Coffee brewing is a complex exercise. You may doubt that, if all you do is pour coffee grounds into a filter and brew coffee when you need it.
Experts recommend certain steps to make the best coffee. These steps depend on the coffee machine or coffee brewing method you use to make your coffee. Some of the steps are;
- Measuring out the correct quantity of coffee
- Grinding coffee beans properly
- Boiling coffee brewing water at the right temperature
- Dosing and tamping the coffee grounds for coffee brewing
- Blooming the coffee grounds for the proper amount of time
- Extracting coffee correctly to get the right flavor and aroma
Although you may be familiar with most of these coffee brewing steps, some of them are ignored by many coffee drinkers.
A good example is dosing. It is an essential step for coffee brewing yet few people remember to do it. That may be because they don’t know what it is or how to do it.
Here is some information on dosing coffee.
What is Involved in Coffee Dosing?
Dosing is a coffee-making process that refers to measuring the exact amount of coffee grounds that will make an excellent brew without exceeding recommended quantities.
It’s similar to measuring out the recommended dose of medicine when you are sick, which helps you avoid overdosing and ensures your medication is effective.
Using the right amount of coffee grounds for coffee making is one of the steps that contribute to preparing the best-tasting coffee.
Coffee dosing is done using a dosing grinder, a special coffee grinder that measures out a set quantity of coffee grounds for a portion of coffee into a portafilter which dispenses the grounds into a filter basket.
The recommended dose is usually 7 grams of coffee grounds for a standard single-sized filter basket and 14 grams for a standard double-sized basket.
You can also use a 1: 2 ratio when measuring coffee grounds. That means 1 gram of grounds for every 2 grams of coffee you expect to brew.
Some people prefer to use a 1:1 ratio, but that results in under extraction, which means you get a more robust or thicker brew than desired by most coffee drinkers.
Others choose to use a ratio of 1:3 which produces a weak brew that’s unpalatable. The 1:2 ratio is best if you want perfectly brewed coffee that is not too strong or weak.
Benefits of Dosing
Dosing allows you to use the exact amount of coffee grounds you need during a coffee brewing session preventing wastage.
Measuring out the exact amount of grounds needed for brewing coffee prevents you from brewing coffee that’s too strong or bitter.
If you decide to measure out coffee grounds based on your idea of how much is needed, you may make a bitter brew. That will mask the flavor notes of the coffee beans you use.
These are the chocolatey, fruity, floral, nutty, spicy, or earthy flavors that give most of us a love for coffee. You must taste them in your brew to enjoy a cup of joe and dosing makes that possible.
Dosing also keeps you from making a weak brew by measuring out a quantity of coffee grounds that’s less than the recommended amount.
Some people also use coffee dosing to control the caffeine content in coffee. These are people who suffer insomnia if they take more than a certain amount of coffee a day.
Once you start dosing, you’ll notice that your coffee grounds stay fresher for longer because you only spoon out the coffee grounds you need for each brewing cycle.
That means the coffee grounds left in the jar retain their moisture content and flavor, ensuring every brew you prepare is rich in flavor and aroma.
With these factors in mind, you can see that coffee dosing contributes to making a consistently prepared and flavorful brew.
Once you start practising it, you will notice a great change in the way that your coffee tastes and smells.
How to Dose Coffee Grounds
Dosing coffee is an easy process. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be surprised at how it simplifies the coffee brewing process.
Start by finding an ideal grinder for the dosing process. You can use a burr grinder or a dosing grinder.
A dosing grinder is a better option than a burr grinder. It allows you to dispense the exact amount of coffee grounds you need after grinding your coffee beans.
The first step when dosing coffee is to carefully measure the coffee grounds or coffee beans you need for the brew you are making. But coffee beans come in different shapes and weights that might interfere with your measurements.
It’s better to measure out coffee grounds that are of an even size or consistency depending on the grind, whether it is a fine, medium coarse, or coarse size.
That makes the process of measuring out other ingredients for coffee brewing, such as water, easier.
Baristas recommend measuring 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds for every 8 ounces of water you use to make coffee during dosing.
Make sure you reduce the amount of coffee grounds if you are using a light roast because these coffee beans contain more caffeine than dark roasts.
Using a Digital Scale for Coffee Dosing
You can also use a digital scale during the dosing process. Here are the steps to follow when dosing coffee grounds using a scale.
- Clean your portafilter to remove any remaining coffee grounds from the last brewing process to prevent mixing stale coffee grounds with fresh ones.
- Grind the coffee grounds you need and measure the exact coffee ground necessary for coffee brewing using a digital scale.
- The ideal measurement to pour into a portafilter for a single shot of Espresso is 6 – 8 grams, and a double shot of Espresso is 14 – 18 grams of coffee grounds.
- Once you’ve measured the right amount of coffee grounds into the portafilter, level the coffee grounds using your finger.
- Now, you have a perfect dose of coffee grounds for coffee brewing. You can tamp the coffee grounds and continue with the coffee brewing process.
Conclusion
Now that you know a little bit about dosing coffee, why don’t you try it the next time you brew coffee. It will improve your coffee brewing process, ensuring you get a flavorful and aromatic brew.
You’ll notice an improvement in the freshness of your coffee once you start dosing. It will reduce the consumption of coffee grounds during coffee making and make the coffee-making process easier.
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