MANUAL
Hand
Photo Illustration | Travis Young Home brew You can make the perfect cup of coffee at home. You just need to find the perfect balance.
// LINDSEY SIEGELE
Java. Joe. Mud. Whatever name you call it, coffee has taken over America, with chain shops like Starbucks and local shops like Lawrence's Java Break on street corners and in malls throughout the nation.
More than 50 percent of American adults drink coffee every day, according to a study by the National Coffee Association and the Specialty Coffee Association of America. That's more than 150 million people sipping java daily.
But a cup of joe from a coffee shop can cost a pretty penny, and home brewing is often relatively cheap. If you want your home brew to taste as good as the coffee at your favorite café read on.
Finding the right beans for your tastes is a matter of trial and error, says Ken Davids, author of Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying. "Before people get to which coffee, from what country or what blend to buy, they need to know what their preferences are in roast," Davids says. "Otherwise, they get confused."
Start by trying coffee beans of different roast levels: light, medium and dark, and determining which you like best. A dark roast will have a simpler, more bitter flavor, like the coffee at Starbucks, says Davids, whereas medium and light roasts will be less bitter and more complex in flavor.
IAVA JARGON
After you've determined your favorite roast level, you can begin trying beans from different companies. Davids recommends
Comprises 70 percent of the world's coffee and is superior in quality to other coffee species.
Arabica
THE BEANS
Balance Tasting term applied to coffees for which no single characteristic overwhelms others.
Balance
A mixture of two or more single-origin coffees.
Blend
Body The sensation of heaviness, richness or thickness when one tastes coffee.
Fair Trade Coffee
Dark Roast Can describe any roast of coffee darker than the traditional American norm.
Fair Trade Coffee Coffee that has been purchased from farmers at a "fair" price as defined by international agencies.
Light Roast Coffee brought to a degree of roast lighter than the traditional American norm.
Medium Roast Coffee roasted to traditional American taste.
Organic Coffee Coffee that has been certified by a thirdparty agency as having been grown and processed without the use of pesticides herbicides or similar chemicals.
Whole Bean Coffee Coffee that has been roasted but not yet ground.
It's the quality of the beans, not the quality
talking to people in the area about their favorite roasting companies and reading blogs, like coffeeeview.com, to learn what other coffee drinkers like.
Actually, you don't need a coffee maker at all. Newell recommends a cheap alternative: buy a filter holder from a grocery store and some paper filters, put a filter and coffee inside, boil water on the stove and pour it through the filter. "That's a perfect cup of coffee," he says.
"I've tried a couple of brands," Stephanie Stoss, Hays sophomore, says. Stoss brews her own coffee using Dunkin' Donuts pre-ground beans. "It was the best I could find," she says. Dunkin' Donuts may not be the first choice of coffee connoisseurs, but finding beans you like is what really matters.
You should also consider freshness. The best way to enjoy fresh coffee is to buy recently-roasted whole beans and grind them yourself, says Davids. If you can't afford to grind them at home, you can find grinders at many cafes and grocery stores, where you can grind fresh beans to take home.
Can't afford a top-of-the-line coffee maker? Don't sweat it, says Colin Newell, senior editor of the informational website coffeecrew.com. "You don't need an expensive coffee maker," Newell says.
THE MACHINERY
of the machine that matters. Deneige Barr, Manhattan sophomore, swears by her Coffee-Mate coffee maker, which she was given before starting college. She says the coffee she makes is comparable to what she buys at coffee shops. "You can brew it to the right strength on your own," she says.
THE BREW
The amount of grounds you use to make a pot of coffee depends on your strength preference, but Newell of coffeecrew.com says an easy rule for a good brew is 2.5 to 3 tablespoons for every 8 ounces of water. (8 ounces is about half the size of a grande Starbucks coffee.)
Once again, you can experiment with the amount of coffee you use until you find the perfect amount. "Everybody's opinion is a little different," Newell says. "I tend to overestimate how much I should use. It's hard to use too much, but you can definitely use too little."
Water quality makes a difference in flavor, too. Water with a high mineral content (hard water) is best because the flavor components attach to minerals, creating a better-tasting brew, says Newell.
After you've picked your favorite beans and measurements, follow the manufacturer's instructions that came with your coffee pot and you'll be well on your way to the perfect pot of coffee.
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KU vows nae withorms osses
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President-elect Gabe Bliss" graphic flashed on screen that the room erupted in racous applause and yelling.
great great great hall out.
The KUited coalition, for the second year in a row, dominated student senate elections winning 41 out of 64 possible seats. Renew KU picked up 21 senate seats. Three of the election winners were listed as independent.
"Our success is undeniable," Johnson said in a speech after the results. "We had a great, great turnout."
41 SEATS WON
Graphic by Clayton Ashley/KANSAN
UNITED UNITED
SEE KUNITED ON PAGE 6A
21 SEATS WON
KUJH Check out KUJH for more coverage of this week's elections and the reactions of the coalition members
of Liberal Arts and Sciences seat. "I ran because I believe in this coalition."
"We did what we wanted to do," Briner said. "We started conversations that wouldn't have happened had we not run."
Briner and vice-presidential candidate Josh Dean said they were proud of their coalition and also of the 20.9 percent voter turnout, almost 10 percent greater than last year.
As the night continued, Renew KU members kept up their resolve.
SEE RENEW KU ON PAGE 6A
CRIME
BY ALEX GARRISON agarrison@kansan.com
Students vandalize Learned Hall cause damage to safety supplies
Several students reported a theft of a fire extinguisher and an erroneous discharge of a safety shower in a lab inside Learned Hall, at
Learned, Eaton and Spahr Halls are unlocked at almost all times, said Jill Hummels, director of public relations for the School of Engineering.
15th and Naismith streets, early Saturday morning. The Public Safety Office report from the incident states that two 20-year old men from Overland Park were arrested at the scene.
Edited by Samantha Collins
Public Safety assessed the damage at $45.
BY ROSHNI OOMMEN roommen@kansan.com
"Peeping Tom" shocks showerers
Three times this week, a man walked into a women's residence hall restroom, opened a shower curtain and watched a woman shower. Now the police are searching for that man, according to a press release by the KU Public Safety Office.
CRIME
At 7:20 p.m. on Monday, the man walked into a women's restroom in Hashinger Hall and watched women
showering. At 7:30 a.m. Wednesday he went into a women's restroom in McCollum Hall and did the same thing. Shortly afterward, at 7:40 a.m., another instance of voyeurism by the same man was reported.
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Crossword. 4A
Cryptoquips. 4A
Opinion. 5A
Sports. 8A
Sudoku. 4A
INDEX
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The police report said that the man entered the dorses by "tailgating," which could either mean that he followed on students' heels into the building or waited around until someone unlocked the door. Captain Schuyler Bailey said
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"If we do get video of him, it winn be released to the public," Bailey said.
The KU Public Safety Office is asking for any information available in finding the man. Its phone number is 785-864-5900.
the KU Police are looking at video footage from the residence halls to see if they can find footage of the suspect.
SATURDAY
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Forecasts by University students. For a complete detailed forecast for the week, see page 2A
Edited by Sarah Gregory
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SUNDAY
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TICKETS|3A
One more sentenced for KU ticket scandal
Charlette Blubaugh was sentenced for 57 months
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