For some people, batch brew filter coffee draws comparisons with the on-demand American diner-style coffee of years gone by. However, this could be interpreted as an unfair comparison – especially considering the quality of modern batch brewers.
The world of drip coffee has changed in recent years, heavily influenced by the third wave of coffee and its associated pursuit of higher quality. Specialty coffee in particular has made pour over brewing methods like the Chemex, V60, and Kalita incredibly popular in both cafés and among home consumers.
However, in spite of the growth of manual brewing, batch brew coffee is enjoying something of a resurgence. Read on to learn more about how batch brew coffee has improved and why it’s a smart choice for your business.
More quality batch brew coffee than ever before
Many coffee shops and foodservice businesses are constantly looking for more efficient and cost-effective ways to serve high-quality filter coffee. Historically, batch brew has been the obvious solution.
Pour over is understandably respected as a craft brewing method and may be a good fit for smaller coffee shops. However, once volume becomes a concern, batch brew quickly becomes a more feasible solution.
While some consider batch brew to be a compromise for quantity in favour of quality, that does not have to be the case. The recent batch brew boom has been a catalyst for a new standard of quality, with plenty of modern brewers capable of making amazing coffee.
This shift in branding is key to changing perceptions around batch brew.
How can batch brew help coffee businesses?
Batch brew coffee allows operators to serve precise, consistently delicious filter coffee without sacrificing beverage quality while also improving efficiency. It can improve barista workflow and speed up service while remaining consistent and reliable.
The end result is simple: high-quality filter coffee on demand, which allows staff to focus on customer service and other parts of their job.
It’s clear that batch brew can help businesses save money and cut costs. It has the potential to reduce coffee wastage, improve energy efficiency, and streamline workflow.
How can you improve your batch brew setup?
Your batch brew quality will only be as good as the equipment you use and the recipe you pick. There are a few best practices for achieving high-quality, perfectly-extracted drip coffee every time.
Grind coffee to the right size
You should always use fresh, high-quality beans for each batch of coffee you brew. Make sure you grind the coffee just before brewing – and rather than in advance or using preground coffee – to preserve all the desired aromas and flavours.
It’s also important to remember that grind size is related to brew time and volume. Most batch brewers will use a similar grind size (somewhere between medium and coarse). However, you will need to adjust this depending on how much coffee you’re making – more coffee means a longer brew time, and therefore a coarser grind.
For example, smaller batches of a litre or two that brew in three to four minutes require coffee to be ground to the texture of granulated sugar. Larger batches of more than five litres can brew for six to eight minutes, and require a coarser grind.
Water temperature and quality
Water temperature plays an essential role in brewing great coffee, but manual brewing methods make it incredibly difficult to achieve consistent temperatures. This means the barista has less control over a crucial brewing variable.
Modern batch brewers, meanwhile, can be programmed to consistently brew at precise temperatures. Some brewers feature internal boilers that use proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers. These systems provide constant temperature readings, enabling the boiler to respond to any fluctuation in temperature.
Businesses also need to consider the quality of the water they use. Coffee is 98% water, so any poor quality water will have an impact on the taste of the final cup – no matter the brewing method. Imbalances in the minerals and compounds in water can also affect the solubility of coffee, causing extraction problems.
Use a refined brewing recipe
Modern batch brewers allow users to program a range of different recipes, tweaking for specific coffees and adjusting until the perfect recipe is found.
For example, a dark roasted coffee should be ground a little coarser and brewed at lower temperature to ensure it doesn’t overextract. The opposite is true for lighter roasts, where a finer grind and higher brewing temperatures will yield better results.
The ideal coffee-to-water ratio also varies depending on the size of the batch and the brewer itself. A good starting point and rule of thumb is 50-60g of coffee for every litre of water.
Investing in high-quality batch brew equipment
In summary, there are several key criteria for any business wanting to serve excellent batch brew coffee:
- High quality coffee, freshly ground to the correct size
- A consistent, efficient, and high-quality hot water source
- An optimal brewing recipe
But above all else, high-quality brewing equipment is essential. Marco’s coffee batch brewers are designed with the end product in mind – they deliver precise, consistent, and high-quality coffee with each brew.
The Marco JET batch brewers come in single and twin options, catering to businesses of all sizes. They’re also easy to operate, allowing users to set desired batch volumes and tweak brewing variables.
The machines offer high temperature stability and energy efficiency, which allows for back-to-back brewing for fresh batches. This is especially useful during busy café rushes, when baristas are often overwhelmed by orders.
To ensure maximum workflow and compatibility, businesses can pair the batch brewer with the JET6 grinder. This is specifically designed for the JET batch brewers, and can easily be adjusted whenever the recipe changes.
The combination of cost-efficiency and ease of use make batch brew an ideal choice for businesses looking to serve high-quality filter coffee. It’s especially useful in instances where staff simply don’t have the time to prepare one pour over after another.
While some consumers may still have perceptions of batch brew as diner-style drip coffee, there’s no doubt that higher-quality batch brew is becoming more and more popular. That’s why the Marco JET product line is an ideal solution for any hospitality business eager to enhance its filter coffee offerings.
At the end of the day, these brewers produce high quality filter coffee without putting strain on staff – and without compromising on quality, either.