The struggle of waking up to the same old (and painfully stagnant) cup of coffee is real. If, like me, you’re a big fan of coffee, you probably want to take it upon yourself to brew that perfect, local coffeehouse kind of deliciousness.
With an intoxicating aroma, nuanced notes, and that gorgeous texture it is more than possible to create your own at-home coffee magnum opuses every single day.
Now, before you begin to think this task is difficult, let us clarify – it is a lot easier than you imagine! As with everything, brewing that impeccable cup is all about understanding the science of it all. Read our mini coffee bloom literature to get you started.
What is Coffee Bloom, Exactly?
Let’s cut to the chase; you’re a coffee aficionado with dozens of cafe explorations under your wing. So, naturally, you’ve bumped across the term, coffee bloom and probably pondered, for hours on the end, on what exactly it means.
To put it simply, coffee bloom happens when the gas quickly escapes the coffee grounds once the hot water is poured over them. The beans absorb the water and expand in the same moment, releasing all the pent-up CO2 (carbon dioxide) trapped within.
Explore the Delicious Science Behind Blooming
As with any other food browning process, coffee roasting has its own intricate (and oh-so-aromatic) process. When you work on your coffee roast, a complex chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction begins to take form in the background.
Chipping out the other mysteries of this reaction, here’s what we know: roasted foods cause the sugars and proteins to form a broad spectrum of aroma molecules and novel flavors. As the process comes to fruition, you get to enjoy enhanced and delicious flavors.
Once you complete roasting the coffee, that is when the gases gradually begin to leak out – in tiny little bits. This activity is called “degassing.”
If you use your roasted coffee within a ten-day time frame, chances are, the beans will continue to retain most of the CO2. The moment you pour hot water on these coffee grounds, you’ll notice how they immediately start to foam and puff, swell and bubble until the dramatic effect finally dwindles.
The older the beans get, the lower the CO2 they can retain. In other words, blooming might not look as sensational with older coffee beans.
Has Your Coffee Gone Stale? We Know Why!
Coffee goes stale or blooms due to the same reason; the release of CO2. The moment you complete the roasting process, the gas built up inside starts to leak.
The best way to determine the freshness of your coffee is by seeing how intense the grounds puff up during the bloom.
While freshness is key in terms of how good your coffee would taste, the best practice, nevertheless, is to wait for the coffee to shed some of its gaseous nature. If the coffee is too saturated with the gases, the outcome might be a cup that would taste unfavorably ripe.
There is a massive difference between freshly ground coffee beans and pre-ground coffee. If you’ve tried to bloom pre-ground coffee, chances are, you might not have seen any visible results.
Since ground coffee doesn’t retain much of the CO2 after 10-14 days, it’s always a great idea to be your own coffee maestro. While sourcing, grounding, roasting, and storing coffee may feel like a task (just a tad bit, though), the end reward is a fantastic cup of coffee that is well worth every ounce of effort.
Blame It on the Factors At Play
When it comes to coffee blooming, it’s all in the gas. From the coffee beans’ origin to the temperature, many factors affect how quickly the gas can escape the beans. Those factors include;
- Origin of the beans
- Humidity
- Temperature
- Roast Level
The degassing process is different for different coffees. The source of your beans directly impacts how fast the gases will leak out of it during the brew. Dryer areas lead to a faster gas release from the beans but humid areas trigger the growth of fungi and mold.
The perfect way to go would be to find and store the beans in an area that’s neither too dry nor too humid. If you store the beans in a warm area, the gases will likely escape faster from the coffee. The best practice is to store the beans in comparatively cooler areas and typically away from the sources of lighting and heat inside the kitchen.
Finally, the bloom outcome directly correlates to the type of roast. Dark roasts, for instance, cause more bloom because they take longer to roast.
How to Bloom Your Own Out-of-This-World Coffee? (You Got This!)
The enchanting process of coffee brewing is all about the type of coffee maker you put to use. The basic step for every method is to cascade the hot water on top of those gorgeous grounds.
The goal here is to get the fresh coffee damp and leave it for a minute or two before you finally brew it. While there are many different brewing methods, let’s explore the coffee blooming tales in four common coffee concoction methods, namely:
Pour Overs
Start with pouringsizzling hot water on the delicious coffee roasts. Make sure you’re pouring the water in a circular motion – from outside to all way to the center.
Don’t use too much water. You want the coffee to be damp but not drip to the bottom.
Next, leave the damp coffee for a couple of minutes – we know waiting is hard but patience is synonymous with great coffee – before you finally brew the final elixir. That first part is essential when you bloom coffee.
French Press
Pour a small quantity of hot water over the ground coffee, slowly and with all the care in the world. Let the bloom do its magic for the next 20 seconds or so.
To make sure the coffee grounds merge with the water, give it a little stir. You are now ready to perform the final brew!
Automatic Drip Coffee Maker
Grab your coffee maker and gently place the filter in the basket. Add the ground coffee to the filter. Soak the coffee with a small quantity of water.
The goal here is to get the coffee damp without causing the water to drip through the filter. Wait for about 90 seconds to let the coffee explode (metaphorically) with the blooming. The aroma is finally setting in. It’s now time to get the brewing going!
When I personally bloom coffee with this method, I turn on the coffee maker, remove the pot to stop the water from draining through, and wait for it to saturate the grounds with water before turning it off. After waiting 90 seconds, I turn the coffee maker back on and place the pot back to collect my delicious fresh coffee.
Cold Brew Coffee
Blooming your cold brew coffee is pretty simple as well. Just add nearly boiling (coffee temperature) water to the coffee grounds at a 1:1 ratio. Wait 30 seconds. After this add the cold or room temperature water as normal and finish your final cold brew.
Bloom Your Coffee Like the Conossouir You Are!
We hope our little guide helped you understand the ins and outs of blooming your coffee. Remember, always root for “the bloom” each time you pour hot water on your coffee grounds. After all, the foam and swell are pure indications of how fresh and delish your coffee is going to turn out.
Now that you know the science behind your aromatic coffee and how to bloom coffee, don’t hold back from sharing your newfound knowledge with other coffee aficionados.
Life is all about having that perfect cup of coffee every time you feel like it. So, get your coffee paraphernalia ready and start brewing the magic!