How to make a perfect cup of coffee:
1) Order a pound Rwanda Bufcafe online at Scarlet City Coffee Roasting.
2) Walk two blocks to pick up the freshly roasted beans and enjoy a friendly chat with owner & roastmaster, Jen St. Hilaire.
3) Sneak a sniff of the fragrant coffee on the walk back home.
4) Fill the Breville electric kettle with fresh, cold water and turn it on.
5) Scoop coffee beans into grinder. Rule of thumb: 1 rounded tablespoon per cup. Since I am still using a blade grinder instead of the more appropriate burr grinder (for more uniform coarse grind), I split my beans into two "grinds". This way I can better control the size of the grounds.
6) Let boiled water cool slightly while finishing setup.
7) Dump grounds into the bottom of large French Press (see photo). Be generous.
8) Pour water over grounds being careful to leave room for the coffee to "bloom."
9) Give the coffee 4 stirs, place plunger on top of Press and let steep for exactly 4 minutes.
10) Carefully plunge the press filter down and pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee!
Note: place remaining coffee in a carafe to avoid the bitterness that comes with letting coffee sit in the press.
I've already gone through two pounds of Scarlet City Coffee: the Doubleplusgood and the Rwanda Bufcafe. Both are flavorful and complex, but the Rwanda is a bit darker and I really like the creamy chocolate-y quality which blends nicely with the shot of milk I add every morning.
But there's more to like about Scarlet City than the small batch, hand-roasted beans. Jen's business philosophy extends beyond making a great tasting cup of coffee. Scarlet City values and supports women's contributions in every step of the production process and is proud to feature a hand-picked selection of single-origin coffees that are sourced from women farmers, millers and importers.
So when I'm sipping my coffee each morning, I tip my mug to Epiphanie - the mill owner in Rwanda who is responsible for bringing this delightful taste to my table.
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