As with all of our coffees, we have to consider the roast level and how we are going to enjoy the brew! Since El Indio is a dark roast, our plan to dial this in as espresso is to lessen the amount of water and shorten the brew time. Dark roasts are easier to extract and therefore can be prone to over-extraction. This leads to the shot tasting of chocolate upfront with a lingering, toasted walnut finish.

1. Heat Water - Start by filling up your kettle with water. If you have an electric kettle, set the temperature to 195F. If not, bring the water to a boil then let cool for a moment before brewing.

2. Grind - Weigh out 33g of coffee, and grind to a coarse grind.

3. Begin Brewing - Add 33g of coffee into the empty press and pour 400g of water over grinds. Give the French Press a swirl to ensure even saturation.

4. Continue Brewing - At 5 minutes, break the crust and skim the foam off. Place the plunger into the brewer just under the spout (not in the coffee). At 10 minutes, gently pour into a separate carafe to stop extraction. Make sure to do this slowly so you don’t disrupt the fines.

5. Enjoy - Pour into your favorite pre-warmed mug, and enjoy!

French Press and dark roasts pair great together, and with this method we produce a cup that can stand up to milk/sugar, or be enjoyed on its own! Our goal here is to accentuate a heavy body while minimizing bitterness. This recipe is a bit different than what we are used to, and popularized by coffee pro James Hoffman. The extra care and steps to prevent over-extraction and to stop fines from ending up in your cup is what makes it so great. Have you ever seen coffee grinds in the bottom of your cup after drinking a french press? It almost looks like mud... this is what we are aiming to prevent. Happy Brewing!