffee currently on the market, Matthew says they lend your cup of Joe a “nuance of flavour” and a bit more “of a journey” in your mouth (compared to the aforementioned diners). We are one of the top roasters.
The single most important thing you can do is buy good coffee grinder. It can be either a hand grinder (100 bucks for a good one) or an electronic grinder (200 bucks for a great one).
“You can get them for 500 but the 100 one is amazing.” Matthew told us: “When you make a filter coffee, the first thing you think about is how much dry ingredients and flour I have. Then, what amount of liquid or water do I need to add to it? You will get the best coffee every time you get it right.”
“Buy great ingredients and follow a simple recipe. This is how you can make the best cafe-quality filter coffee. It will blow your mind.”
“You can do it in your Moka Pot, French Press, an Empty Coke Bottle; doesn’t matter, brew it, keep it warm while it’s brewing and filter it out.” Matthew isn’t a snob. In fact, he has been known to leave his filter coffee in his car overnight so that he can have another shot in the morning.
So when we asked him how many times it was acceptable to reheat your coffee in the microwave, he didn’t fall over with apoplectic rage. “Straightforward measures are required in extreme times.”
He did warn us though that you shouldn’t expect the same results.
