How to Make THE Tastiest Coffee at Home, According to Clutch Coffee Co-Founder Darren Spicer
Is there anything worse than going through the trouble of making your own coffee at home, only for it to taste terrible?
Our favorite coffee shops give us consistent, delicious results, but going out every day for an expensive cup just isn't feasible these days. That's why we've turned to the experts for a little help. Darren Spicer is the co-founder of the popular East Coast drive-thru coffee chain Clutch Coffee, and he knows a thing or two about a perfect brew. We got the chance to ask him our most burning questions about making the tastiest possible cup of coffee from the comfort of our own homes, and the biggest coffee mistakes people make, and he shared all of his insights with us in the interview below.
Sweety High: Can you tell us a little bit about the foundation of Clutch Coffee? How did you get into the coffee world, and what makes Clutch Coffee different from other coffee chains out there?
Darren Spicer: I first got into coffee in 2004. When I was a senior in high school, I worked as a barista and later managed a Dutch Bros. Coffee spot. I fell in love with the people aspect and knew I wanted to do something long-term in the space. Since then, I've started Clutch, which has grown to over 10 drive-thru locations in the Carolinas. We actually outperform Starbucks in every market we are in. What makes us different are a few key components: the quality of our coffee, the genuinely friendly customer experience and the speed—we get our drinks out quick!
(via Clutch Coffee)
SH: Can you walk us through the steps of your personal favorite at-home coffee recipe?
DS: Yes! My go-to is a cold brew with sweet foam on top—it's very smooth and the two textures complement each other well with the richness of the coffee and the light creaminess of the sweat foam. What you can do is batch-make cold brew a couple times a week so it's ready to go.
To create the sweet foam at home, you mix two parts milk, three parts heavy cream and sugar together. You can use a milk frother or throw it in a mason jar and shake vigorously for a couple of minutes. The nice thing is you can adjust it yourself for your palate's sweetness and even add flavors if you're feeling extra creative. Easy and delicious!
SH: What recommendations do you have for the coffee itself? What kinds of differences will people see between using different coffee makers or a Keurig?
DS: Cold brew is super easy to make at home, and what we're seeing is a vast majority of Gen Z and millennial customers are now ordering cold coffees rather than the traditional hot cup of joe, so it's an easy crowd pleaser.
For a hot drink, you can make a great pot of regular coffee if you've got quality grounds, or you can make espresso-based drinks from a variety of machines. I personally prefer the Breville brand of single-head espresso machines (~$700), which are super reliable, consistent and easy to use. A Keurig tends to have a frothy texture layer on top, but may not have the same overall flavor profile or freshness of fresh grounds used in a regular pot of coffee.
(via Clutch Coffee)
Also read about: 5 Alternatives to Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts to Switch Up Your Morning Routine
SH: What are some of the biggest mistakes people make when brewing their own coffee at home?
DS: Not using fresh grounds. If you're grinding the coffee beans yourself, you really need to do it fresh every day for the best taste. If you're buying pre-ground coffee, it can last a couple of weeks kept in a dark location away from air, heat and light. Another mistake is under- or over-extracting during the coffee-making process itself.
SH: What are some of your favorite quick ways to make a great cup of coffee at home? What are some shortcuts people take that wind up ruining their coffee?
DS: Rushing the steeping time for cold brew is a surefire way to get a weak brew. Not using the right grind of beans changes the flavor too—the finer the grind, the smaller the surface size, the faster the extraction and the less time it needs to brew. Overextraction often results in bitter coffee, so if you're making it yourself and that's the case, try bigger grounds or reducing steep time.
Making a big batch of cold cr,ew like I previously mentioned, is a great strategy that is fast and high-quality with a kick. Here's how to make a batch of cold brew:
Grab a pitcher or large mason jar and throw in one part coarsely ground coffee beans to four parts room-temperature water. Cover and leave overnight on the counter. You want it to sit and brew for 12-plus hours. Then, strain the coffee grounds out using a filter and you've got some great cold brew concentrate. You can store this in the fridge for about a week. To enjoy, add ice-cold water or milk to your concentrate—the ratio depends on how strong you like it, but one-to-one is a good place to start.
SH: Any unique or unexpected tips and tricks for making coffee taste better?
DS: Here's a fun tip to not water down your iced coffee—make a tray of "coffee ice cubes" that you can add to your iced coffee. This keeps the flavor bold and won't water it down if you want to sip on it for a period of time.
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SH: What's the best way to make yourself a great cup of iced coffee?
DS: The coffee cube trick above, or making your own cold brew. Set-up is minimal, and the flavor is smooth and consistent.
SH: Is there anything else we should know?
DS: Coffee is a lot like wine—personal taste and preferences come into play, but there are a lot of ways to appreciate a great cup! Have fun creating and testing different types of coffee and different methods of preparation.
(via Clutch Coffee)
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