A Working Recipe

Intro

This recipe comes from Coffee Nerd in Heidelberg.
It’s a working filter recipe — used daily behind the bar, shaped by repetition, service, and the need for clarity rather than performance.

Coffee Nerd usually works with light and very light roasted coffees from roasters around the world. In this environment, recipes are not about showing off technique, but about consistency, balance, and giving each coffee a fair chance to express itself. Over time, this approach formed a simple and flexible structure — one that works across different coffees, processing styles, and levels of freshness.

I took this recipe with me to the Ushi Cup, where it quietly did its job and helped me place second. Not because it was special, but because it was familiar. It allowed me to focus on taste, timing, and presence instead of control.

The idea behind it is straightforward: fewer variables, a clear structure, and a predictable flow. A recipe that supports calm work — at the bar, at home, or on stage. One that forgives small mistakes and keeps the cup clean, readable, and balanced.

Coffee

During the competition rounds, I used:

• Round 1: Colombia Red Bourbon, anaerobic natural — Kaffeemacher (Basel, Switzerland)
• Round 2: Colombia Miramar 120h anaerobic natural — Col-Spirit
• Round 3: Kenya, washed

It’s a daily recipe — tested in service, refined through repetition, and trusted when it matters. At the bar, it is used with a wide range of coffees, mostly light and very light roasts.

Recipe Structure

• Dose: 12,5 g for washed and 13 g for natural processed coffee
• Water: 200 g, 50 - 70 ppm
• Grind size: ~900 microns (coarse)
• Total time: 2:00–2:45 (up to 3:00 for very dense washed coffees)

Pours (2 in total):

1. First pour:
   Pour to 100 g in 15 sec
   Circular motion, medium–high agitation
   Flow rate: ~7 g/sec
2. Second pour: at 1:30
   Pour to 200 g in 15 sec
   Same pouring technique
   Optional gentle swirl if needed

Why it works

The long first pour functions as an extended bloom.
It allows CO₂ to escape gradually, leading to a smoother extraction and a cup that feels balanced rather than sharp or bitter.

Grinding coarsely keeps the extraction fast and controlled. The result is usually:

• clear aroma
• bright, readable flavour
• moderate complexity without heaviness

Natural and anaerobic coffees often have a drawdown time between 2:00 – 2:20.
Washed and honey processed coffees usually land around 2:20 – 2:45, sometimes longer for very dense Ethiopian coffees.

Adjustments & Notes

• For competition, I went slightly finer on my 1Zpresso ZP6 (from 4.5 to 4.0).
• With heavily processed coffees, I decanted the brewed coffee into a glass bottle a few times. As it cooled, the cup became more balanced and expressive.
• At work, we brew this recipe on an Origami dripper.
  At home, it works just as well on V60, Dotyk, and other conical drippers.
  With flat-bottom brewers like Orea, a finer grind (~550–600 microns) works better.

Workflow & Use

At the bar, this recipe creates space.
Two pours mean predictable timing. While the coffee brews, it’s possible to steam milk, take another order, or simply stay present.

On stage, it brings the same thing: simplicity and focus.
No unnecessary steps. No stress.

It’s a recipe that rewards repetition. The more often you brew it, the quieter it becomes — and the more confidence it gives back.