We live in the Pacific Northwest, so a good cup of coffee matters. We realize that grabbing a cup of coffee from our coffee bar might be the first "taste" of our church, so let's start things off right. Thank you for taking time to learn how to keep our coffee tasting great with every pot.
4 Simple steps to making a great pot of coffee
Turn on Brewer
- If you are the first one to brew for the day, the coffee maker is likely in energy saving mode, just push the ON/OFF button to bring the temp up to the correct brewing temperature *The machine will not brew unless water has reached brewing temperature (197-205 degrees)
- The machine will tell you if it's "ready to brew" or "heating"
Add Coffee Grounds & Filter
- Make sure the brewing basket is rinsed out between each brew cycle
- Add a new filter to the brewing basket
- Add the coffee grounds to the filter (we use prepackaged bags for full or half pots, pour the entire bag in)
Place an empty Airpot under the basket
- Double check that it is EMPTY and CLEAN *if refilling, dump any leftover coffee
- You can assemble the airpot elements, just open the lid (pot/straw/lid)
Select Size and press the brew button
- Brewing a full pot of coffee - Select "Full Pot", then press "Brew A"
- Brewing a half pot of coffee - Select "Half Pot", then press "Brew A"
4 Easy steps to fill an airpot with hot water
TURN ON BREWER
- If you are the first one to brew for the day, the coffee maker is likely in energy saving mode, just push the ON/OFF button to bring the temp up to the correct brewing temperature *The machine will not brew unless water has reached brewing temperature (197-205 degrees)
- The machine will tell you if it's "ready to brew" or "heating"
ADD an Empty Brew Basket
- Make sure the brewing basket is rinsed out between each brew cycle
PLACE AN EMPTY AIRPOT UNDER THE BASKET
- Double check that it is EMPTY and CLEAN *if refilling, dump any leftover water
- You can assemble the airpot elements, just open the lid (pot/straw/lid)
SELECT SIZE AND PRESS THE BREW BUTTON
- Brewing a full pot of coffee - Select "Full Pot", then press "Brew A"
- Brewing a half pot of coffee - Select "Half Pot", then press "Brew A"
Please Don't
- Put coffee grounds in the filter unless you are ready to brew immediately, this will affect the flavor of the coffee.
Mix fresh brewed coffee with previously brewed coffee because this will dilute the taste and affect the flavor of the whole pot.
Brew over previously used coffee grounds since all of the designed flavor has already been completely extracted.
- Serve coffee in pots or decanters that haven’t been properly cleaned –– acids and other organic materials can taint even the best brewed coffee.
What's the right amount of coffee to use?
We order our coffee pre-measured for the size of our pots. The large bags make a full Airpot and the smaller bags make a half pot.
BYOB? (bringing your own beans?)
The real secret to great coffee comes in the correct “Coffee-to-Water” ratio–how much water is used over how much coffee is in the filter.
As a rule of thumb, remember that too little ground coffee brewed with too much water results in an under-developed, weak-tasting coffee flavor. Whether you’re using a 10 gallon server or a 1/2 gallon coffee pot, your optimum brewing formula will fall in this recommended coffee to water ratio, using traditional ground roast coffee brewed to your personal taste.
2 to 4 Ounces of Coffee for Every 1/2 Gallon of Water
Periodic Cleanings
There are a few things that need to be done regularly, but not as regular as cleaning pots.
Wiping down the Airpots
- we have stainless steel wipes for cleaning the fingerprints off of the airpots, these work great and are stored in the closet on the same shelf as the airpots.
Soaking the Airpots
- Every couple months we soak all of the airpots using Caviza, Use 1 tablespoon in an airpot of hot water and soak for an hour, then scrub clean.
- During the soak put the straw inside as well, but make sure to rinse and scrub using the skinny long scrubber.