The basics: These tips apply to almost any method of brewing.

Storage
Think of the coffee bean as nature's great container for coffee oils and essences. Once coffee is ground, flavor constituents quickly evaporate, so store your coffee as whole bean, not ground! Store your beans in a cool, dark place (out of direct sunlight), and in an airtight container (oxygen is the greatest enemy of fresh coffee). Do not store beans in your refrigerator or freezer, as condensation on the beans may cause them to go stale, and odors from other foods may be absorbed into your beans.  

Grinding
The best investment you can make to improve your coffee's flavor is to get yourself a good grinder and grind your coffee just before brewing, as grinding releases flavor and aroma.  We recommend a mill (burr) grinder for consistency, but an inexpensive blade grinder is still much better than purchasing your coffee pre-ground. Finding the proper grind is vital, and is determined by your brewing method—extremely fine (like baby powder) for Turkish, fine for espresso, medium for drip and coarse for French press, or percolator.

Filters
To produce the purest and truest coffee, filter it with non-reacting metal, like gold or stainless steel. Gold mesh or stainless steel filters are the best, as they are better for the environment, less expensive in the long run, and produce the best tasting brew, however you must keep them clean! Paper filters are ok, but they can add some unpleasant tastes, and filter out some of the coffee's flavors.

Cleanliness
You must use clean equipment, as soap and oil residue will affect the taste of your brew. A shower and a haircut wouldn't hurt either.

Brewing Style
Our favorites are the French press and Turkish methods. While they are very different, they both produce an intense flavor and a thick body. We like them all though, so whether you use a moka pot, a vacuum pot, a balancing siphon, an espresso machine, a drip brewer, a percolator, a chemex, or you like cowboy coffee over the campfire, all methods are fun, and if done properly, can produce a delicious cup—so choose the one that best meets your taste and lifestyle.

Water
Start with cold, filtered, spring or tap water. Remember that 98% of your cup is the water it was brewed with. If your water tastes bad, your coffee will taste bad. Water temperature at extraction should be about 200 degrees give or take a degree or two. Any cooler will under-extract, while a boil will burn the coffee and over-extract. Water should be in contact with the grounds no less than 4 minutes and no more than 6 minutes for optimal extraction.

Coffee Measure
We recommend using 2 healthy tablespoons of freshly ground coffee for every 6 oz of coffee you wish to brew, and twice that for espresso or Turkish—then adjust the amount to your personal taste. Don't be a wimp.

Final Notes
Preheat your pot! Once your coffee is brewed drink it fresh, within 20 minutes, before the aroma and flavor begin to dissipate. Get it off the burner! Burners burn coffee leaving it sour or bitter over time. Once your coffee is brewed transfer it to an insulated carafe to keep it warm.

• Grind coffee just before brewing.
• Use cold filtered or spring water.
• Brew it strong!

No matter how you brew it use fresh Wicked Joe beans!