Oughtred Fair Trade Organic Coffee Recipe

Measure beans

Weigh or measure coffee: use 15 grams (approximately 0.052 cups) of whole-bean Oughtred Fair Trade Organic coffee for one 8–10 oz cup. This recipe is scaled for 1 serving (about 10–12 oz) — increase proportionally (15 g coffee per 250–300 ml water).

Heat water

Heat 12 cups (approximately 2.8 liters) to 195–205°F (90–96°C) if preparing multiple cups, or heat 250–300 ml water to the same temperature for a single serving. If using a kettle without temperature control, bring water to a boil and let it sit 30 seconds.

Preheat vessel

Pour 1 cup of hot water into your brewing vessel (carafe, French press, or pour-over cone) to warm it, then discard that water.

Grind

Grind the measured beans to a coarse, even grind similar to sea salt if using a French press. For pour-over use medium-fine; for drip brewer use medium.

Add coffee to press

Place the ground coffee into the bottom of the French press.

Bloom

Pour about twice the weight of coffee in hot water over the grounds (for 15 g coffee pour 30 g / ~30 ml) to saturate and allow gases to escape. Wait 30–45 seconds.

Add remaining water

Slowly pour the remaining hot water up to your desired total (about 250–300 ml for a single serving), ensuring all grounds are saturated. Stir gently with a spoon or paddle to break the crust and encourage even extraction.

Steep

Place the lid on the French press with the plunger pulled all the way up. Let the coffee steep for 4 minutes. For slightly brighter flavor, steep 3–3.5 minutes; for fuller body, steep 4–5 minutes.

Plunge & serve

Press the plunger down slowly and evenly, separating grounds from liquid. Immediately pour the coffee into your cup to prevent over-extraction.

Pour-over (V60/Chemex)

Use medium-fine grind. Wet the paper filter with hot water, discard rinse water, add grounds (15 g per 250–300 ml). Bloom with ~30–60 ml hot water for 30–45 seconds, then pour remaining water in slow concentric circles over 2.5–3 minutes total. Remove filter and serve.

Drip coffee maker

Use medium grind and a 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio (15 g coffee to about 240 ml water). Add coffee to the filter, pour water into the reservoir, and run the machine according to manufacturer instructions.

Espresso (if beans roasted for espresso)

Use a fine grind, tamp 18–20 g in a double basket and extract ~36–40 ml in ~25–30 seconds. Adjust dose and time to taste.

Adjust

Taste the brewed coffee and add optional add-ins to preference: add sugar (1 tsp) or simple syrup, milk (¼ cup) or cream (a splash), a pinch of cinnamon (⅛ tsp), or a drop of vanilla (¼ tsp). Stir and taste, adjusting until satisfied.

Storage

Store any unused whole beans in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Do not refrigerate. Use within 2–4 weeks of opening for best flavor.