Surviving the lockdown with great coffee

Surviving the lockdown with great coffee

Establish a routine . .
During these strange times, where regular patterns of work and recreation have been disrupted, a brilliant way to maintain a sense of order is to establish a routine, even with coffee!
For example, I try to mimic my consumption as I would at work, drinking filter straight away (9am), after 2 hours work (11am) and then post-lunch (2:30pm). Even though not everyone is working from home, having this structure gives a sense of order and a framework that can help you plan your day.

Use coffee as a reward . . .
If, like all of us at HCR, you’re coffee obsessed, then using coffee as a reward can be a brilliant motivator.
Motivator for what I hear you ask? Well, this will mean different things to different people.
For some people, this will be completing any work that they’re doing from home, for others this will be simply getting outside for their daily walk or exercise, but it doesn’t have to be any of those either.
Coffee can also be a reward system if you’ve decided to use this time to learn a new skill, perhaps using a language app or an online course, fixing something in your house or simply reading a few chapters of that “new” book you’ve had on your shelf for months. 


Learn about how your coffee got here . . .
Not everyone who drinks amazing coffee is aware of how it got into their hands. The journey that coffee goes on from the baskets of the pickers to the roasteries is long, complicated and extremely interesting. There are myriad factors that decide how your coffee tastes; what better time to learn more!

Here are some links to get you started -
Coffee Processes
Rwanda and Direct Trade 

What is Speciality Coffee?
From Farm to Cup

Make brewing interesting . . .
If ever there were a time to investigate, research and practice new techniques, it is now.
No matter your brew method, there are multiple ways to produce a great cup. Using the rule of “only change one thing at a time” and experimenting with different methods will usually lead to a better and more even extraction, and eventually a better cup!
Firstly, understanding how extraction works and how it affects your cup quality is crucial. Once you have that down you can really get experimenting!

Here are some links -
Extraction Basics
Extraction - Advanced
Brew Guides (select more methods from the menu)
Espresso, Brew Ratios and Light Roasts
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