Recipes and brew methods
This is a collection of all the recipes and brew methods covered on The Magic Roast.
This page will be updated as I discover amazing new ways of making coffee.
Do you have a favourite way of brewing coffee? Fire it into the chat.
On this page:
Cold coffee
Flash cold brew
The Lance Hedrick method for flash cold brews.
Flash cold brews bring all the brilliance, clarity and delicate nature of filter coffee, but chilled.
Brewer: V60/Kalita
Ratio: 1:12.
Coffee: 20g - medium/fine grind.
Water: 240g water at 95 degrees.
Ice: 60g ice.
TBT: 2-3 minutes.
Brew the V60 as normal, but over ice.
Add more ice to cool down the brew quicker.
Serve over ice.
Cold drip
Cold drip introduces water very slowly, often over a number of hours.
It creates a low-acidity coffee concentrate that you can add water too, to dilute.
Brewer: Puckpuck Me (AeroPress attachment) or Bruer Coffee Maker.
Ratio: 1:12.
Coffee: 50g - medium/fine grind.
Water: 600g water cold water out of the tap/fridge or some water + ice.
Drip: 1 drip/5 seconds
TBT: might take 4-5 hours.
Hint: use a filter paper on top of the coffee bed as a screen to make sure the water doesn’t channel.
Cold steep
Steep your coffee in water overnight for a great cold coffee option, that drinks like plunger.
Brewer: Any jug/box/jar/bottle - doesn’t matter. Though for ease of use, the Hario Mizudashi is great (for removing the coffee when you’re done).
Ratio: 1:14
Coffee: 80g - medium grind.
Water: 1150g - tap water is all good.
Steep: in the fridge.
TBT: 8 hours, or over night.
Hint: if you’re using a jug or something, decant the brewed coffee carefully and slowly into your storing vessel. Try not to disturb the grounds too much, so you have a clean and yummy cup.
Immersion Iced Coffee: James Hoffmann technique
Brewer: Clever Dripper
Ratio: 1:13
Coffee: 37.5g -fine grind. Between espresso and pour over.
Water: 330g boiling water
Ice: 170g ice
Steep: at least 5 minutes
Add: a few drops of saline (20:80 salt to water. 5g salt in 20g water.)
Ratios for this recipe for different volumes(Using 75g/L, or about 1:13 as a ratio)
1 Cup: 19g coffee, 165g hot water, 85g ice
2 Cups: 37.5g coffee, 330g hot water, 170g ice
3 Cups: 56.5g coffee, 495g hot water, 255g ice
4 Cups: 75g coffee, 660g hot brew water, 340g ice
French Press/Plunger
The James Hoffman method is the GOAT of plunger - don’t bother with anything else (unlike the other brew methods here, where experimenting can be fun).
The key thing with this method is time. Let the coffee do it’s thing for a lot longer than you’d usually do for a French Press.
Brewer: French Press
Ratio: 1:16
Coffee: 30g medium grind (not coarse!)
Water: 500g 95 degress
TBT: 8-10 minutes
Method:
Add coffee into plunger and add in water.
Stir to make sure there aren’t any dry spots.
Wait: 4-5 minutes.
Stir the crust at the top of the slurry so most of the coffee grinds drop down.
With a spoon, scoop out the foam and bits on top. These bits are gross and make your coffee bitter. Yucky. Get rid of them.
Wait: 5 minutes. This is key. Patience, grass hopper.
Plunge the press - but not all the way down, as you’ll only kick up sediment. It’s job is to stop the chunks of coffee getting into your brew and it does that the best if it sits near the top of the liquid.
Carefully pour
Enjoy a delicious, bright and clean cup of coffee with little sediment or mud in your cup.
AeroPress
2023 WAC - Winning recipe
The key dets
Brewer Position: Inverted
Dose: 18g total; 16g in step one and 2g in step three
Grind: 1ZPresso ZP6, 65 clicks (fine/medium grind. French Press range)
Water: 100g Perfect Coffee Water @ 81.5% strength, 89°C. A further 40g at room temp for bypass; a further 40g of hot water for bypass.
Filter: 1 Paper Filter, rinsed
The method
Put 16g coffee into the AeroPress and pour hot water for 100g
At 0:30, use 1 side of a chopstick and stir for 5 seconds
At 0:45 put in another 2g of coffee
At 0:55 stir for another 5 seconds
Press down the AeroPress to bring the plunger up and remove any excess air.
Close the cap
At 1:35 flip carefully and press down for about 30 seconds. Your yield should be around 75g +/-.
Bypass with room temperature water to 115g.
Bypass with hot water to a total of 155g +/-.
Taste, and serve.
Become the 2023 World AeroPress Champion.