Beat the blackout blues – with a great cup of coffee!

“We all enjoy a good cup of coffee, but preparing it ourselves is quite daring if we don't know what we are doing. At House of Coffees, we believe anybody has the ability to prepare good filter coffee at home,” says Monique Burger, brand manager.

When making a cup of filter coffee, you can choose from a variety of methods to brew fresh grounds. Plunger and drip filter coffee machines make an excellent choice for daily use. Not only are they easy to use, but they are also affordable with a wide variety available at all major retailers and home-ware stores.

Go on… take the plunger…

The plunger-method produces a rich coffee experience. It is a simple and fast brewing method to use, especially for first time brewed coffee users.
• Pour hot water into the plunger to pre-heat it. Allow the plunger to heat for a few seconds and then empty.
• Measure one level tablespoon (7g) of ground coffee for each cup into the plunger and add hot water.
• Allow to infuse for 4-5 minutes. The longer you leave it brewing, the stronger the coffee will taste.
• Gently press the plunger lid down and enjoy.

Or try a filter favourite

Water is heated in a chamber to almost boiling point and slowly dripped through the ground beans, extracting aroma and flavour.
• Fill the reservoir with fresh, cold water.
• Line the brew basket with filter paper.
• Measure one level tablespoon (7g) of ground coffee per cup into the filter basket and switch on – your machine will do the rest for you.

You'll find these easy-to-follow steps on the back of the new House of Coffees packaging. One last tip from the brand: to ensure that your opened bag of coffee will stay fresh, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Blend it like Beckham

So… how do you choose the perfect blend? There are different roasting levels and these affect coffee differently. Light and medium roasts preserve acidity and the beans keep their flavour and aroma while dark roasts have a stronger flavour but may be too sweet or sharp for some people. Based on the above attributes, it is best to drink a light roast for early morning and with your breakfast, full-bodied medium roast for all day enjoyment and a rich dark roast for evening and after dinner. House of Coffees' blends are crafted from only 100% pure Arabica beans and the on-pack information will help you to choose the right blend.

“By following these easy steps we hope that people will have an enjoyable filter coffee experience at home”, adds Burger.

The House of Coffees range is available in all leading supermarkets.