Hilton Food and Beverage Portfolio

Fundamentals

freshly roasted coffee

Sourcing + brewing quality coffee beans is fundamental. A brewed cup of coffee or shot of espresso reflects its inputs. A great roasted bean creates great coffee. Stale, expired, or low-quality beans yield an inferior product. Tradecraft coffee provides the highest quality coffee. Each bag is labeled with a roast date. Use within 2-3 weeks of this date.

well-maintained equipment

Each part of the brewing set should be cleaned regularly. This includes brew baskets, serving vessels, and grinders. Brew baskets and servers should be cleaned regularly, grinders monthly. This removes stains, oils, and residue that will impact the taste of freshly-brewed batches

the appropriate coffee filter

Each set of brewing equipment requires a certain filter. It is critical to use the correct filter so that water passes through the grounds at the appropriate rate. Too fast and the coffee will be week; too slow and you will have the opposite problem

correct grind size

Coffee should be ground fresh for each bath. The grind changes based on brewing method. Your grinder will be calibrated at the time of installation, but in general terms, the longer that coffee is in contact with water, the coarser the grind should be. For espresso, which touches water for 20-30 seconds, the grind should be very fine. For a steeped cold brew, it should be much coarser.

correct coffee-to-water ratio

It is important to maintain the appropriate coffee-to-water ratio to ensure that the brewed product is robust and flavorful, but not overpowering. Most brew methods have their own ratios, but it tends to stay between 1:15 and 1:18 water to coffee.

Brewing Great Coffee

Brew Methods

Batch Brewing

This is the most common brew method and connotes any coffee machine that produces more than one cup of coffee at a time automatically. These machines control water flow and evenly disperse water over the grounds. They turn off automatically once a certain amount of water has been dispensed

Pour Over / Manual

Drip This is the most common type of manual brewing. No matter the device used (Chemex, V60, Beehouse), the barista uses a kettle to slowly pour water over the grounds, while controlling rate of flow, brew time, and agitation.

Steeping

Steeping refers to any method where coffee and water sit together in a slurry. French press is a notable example. Most cold brew is made using a steeping method

Pressure

This is any method that uses pressure to hasten the extraction process. While not manual, espresso brewing is the most common pressure method. A manual example is the Aeropress, which uses steeping and low pressure to brew

Describing Coffee

Describing the flavor profiles and complex layers embedded within each cup of coffee can often be difficult. Guests often want to know whether strains are more full-bodied or more subtle and reserved. There are a number of strategies that can be employed to help a guest to understand the characteristics of the coffee available that are informative and illustrative, without feeling forced or inaccurate

Batch Brewing

Using a machine such as a Curtis brewer to make large amounts of coffee at one time is known as batch brewing. These machines control the flow of hot water over the coffee grounds and can consistently produce a great cup of coffee

French Press

Recall that French Press coffee is not filtered through paper. Because the coffee and water are in contact with each other, the finished product feels rich and thick-bodied. Moreover, it is this consistency that makes French Press coffee well-suited for the addition of cream and other condiments. It should be noted, however, that French Press coffee risks over-extraction. Therefore, the pressed coffee should be poured out of the pot immediately after plunging and consumed as fast as possible. Holding French Press coffee generally does not yield appetizing results.

Tutorial: French Press Process

Prep, Weigh, Grind + Dose Coffee

Preheat the French Press by rinsing it with hot water. Weigh 56 grams of coffee and grind on a medium-coarse setting. Pour the ground coffee into the French Press.

NEXT: Add Water

Add Water

Start a timer as soon as hot water touches coffee grounds. Fill the French Press roughly halfway, saturating all of the grounds. Make sure there are no dry pockets

NEXT: Stir

Stir

After one minute, stir the slurry. This will break up the top layer, called the crust and evenly incorporate the grounds

NEXT: Fill & Cover

Fill & Cover

Fill the French Press with hot water to the top of the silver collar, leaving enough room so that no water spills from the spout. Put the lid on and press slightly to all the grounds are submerged

NEXT: Steep Then Press

Steep Then Press

Allow the coffee to steep. After four minutes, firmly, but slowly press the screen to the bottom of the French Press

NEXT: Pour & Serve

Pour & Serve

Pour the finished brew into a mug or carafe. Do not let the brew sit on top of the grounds, as this will lead to over-extraction.