Better coffee 1 of 6: Taste three, say why
20 min Calm
You cannot make better coffee until you can say what better means. Three coffees side by side, and words for what you taste.
De meeste mensen drinken koffie terwijl ze iets anders doen, met hun ogen op een scherm of hun gedachten al bij de volgende taak. Daardoor smaakt maandag hetzelfde als vrijdag, en smaakt de supermarktkoffie hetzelfde als de zak van de lokale brander. Pas als je drie kopjes naast elkaar zet en ze om beurten proeft, merk je dat de ene koffie op de tong vlak blijft terwijl de andere iets doet wat moeilijk te omschrijven is maar onmiskenbaar aanwezig. Dat verschil is er altijd geweest. Je had alleen geen context om het te zien.
Dit playbook begint daarom niet met techniek, maar met taal. Een woord dat jij kiest, ook al is het "droog" of "scherp" of "meh", is meer waard dan een term uit een smaakwiel die je nergens aan kunt ophangen. Zodra je kunt zeggen waarom de winnaar won, in één zin, heb je iets wat je de volgende keer kunt gebruiken. Zo bouw je smaak op: niet als talent, maar als geheugen.
Brew three different coffees the same way: a supermarket blend, a local roaster, and one you have never tried.
Suggestion: Same water, same amount, same time.Taste each one hot, then warm, then cool. Write one word per stage.
Suggestion: Bitter, sour, sweet, fruit, nut, chocolate: start there.Slurp loudly from a spoon. It sprays the coffee over your tongue.
Suggestion: This is how professionals taste. It is allowed to look silly.Rank them. Say why the winner won in one sentence.
Suggestion: Now you have a preference with a reason.Write the roaster and the roast date of the winner on the bag.
Suggestion: Fresh matters more than expensive.
Next
Better coffee 2 of 6: Pour-over, weighed
Related playbooks
Better coffee 6 of 6: Your house coffee
Settle it: one coffee, one recipe, one way of buying. Then you can stop thinking about coffee and just drink good coffee.
Better coffee 3 of 6: Espresso at home without the frustration
If you have an espresso machine, most bad shots are grind and dose. A method to get to a good shot in five tries instead of fifty.
Better coffee 2 of 6: Pour-over, weighed
A kitchen scale and a timer turn a lucky cup into a repeatable one. One recipe, four variations, one favourite.
A better eye 8 of 8: Print ten, keep five
A photo on a screen is a maybe. On paper it is a decision. Print the best of this series and hang or give away five.
A high tea at your place
Set up a cosy high tea with finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and a lovely tea selection.
Make a creamy iced latte at home
Cold, creamy and ready in minutes. The perfect coffee for a warm day, straight from your own kitchen.
A better eye 6 of 8: Editing with a light hand
Thirty minutes in a free editor. Exposure, contrast, crop, and then stopping. The best edit is the one you cannot see.
Better coffee 5 of 6: Visit a roaster
See the beans go brown. An hour at a local roastery, a tasting if they offer one, and a conversation about origin and roast.
Better coffee 4 of 6: A coffee walk to three bars
Ninety minutes, three coffee bars within walking distance, one drink each. Compare and talk to the person behind the machine.
From Arabica to Excelsa: learn to taste the coffee bean
Where your bean comes from determines how your cup tastes. Discover four varieties and instantly drink much more mindfully.
A better eye 2 of 8: Exposure by hand
Aperture, shutter and ISO are three taps on the same pipe. Learn them by turning them, not by reading about them.
Espresso, filter or French press: get to know your coffee makers
Four ways to brew coffee, each with its own flavour and character. Discover which one suits you before you choose.
Choose the coffee machine that fits your morning
Before you order anything: map out what you really want from a cup. That way you pick a machine you'll be happy with for years.
by PlayTryBe team