Cup Perfection
Cup Perfection™ begins with us but ultimately, it finishes with you. How you care for and prepare your coffee and tea once you get it home can dramatically affect its flavor. Here are some proven techniques we've learned and refined through experience that we'd like to share.
We begin with premium green selected from the finest growing regions spanning the equator. Our Artisan Roast produces a heavy-bodied, bold coffee while enhancing its inherent flavor. We then take every step necessary, including strict handling practices, to ensure that our coffees are provided to you fresh.
COFFEE
Freshness is our commitment. Coffee is a highly-perishable item; one that loses both its flavor and freshness over a very short period of time if not handled properly from the second the beans pour from the roaster. Our coffee is hand-packaged in a custom, one-way valve bag and sealed within minutes. Fresh-roasted coffee out-gases CO2 for hours after leaving the roaster. This process forces most of, if not all, the residual oxygen (the primary enemy of roasted coffee) out of the bag. Speed is important because the coffee began oxidizing the moment it left the roaster and has already begun its attack on the fragile flavors. Click here to learn more about our coffee.
WATER
Start with fresh, filtered or bottled water.
MEASURE
Measure 2 Tbsp. (10g) of ground coffee per each 6 fl oz (180ml) of water. Adjust the strength by adding hot water.
PRESS POT
Our favorite, and the way we drink all our coffee, is with a Press Pot (or French Press). The Press Pot simply produces the best cup of coffee. There are many different models and brands to choose from at retail. There are single-serve Press Pots available, and others that can serve up to twelve cups at a time. The grind size for Press Pot brew is our coarsest grind. If you are a "home-grinder" please keep this in mind when grinding for your own Press Pot.
ESPRESSO
Dalia's Coffee makes excellent Espresso. There's a wide variety of makes and models of different Espresso machines available today. We recommend you shop around to find the espresso machine that you'll be the most comfortable using on a regular basis. Espresso is the finest grind we offer.
DRIP
We recommend only brewing the amount you are planning to serve using stainless steel or gold filter cones. Paper filters produce trace flavors that will taint your coffee's pure flavor. If you're using an automatic brewer, be sure to turn off the machine as soon as it is done brewing or your coffee will continue to "cook" from the heat of the warming element burning the coffee within minutes.
STORAGE
Once opened, store the coffee for up to one week in an airtight container and keep in a cool dry place. If you plan to keep Dalia's Coffee longer than two weeks after purchase, we recommend that you freeze it upon arrival. Whole Bean coffee also stays fresh longer so we recommend that you grind your own beans just prior to brewing.
TEA
At Dalia's, we pride ourselves in our tea selection paying close attention to the two key elements, Plucking Styles and Processing Techniques, which control the flavor of the tea. Raw leaf quality varies greatly by season, and while any given farm may produce dozens of lots of tea each year, only a handful may have great flavor. Our teas are meticulously selected then carefully processed.
WATER
Start with fresh, filtered or bottled water.
MEASURE
Measure 1 Tbsp. (5g) of loose tea per each 14 fl oz (414ml) of water.
PREPARATION
Pre-warm your mug or pot with hot water and always be sure to add your water to the tea and never the other way around.
BREWING
Each tea has its own unique temperature and brew time. As a general rule, to longer the steep time, the stronger the brew.
BLACK TEA
Add water just after boiling. 3 to 5 minute steep.
GREEN TEA
175°- 185° F. 2 to 4 minute steep.
OOLONG TEA
195° to boiling. 4 to 5 minute steep.
WHITE TEA
175°- 190° F. 5 to 7 minute steep.
HERBAL TISANE
Add boiling water. 4 to 8 minute steep.
STORAGE
Once opened, store the tea in an airtight container and keep in a cool dry place.