Five easy steps to the perfect cup of coffee

The Chatelaine Kitchen recently got a Technivorm Brewer, and we’re believers! Its quick pour-over brew method makes for a strong, smooth thermos of morning java – perfect for kick-starting a day of cooking. I enlisted Poul Mark, the coffee guru behind Edmonton’s popular Transcend Coffee for advice on how to make the perfect cup of coffee since, not only do they brew the best cup of coffee you’ll likely ever have, they also sell the equipment and beans online. Here are Poul’s tips for the best-ever home brewed coffee. (Bear in mind, Poul’s a perfectionist, so if you don’t want to use a scale, 60 grams of coffee is about 3/4 of a cup of beans):

What you need:

Filtered water A scale Freshly roasted medium grind coffee No. 4 paper or gold filter Technivorm Brewer

Five easy steps:

1. Fill the reservoir with 1 litre of filtered water (good water is key, after all coffee is 98% water). 2. If you’re using a paper filter, place it in the filter basket and rinse thoroughly with hot water. 3. Weigh out 60 grams of freshly roasted medium grind coffee (always best to grind immediately before brewing if possible) and pour coffee into filter basket. 4. With the filter basket switch set to the closed position, turn on brewer and allow the ground coffee to become fully saturated with water. 5. With a clean spoon, give the wetted coffee a couple of stirs, open filter basket switch and replace lid.

Now sit back, and in five minutes you will have a delicious pot of hot coffee (or iced coffee).