musings of a ragamuffin

1. there’s no “best” way to make brewed coffee. there are many ways to brew a delicious cup of coffee, utilizing many different brewing devices, a hundred different combinations of parameters, and different coffees. 

2. there’s no “best” way to make espresso. again, there are many different parameters, basket sizes, and different coffees.

3. there’s no “best” way to make iced coffee. once again, there are many different ways, different brewing devices, different brewing and grinding parameters, as well as coffees. 

4. there’s no “best” way for any of these coffee choices, because at the end of the day, taste is subjective. you many prefer cold brew, i may prefer hot brewed over ice. you may prefer Chemex, i prefer Clever. you may prefer French Press, i may prefer Beehouse. you may prefer Americanos with ristretto shots, i may prefer cappuccinos with 30 second shots. for as many times as we try to decide what the “best” method is for any of these coffees, we’re neglecting the fact that we run businesses that rely on the customer and their choices. yes, we can guide them, yes, we can try and educate them as to better or higher quality choices, but as far as taste goes, we all taste different. we all have different taste buds and palates. 

(and yes, i know about the SCAA’s Gold Cup Standards, and Brewing Chart, as well as their espresso best practices and written standards. Those are great bases for coffee and espresso knowledge, as well as understanding the basics of extraction.)