Aiming for: Blackberry, plum and red-fruit acidity in a clean, lively cup, without a boozy, fermented heaviness.
- Coffee
- 15 g
- Water
- 245 g
- Temperature
- 94 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 22 clicks
- Time
- 2:35–2:55
- Ratio
- 1:16.3
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 100 g (145 g in total).
-
1:30 — Pour 3
Add 100 g (245 g in total). Slowly, to the centre, no swirl.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural: it extracts fast, and more agitation brings not more fruit, only more ferment. 94 °C, 22 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.
Aiming for: Blackberry, plum and red-fruit acidity in a very clean, light cup, without a boozy, fermented heaviness.
- Coffee
- 30 g
- Water
- 490 g
- Temperature
- 95 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 26 clicks
- Time
- 3:55–4:15
- Ratio
- 1:16.3
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 195 g (270 g in total).
-
1:20 — Pour 3
Add 220 g (490 g in total). No stirring, just a gentle shake.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural: it extracts fast, and more agitation brings not more fruit, only more ferment. 95 °C and 26 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: Blackberry, plum and red-fruit acidity in a round, sweet cup, without a boozy, fermented heaviness.
- Coffee
- 11 g
- Water
- 200 g
- Temperature
- 95 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 15 clicks
- Time
- 2:50–3:05
- Ratio
- 1:18.2
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — filling
Add 200 g (200 g in total). All the water at once, plunger 1 cm in; no swirl.
-
2:30 — plunge
Press down slowly and evenly.
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural: it extracts fast, and more agitation brings not more fruit, only more ferment. 95 °C, 15 clicks, a 120 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: Blackberry, plum and red-fruit acidity in a fuller but still clean cup, without a boozy, fermented heaviness.
- Coffee
- 18 g
- Water
- 295 g
- Temperature
- 94 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 20 clicks
- Time
- 3:50–4:10
- Ratio
- 1:16.4
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — filling
Add 295 g (295 g in total). Water first, then the coffee; stir at 2:30, rest 20 s.
-
2:50 — 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: it extracts fast, and more agitation brings not more fruit, only more ferment. 94 °C, 20 clicks, released at 2:50: 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: Blackberry, plum and red-fruit acidity in a full, round cup, without a boozy, fermented heaviness.
- Coffee
- 30 g
- Water
- 490 g
- Temperature
- 96 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 30 clicks
- Time
- 12:00–12:30
- Ratio
- 1:16.3
Pour schedule
-
0:00 — filling
Add 490 g (490 g in total). All the water within 10 s.
-
4:30 — 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.
-
11:30 — 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: it extracts fast, and more agitation brings not more fruit, only more ferment. 96 °C, 30 clicks, crust broken at 4:30: 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.
Fellow Stagg [X]
Tiko recipe
Aiming for: Blackberry, plum and red-fruit acidity in an even, sweet cup, without a boozy, fermented heaviness.
- Coffee
- 16 g
- Water
- 260 g
- Temperature
- 94 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 23 clicks
- Time
- 3:00–3:20
- Ratio
- 1:16.2
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 55 g (95 g in total). From the centre outwards, in small pulses.
-
1:10 — Pour 3
Add 55 g (150 g in total).
-
1:40 — Pour 4
Add 55 g (205 g in total).
-
2:10 — Pour 5
Add 55 g (260 g in total).
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural: it extracts fast, and more agitation brings not more fruit, only more ferment. 94 °C, 23 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: Blackberry, plum and red-fruit acidity in a cup with body and clarity, without a boozy, fermented heaviness.
- Coffee
- 15 g
- Water
- 225 g
- Temperature
- 94 °C
- Closed stage
- 82 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 21 clicks
- Time
- 2:50–3:10
- Ratio
- 1:15
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 2:10. 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 90 g (135 g in total). Open the valve, pour to the centre.
-
1:30 — Pour 3
Add 90 g (225 g in total). Close the valve, water at 82 °C, in circles.
-
2:10 — 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: it extracts fast, and more agitation brings not more fruit, only more ferment. Starts at 94 °C, closed stage at 82 °C, released at 2:10: 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 82 °C.
Aiming for: Blackberry, plum and red-fruit acidity in a dense, sweet shot, without a boozy, fermented heaviness.
- Coffee
- 18 g
- Yield
- 43 g
- Temperature
- 94 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 9 clicks
- Time
- 0:22–0:26
- Ratio
- 1:2.4
Why this way: A Costa Rican natural: it extracts fast, and more agitation brings not more fruit, only more ferment. 18 g in, 43 g out, 94 °C, 9 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: Blackberry, plum and red-fruit acidity in a strong but sweet cup, without a boozy, fermented heaviness.
- Coffee
- 16 glevel in the 3-cup basket, not tamped
- Water
- 150 g
- Temperature
- 96 °C
- Comandante C40 MK4
- 16 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: it extracts fast, and more agitation brings not more fruit, only more ferment. Water just off the boil in the base, 16 clicks, low heat: with little agitation, so the fruit doesn't turn to ferment. A moka pot doesn't suit a light roast; this is our starting point for it.
If it's off: If the cup is heavy or boozy, take it off the heat at the first sputter and cool the base.
