Coffee/hot Tea Service Recipe

Grind and Measure

Measure 0.75 cups (approximately 6 ounces by volume; ~85–90 g) of medium-roast whole beans. Grind to a medium-coarse consistency similar to sea salt if using a drip brewer.

Prepare Brewer

Place a coffee filter in the brew basket of the 8-cup drip brewer. Rinse the paper filter with hot water if desired to remove papery taste and preheat the carafe; discard rinse water.

Add Coffee and Water

Add the ground coffee to the filter. Pour 8 cups (about 1.9 liters) of filtered cold water into the brewer reservoir.

Brew

Start the brew cycle. For best flavor, allow the coffee to finish brewing fully. Total brew time should be about 6–8 minutes depending on the machine.

Serve and Keep Hot

When brewing completes, transfer to a preheated thermal carafe (if not brewed directly into one) to maintain temperature. Keep the carafe on a warm plate or thermal dispenser set to low heat. Offer cups, creamers, sugar, and stirrers alongside.

Heat Water

Bring 8 cups (1.9 L) of filtered water to a boil. For green tea, remove from heat and let cool 1–2 minutes before steeping to avoid bitterness.

Steep Tea Bags

Place tea bags in an insulated teapot or thermal carafe: 4 black, 2 green, and 2 herbal (arrange in separate small pots or label a single pot with mixed options). Pour 8 cups of hot water over the tea bags.

Steeping Times

Steep black tea 3–5 minutes, green tea 2–3 minutes, and herbal tea 5–7 minutes. Remove tea bags at the end of their recommended steep time to avoid over-extraction.

Serve

Transfer teas to labeled thermal servers or serve directly from teapot. Provide lemon wedges, honey, sugar, and milk/creamer so guests can customize.

Arrange accompaniments on a service tray or self-serve station. Place sugar, brown sugar, and honey in small bowls or dispensers with spoons. Set out pitchers of milk and half-and-half, and a container of non-dairy creamer. Provide small dishes for lemon wedges, and place stirrers and cups nearby.

Label items clearly (e.g., 'Decaf/Regular', 'Black', 'Green', 'Herbal', 'Non-dairy') and provide napkins. If offering syrups and cinnamon sticks, place them near the coffee station with a small sign describing flavors.

Offer vanilla and caramel syrup in pump bottles (about 4 tablespoons each provided here). Suggest 1 pump (~1/2 tablespoon) per cup as a starting point and cinnamon sticks as a stirrer for added aroma.