Coffee in the kettle. How come? Preparation secrets

kettle it is the oldest invention for making coffee. For centuries, coffee lovers have perfected the skill of preparing this drink in the kettle. During this time, numerous recipes, tips, traditions and, of course, controversies have appeared on how to prepare a delicious pot of coffee.

What is certain is that coffee in a carafe has become a true ritual in itself: from the choice of beans, to preparation and service, everything is oriental slowness, creativity and attention to detail.

The type of coffee which one you choose for kettle brewing is important. Despite the fact that many say that the variety does not matter and that the drink turns out delicious regardless of the grains, experts recommend Arabica beans for kettle, which are more aromatic, instead of Robusta ones, which give a stronger taste and pronounced bitterness.

As for roasting, choose beans with a medium degree of roasting, otherwise the flavor of the coffee in the cup could seem «burnt». With light or darker roasted beans you can simply top up to balance the acidity and bitterness. Coffee brewed in the kettle tends to be bitter, so lightly roasted beans are recommended for lovers of acidity.

Since the coffee prepared in the cup is drunk unfiltered, it is advisable to choose the finest grinding degree, an extra-fine «almost dusty» grain. The rule is simple: the finer the granulation, the richer and more intense the flavor of the drink. At this stage, a coffee grinder, manual or electric, will become your main assistant, because freshly ground beans are the key to a wonderful taste and special aroma of future coffee.

The main requirement for the kettle must be small in size. In a large pot, coffee loses its flavor and can often not be prepared well enough. The ideal bowl size is for one serving of coffee, with the ideal shape having a wider bottom and tapering edges as it approaches the top.

The kettle was originally made of copper, but today you can choose from a wide variety of materials. Aluminum, steel, brass, silver, copper and even clay are used to make the kettle.

The best materials recommended for the kettle are considered to be copper – durability and affordable price, brass – durable vessel that does not alter the taste of the drink, as happens, for example, with steel and silver, with which truly beautiful and elegant vessels are made that last over time.

Whatever material you choose, it is important to choose a kettle with a long wooden handle: it will be much more comfortable to prepare coffee and you will certainly not burn yourself with the steam, and the walls of the container must be thick.

One of the features of the kettle coffee is the dispensing in cold water. The colder it is, the better, so the taste and aroma of the coffee will have time to fully reveal itself. The main rule is to avoid using tap water. Make sure the water is cold, soft, without impurities, odors.

Pure, natural water is ideal for preparing coffee in the kettle. You can also use a homemade filter to prepare water for coffee. The softer it is, the more tender the taste. And if you want to give your coffee a unique and refined flavour, put a pinch of salt in the kettle.

The fundamental rule for making coffee in the kettle is to never let it boil. That’s why you should arm yourself with patience and oriental calm.

In no case do not move away from the stove and do not let yourself be distracted by something else: by letting the coffee boil, you will ruin it, destroy the foam. Boil the kettle over low heat or on sand – this can also be done at home: pour a mixture of salt and sand into a deep pan, immerse the kettle and put it on low heat.

To prevent the coffee from boiling over, stop this process whenever foam starts to rise. Repeat the operation once or twice, only then will the coffee be ready and sufficiently well prepared.

When ready, the coffee in the kettle is poured into the cup with all the grounds, in no case do not filter it through the strainer. If the grind is fine enough, the grounds will not rise to the surface and ruin the consistency of the drink. Once you pour the coffee into the cup (experts recommend heating the cup first), don’t drink it right away. Let it sit for a while, let the residue settle.

In addition to the fact that the coffee cups must be hot, it is a good idea for them to be small oriental ones, usually made of ceramic or porcelain. Choose a special coffee set and give yourself the pleasure of serving coffee in this special way.

Drink and enjoy coffee slowly, without rushing: coffee in the kettle is not drunk while traveling, but should be savored and drunk in small sips. Give yourself time to enjoy the intense taste and rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

Once you’ve mastered the classic kettle coffee recipe, you’re at the beginning of your journey into the world of experimentation and improvisation. The classic recipe can be reinvented without limits. The proportions are balanced, caramel, honey, chocolate and all the other ingredients you can imagine are added.

We present the classic recipe for preparing coffee in the kettle and several other well-known variations.

Put the coffee in the kettle and fill it halfway with water. Wait a while for the air bubbles to escape, then add more water, but not beyond the point where the kettle starts to shrink. Place the kettle on low heat. After about a minute, gently stir the coffee. Be careful, as soon as the foam begins to rise, remove the kettle from the heat, then put it back on the low heat. (it is advisable to repeat the operation three times, turning the kettle on and off every time the foam rises). Pour the coffee into the preheated cup. Wait a few minutes for the coffee to settle: the grounds settle to the bottom and the process of saturating the coffee with taste and aroma is completed. Only now is your coffee in the kettle ready!

Coffee with caramelized sugar has an original taste. The ingredients harmonize and complement each other. Try this recipe, especially because the preparation is quite simple.

Heat the kettle a little. Pour a teaspoon of sugar. Bring the sugar to the point where it caramelizes, keeping the heat low. Then pour 100 ml of water and boil the resulting mixture. Add 10 grams of ground coffee and a spoonful of cold water. Keep the coffee on the heat until foam appears. Then follows the classic recipe. Finally, remove the kettle from the heat, wait a while and pour the coffee into a pre-heated cup.

If you like whipped cream, you’ll love Viennese Kettle Coffee.

To prepare this recipe you need 35 ml of classic kettle coffee, 20 ml of cream with 30-35% fat, 5 grams of grated dark chocolate and a little sugar (to taste). Prepare the coffee and pour it into a cup. Until the extraction is complete and the custard has settled, whip the cream with the sugar until high peaks form. Pour the cream over the hot coffee and press the grated chocolate over it.

Try this special, refined and very tasty drink, which can be considered a dessert in all respects.

For this recipe you need a small glass of freshly brewed coffee, an egg yolk and sugar to taste. Prepare the coffee in the kettle and pour it into a cup. Beat the egg yolk until stiff, adding a spoonful of sugar or half a spoonful of icing sugar. The coffee needs to cool down a bit otherwise the egg will curdle. Pour the egg yolk foam over the coffee.