Brewing wisdom
Joe EDU
At Wisco Joe, we believe that great coffee starts with a deep understanding of the entire journey—from bean to brew. That’s why we’re excited to take you behind the scenes with Joe EDU, where we spill the beans on our sourcing and roasting processes.
Sustainability and Wisco Joe’s Supply Chain
We have, with intention, selected a supply chain partner who provides the highest quality and most broad selection of Specialty Coffee with a parallel focus on Sustainability. Through this partnership, we have clear visibility to Farm and/or Community-level coffee suppliers. This relationship enables us to provide our customers with an incredible breadth of the best specialty coffees on Planet Earth.
From our coffee importer regarding Sustainability… “We partner with organizations that demonstrate their commitment to ensuring coffee is produced with environmental stewardship, fair social practices, and superior quality by obtaining certifications. However we understand that not every farm is able to obtain these certifications despite their care for the environment and their community, often due to economic or political factors. With this is mind we source coffee from both certified and non-certified producers.”
The certifications below from our coffee importer are evidence of this substantial commitment.
Essential Brewing Tips for a Great Cup O’ Joe
All great coffee starts with the best green coffee beans… period. At Wisco Joe Coffee, we ONLY source 100% Arabica beans from the highest quality farms around the world.
All Wisco Joe coffee is cupped and scored multiple times before landing at our roastery and all of our coffees score 80 points or more. This qualifies it as “specialty coffee”, meaning that it’s the top 10% of all coffee on planet Earth.
When making coffee, consistency is the name of the game and your water is a big component of what you taste in your mug. To get quality in the cup, always start with high quality water. Poor quality water will absolutely negatively impact the flavor of your brewed coffee whether you’re using a drip coffee maker, pour over, French press, or any other method. If you think your water may be contributing to poor flavor, try brewing a few pots with filtered water to see if that solves the problem.
Water temperature matters, and here’s why. Hot water extracts flavor compounds from your coffee and if your water is too hot, you are likely over-extracting which will result in making your coffee taste bitter and astringent. If the water you’re using isn’t hot enough, you may be missing some of the delicate flavor nuances in the cup.
So what’s the ideal temperature? Most experts recommend using water between 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit. If doing a pour over or French press and you don’t have a thermometer or an electric kettle with a digital thermometer, let boiling water sit for 30-60 seconds before using it.
One of the most important variables in brewing coffee is grind size. If your coffee is ground too fine, water moves too slowly, increases contact time and leads to over-extraction. If the coffee is ground too course, water moves too quickly, reducing contact time and leads to weak, under-extracted coffee. Generally speaking, the finer the grind, the more surface area that’s created and therefore more coffee extracted.
If you’re looking for a great way to improve consistency try a burr (AKA conical) grinder.
If grinding at home, Espresso (very fine) should be like table salt or powdered sugar. Drip coffee, auto and pour over, (medium) should be the texture of sand for balanced extraction. French press and cold brew should be like sea salt to avoid over-extraction.
When was your coffee roasted?… if you don’t know, you may be expecting more from your coffee than it can deliver. Try this, the next time you’re at the grocery store, pick up a bag of coffee and you’ll likely find a “use by” or “best by” date on the bag. Coffee is perishable and companies that use these tags have compromised quality.
At Wisco Joe, EVERY bag has the roast date on the side because we won’t sell stale coffee. As a general rule, coffee begins to stale at about 15 days, losing complexity and freshness. Similarly, ground coffee starts losing its freshness and aroma within 15 minutes of being ground. For best flavor, grind coffee just before brewing. At Wisco Joe, our coffee is packaged within 10 minutes of roasting to preserve freshness as much as possible.
If your coffee taste too weak or too strong it may be the ratio of coffee to water you’re using. This is another factor where consistency really helps, and for best results, use a digital scale. If you’re looking for a scale, find one that’s accurate to a tenth of a gram for best results.
If you have a scale, the Golden Rule of 1:16 is a great place to start. Meaning, 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water. If your coffee is too weak, lower the ratio to 1:15.5 or 1:15. Whatever ratio you determine tastes best for you, that’s the ideal ratio. This may change slightly depending on the roast level of your coffee (light, medium, dark).
Cheers… now get out there and have some damn good joe!
– Chuck & Ben
Recommended Equipment for the Perfect Cup o’ Joe
Choose your brew
Brewing methods
Whether you prefer pour-over, French press, or espresso, we’ve got you covered. Each brewing method extracts different flavors from the beans, allowing you to customize your coffee experience. Experiment with different techniques and discover your perfect cup.
Sourcing our beans
Discover the origins of our beans, carefully cultivated from the world's best coffee-growing regions.
Roasting process
Experience the artistry of our roasters as they craft each batch with precision and care, unlocking the unique flavors of every bean
You brew you
Explore a world of brewing possibilities, from classic methods like French press to modern techniques like pour-over, tailored to suit your taste preferences.