Aiming for: Dark chocolate, molasses and plum in a dense, sweet shot, without bitterness or a heavy, syrupy ferment.
- Coffee
- 18 g
- Yield
- 36 g
- Temperature
- 90 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 11 clicks
- Time
- 0:23–0:26
- Ratio
- 1:2
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural at our dark roast: it extracts very easily and turns heavy when pushed, so we brew it cooler and shorter than Caoba. 18 g in, 36 g out, 90 °C, 11 clicks: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, stop it 3–4 g sooner.
Aiming for: Dark chocolate, molasses and plum in a strong but sweet cup, without bitterness or a heavy, syrupy ferment.
- Coffee
- 16 glevel in the 3-cup basket, not tamped
- Water
- 150 g
- Temperature
- 96 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 19 clicks
- Time
- 4:00–5:00
- Ratio
- 1:9.4
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — filling
Add 150 g (150 g in total). Hot water to just below the valve; low heat, lid open.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural at our dark roast: it extracts very easily and turns heavy when pushed, so we brew it cooler and shorter than Caoba. Water just off the boil in the base, 19 clicks, low heat: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, take it off the heat at the first sputter and cool the base.
Aiming for: Dark chocolate, molasses and plum in a clean, rounded cup, without bitterness or a heavy, syrupy ferment.
- Coffee
- 15 g
- Water
- 225 g
- Temperature
- 90 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 25 clicks
- Time
- 2:20–2:40
- Ratio
- 1:15
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — bloom
Pour 45 g of water and wait 45 seconds. This is when the carbon dioxide leaves — without it the water can't pass evenly through the bed.
-
0:45 — Pour 2
Add 90 g (135 g in total).
-
1:30 — Pour 3
Add 90 g (225 g in total). Slowly, to the centre, no swirl.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural at our dark roast: it extracts very easily and turns heavy when pushed, so we brew it cooler and shorter than Caoba. 90 °C, 25 clicks, 3 pours: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, grind one click coarser.
Fellow Stagg [X]
Tiko recipe
Aiming for: Dark chocolate, molasses and plum in an even, sweet cup, without bitterness or a heavy, syrupy ferment.
- Coffee
- 16 g
- Water
- 240 g
- Temperature
- 90 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 26 clicks
- Time
- 2:50–3:10
- Ratio
- 1:15
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — bloom
Pour 40 g of water and wait 40 seconds. This is when the carbon dioxide leaves — without it the water can't pass evenly through the bed.
-
0:40 — Pour 2
Add 50 g (90 g in total). From the centre outwards, in small pulses.
-
1:10 — Pour 3
Add 50 g (140 g in total).
-
1:40 — Pour 4
Add 50 g (190 g in total).
-
2:10 — Pour 5
Add 50 g (240 g in total).
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural at our dark roast: it extracts very easily and turns heavy when pushed, so we brew it cooler and shorter than Caoba. 90 °C, 26 clicks, 4 small pulses over the flat bed: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, grind one click coarser; on this flat bed move only one click at a time.
Aiming for: Dark chocolate, molasses and plum in a clean, smooth cup, without bitterness or a heavy, syrupy ferment.
- Coffee
- 30 g
- Water
- 450 g
- Temperature
- 91 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 29 clicks
- Time
- 3:40–4:00
- Ratio
- 1:15
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — bloom
Pour 75 g of water and wait 45 seconds. This is when the carbon dioxide leaves — without it the water can't pass evenly through the bed.
-
0:45 — Pour 2
Add 175 g (250 g in total).
-
1:20 — Pour 3
Add 200 g (450 g in total). No stirring, just a gentle shake.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural at our dark roast: it extracts very easily and turns heavy when pushed, so we brew it cooler and shorter than Caoba. 91 °C and 29 clicks for the thick paper: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, grind two clicks coarser.
Aiming for: Dark chocolate, molasses and plum in a round, sweet cup, without bitterness or a heavy, syrupy ferment.
- Coffee
- 12 g
- Water
- 200 g
- Temperature
- 89 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 17 clicks
- Time
- 2:10–2:25
- Ratio
- 1:16.7
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — filling
Add 200 g (200 g in total). All the water at once, plunger 1 cm in; no swirl.
-
1:50 — plunge
Press down slowly and evenly.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural at our dark roast: it extracts very easily and turns heavy when pushed, so we brew it cooler and shorter than Caoba. 89 °C, 17 clicks, a 80 s steep: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, press 30 seconds earlier.
Clever Dripper
Tiko recipe
Aiming for: Dark chocolate, molasses and plum in a fuller but still clean cup, without bitterness or a heavy, syrupy ferment.
- Coffee
- 18 g
- Water
- 270 g
- Temperature
- 88 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 23 clicks
- Time
- 2:50–3:10
- Ratio
- 1:15
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — filling
Add 270 g (270 g in total). Water first, then the coffee; stir at 1:30, rest 20 s.
-
1:50 — release
Set it on the mug: the valve opens and it drains in about half a minute. The steep ends here — and this is the number to change first if the cup is not what you wanted.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural at our dark roast: it extracts very easily and turns heavy when pushed, so we brew it cooler and shorter than Caoba. 88 °C, 23 clicks, released at 1:50: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, release 30 seconds earlier.
Aiming for: Dark chocolate, molasses and plum in a cup with body and clarity, without bitterness or a heavy, syrupy ferment.
- Coffee
- 15 g
- Water
- 200 g
- Temperature
- 90 °C
- Closed stage
- 70 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 24 clicks
- Time
- 2:40–3:00
- Ratio
- 1:13.3
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — bloom
Start with the valve closed and open it for the first pour; close it again at 1:30 and open it at 2:00. Pour on 45 g of water and wait 40 seconds. Fresh coffee floats on its own carbon dioxide; if you don't wet it first, part of the bed stays above the water line for the whole brew and never brews at all.
-
0:40 — Pour 2
Add 75 g (120 g in total). Open the valve, pour to the centre.
-
1:30 — Pour 3
Add 80 g (200 g in total). Close the valve, water at 70 °C, in circles.
-
2:00 — release
Open the valve and let it drain through the paper. The steep lasts until now — this is the number to change first if the cup is not what you want.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural at our dark roast: it extracts very easily and turns heavy when pushed, so we brew it cooler and shorter than Caoba. Starts at 90 °C, closed stage at 70 °C, released at 2:00: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, make the closed-stage water 5 °C cooler. Without a second kettle, mix the closed-stage water in a jug at the start: hot water with enough cold to bring it to 70 °C.
Aiming for: Dark chocolate, molasses and plum in a full, round cup, without bitterness or a heavy, syrupy ferment.
- Coffee
- 30 g
- Water
- 450 g
- Temperature
- 90 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 33 clicks
- Time
- 8:45–9:15
- Ratio
- 1:15
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — filling
Add 450 g (450 g in total). All the water within 10 s.
-
3:15 — breaking the crust
The grounds form a crust on top. Break it with two or three movements of a spoon, then skim off the foam and the grounds still floating — this is what makes the cup clean.
-
8:15 — plunge
Put the lid on and press down slowly — the filter should stop on top of the grounds, not be pushed through them. Forcing it through the bed sends fines into the cup and keeps the coffee extracting after the time is up. Pour all of it out: whatever stays in the jug goes on brewing.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural at our dark roast: it extracts very easily and turns heavy when pushed, so we brew it cooler and shorter than Caoba. 90 °C, 33 clicks, crust broken at 3:15: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, break the crust a minute earlier.
