When it comes to brewing coffee, there are a seemingly endless number of variables to consider. These include dose, yield, water temperature and quality, grind size, and total brew time. Beyond this, there has been a longtime debate within the specialty coffee sector about whether coffee should be roasted to suit the intended brewing method.
Roast profile has a significant impact on the solubility of coffee and is crucial to understand when considering extraction. For instance, a darker or more developed roast is generally more soluble than a lighter roast. Therefore, when these roast profiles are brewed to the same recipe, there is likely to be a higher extraction yield from the darker roasts.
With so many factors to consider, the brewing process can be intimidating for both consumers and those who are new to the industry.
Ryo John Ito, the founder of BATHTUB COFFEE in Japan, is looking to create a simpler solution for brewing coffee. We spoke to him about his latest offering: SIMPLIFY the Brewer.
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Sign upThe solution to perfectly brewed coffee?
After making his way up the ladder from roaster to head barista, and then coffee shop manager, John wanted to start his own business. “I decided to launch BATHTUB COFFEE and began importing and selling foreign coffee equipment.”
As the official reseller for several coffee brands, BATHTUB COFFEE deals with several types of equipment. Soon, the business grew to include selling coffee beans and offering workshops to those working within specialty coffee.
“We began making our own coffee equipment, and SIMPLIFYthe Brewer was our breakout product,” John explains. SIMPLIFY the Brewer aims to make coffee brewing accessible to everyone by reducing many of the variables involved.
John explains the idea came to him after watching the baristas at the coffee shop he worked in. “Each barista had different skill levels and methods and sometimes struggled to brew each coffee to a high standard. I was an instructor at a pour over workshop and discovered it was more difficult for amateurs to master than many professionals may think.”
While many roasters offer customers brew guides and recipes, creating a pour over coffee with consistency and clarity in flavour takes practice and experience. This is something brands must consider when selling coffee online.
John wanted to develop a simple method that allowed everyone to experience great extraction of their coffee – without having to perfect brewing skills or create waste by trying to find a suitable recipe. One solution was SIMPLIFY the Brewer. “It’s our original pour-over coffee brewer, which can brew lovely coffee using an incredibly easy recipe,” John says.
What is SIMPLIFY the Brewer?
John’s coffee brewer is made using transparent plastic. It is a flat-bottom drip coffee brewer with a ridged 40mm hole at the bottom. This is bigger than any other brewer currently on the market and allows maximum flow.
Beyond this, it minimises contact between the filter paper and the wall of the brewer, reducing disruption while increasing extraction. The three legs on the apparatus create an air vent between the brewer and server, allowing air to escape and accelerating the flow of water.
SIMPLIFY the Brewer only requires 30 seconds of pouring and rids the necessity of blooming, stirring, or pulsing the pour. The brewer is food-safe, lightweight, durable, and offers consistent heat retention.
“It’s easy, simple, and saves the consumer time and energy,” John says. “Plus, they don’t have to worry about complicated brewing processes.” The method is specifically designed to work with any type of coffee, offering maximum extraction with minimum effort.
John explains that during the design process, he tested a variety of coffees. “I tested it with light and dark roasts and coffees from various origins that had undergone different processing methods.
Is it essential to offer different roast profiles for brewing methods?
John believes specialty coffee roasters should roast according to their, or their customer’s preferences. “Personally, I don’t think there is an ideal roast for filter and a different one for espresso. Customers should be able to enjoy any roasted coffee through their preferred method of brewing.
“Here in Japan, dark roasts tend to be incredibly popular,” John explains further. “Many people brew it using a filter method. Paper is the most popular, but consumers also use metal or cloth. Japanese dark roasts are usually darker than foreign espresso roasts, so I believe the roast profile for a specific brewing method is just a preference.”
John also highlights the differences between cultures and brewing preferences. He believes that as a global industry, roasters cannot create sweeping blanket statements that suggest there is a standard way to roast, brew or enjoy coffee.
By creating a product customers will enjoy and want to buy again, roasters are displaying an understanding and respect for their target markets.
“Coffee is incredibly subjective, so I think it’s difficult to define how it can be ‘improved’,” John adds. “Some customers may prefer one coffee over another. I think to ‘improve’ coffee is bringing it closer to the end goal, which is catering to your customers.”
Roasters looking to improve their coffees and make them more suitable to different brewing methods should test their roasts regularly using various brewing processes. Particularly those that are popular with consumers, and consider asking them for feedback.
Helping customers improve their brewing experience and providing options for easier methods can improve customer satisfaction.
Lastly, stale coffee can drastically reduce the quality of a beverage. Therefore, investing in high-quality packaging that retains freshness is essential. At MTPak Coffee, we understand the role coffee packaging plays in today’s market.
As such, we offer a range of sustainable options that can be customised to include as much information as you require and showcase your unique brand.
Our range of coffee packaging options is made from renewable materials. Our line of coffee boxes is made using recycled cardboard, while our sustainable coffee bags are made from kraft paper, rice paper, or multilayer LDPE packaging. They also feature an environmentally friendly PLA lining.
More so, both our sustainable coffee bags and coffee mailer boxes can be fully customised to reflect your brand details about your coffee offerings. Our talented design team is ready to work with you in order to make coffee packaging unique to your brand.
Images by BATHTUB COFFEE and SIMPLIFY the Brewer
