Yorkshire Coffee Roaster since 2008 - Friendly & Proudly Independent
Find us    Email us     01274 911 419
Find us    Email us     01274 911 419
Limini Coffee
Coffee
Coffee
How to serve filter coffee in a coffee shop environment

Filter coffee is finally on the rise. More and more coffee shop lovers enjoy the variety and complexity that filter coffee has to offer. We feel that the stigma of stewed coffee made with stale ground coffee is finally disappearing. Instead, coffee lovers are enjoying filter coffee that has been made by grinding fresh speciality coffees brewed fresh. BUT, how as a coffee shop can you offer filter coffee to your customers? Do you brew it by the cup or do you batch brew...

There are many forms of filter coffee and you can define these into two groups: batch brew and single cup brew. What you offer in your coffee shop is very important to think about. You need to think about the speed, the quality, the cost and the variety.

Why offer filter? I have a beautiful La Spaziale espresso machine already...

For sure, your espresso machine is super and will always be the favourite. Filter coffee is simply a different offering altogether. A filter coffee is not the same as an Americano or Long Black. With an espresso machine it can be tricky to offer a range of coffees from various origins as you would need one grinder per coffee and this is something that filter coffee can open up. By offering filter coffee alongside your espresso coffee you dramatically increase your coffee menu.

Batch brews can be made by many different filter coffee machines. You could use a traditional filter coffee brewer, a so called automatic drip filter coffee machine, or you could go for a bulk batch brewer which is a brewer designed for large quantities of filter coffee. Whichever way you go, always go for a brewer that brews into a thermos flask to avoid your batch from stewing on a hot plate.

If you go for single cup brewing then you have a huge range of brewing devices. The most popular choices are the cafetiere or french press, the V-60, the Chemex and the Aeropress. You will also need scales, a grinder and a hot water boiler / kettle. Ideally though you will have a hot water boiler that dispenses water at a set temperature and a dedicated filter coffee grinder with very low retention.

Batch brewing

The obvious benefit of a batch brewer is that you can brew really delicious filter coffee in large quantities. Easily brew litres of coffee in a matter of minutes and store this yummy coffee in easy to dispense flasks. Top of the range batch brewers allow you to brew by profile so that you can develop the very best flavours from the coffee. You can have multiple profiles depending on what coffee you are brewing. By having multiple flasks you can offer multiple coffees at the same time.

A batch brewer is less theatrical compared to brewing by the cup. Because you dispense from a flask it often feels like a lower value product, which is isn't of course, and that is something that you will need to overcome. By having an attractive stand and information boards about the coffee you can battle this challenge. Make the focus more about the coffee instead of the brewing method. Highlight where you coffee is from and what flavours to expect.

A really big advantage of batches in flasks is the ability to sample your coffee. It is very easy to give a sample of the coffee from the flask to your customer - something that single cup brewing can not offer.

Single cup brewing

Brewing by the cup is very much artisan. It looks great and it involves a barista brewing a coffee especially for that one customer. You could brew by various methods depending on the coffee and the customer's preference. This however takes time and this is most likely the biggest challenge to overcome. Let's have a look at brewing a Chemex for example:

We are going to brew a Chemex coffee by using a grinder, scales and a temperature controlled kettle. This is probably the lowest set up cost option.

1) measure out the water - Fill your coffee cup with cold fresh water and add this to an empty kettle. Get the kettle going to a set brew temperature, for example 93 C.

2) weigh out the coffee and grind - Find your fresh bag of Limini beans and weigh out the desired dose, for example 17 grams. Purge your filter grinder from any residue and grind your coffee.

3) brew the coffee - Add the filter paper and coffee to the Chemex and once the water is up to temperature pour the water and brew your coffee.

The above process will take about two to three minutes plus another minute or so for the coffee to filter through the paper. This makes it a relatively slow process compared to batch brewing or black coffees from an espresso coffee machine. It does however produce a great show!


We would suggest to have about three filter coffees on offer: a fruity coffee, a florally light coffee and a chocolatey coffee. This should please most people. If you have a request for a strong filter coffee then you can always try brewing your espresso blend as these often come out strong as a filter.

Top tip - Always add value to your filter coffee by serving it with an info card. A little card that explains to the customer where the coffee is from and what flavours to expect. It makes the drink so much more interesting.

Barista
In-person training

and why it is still necessary

Blends
Introducing a second coffee

enhancing the coffee shop experience

Decaf
Decaf coffee

what you need to know

La Spaziale Pump Guage
Adjusting the pump pressure

a little guide

La Spaziale Heat Exchange
Are La Spaziale Single Boiler Machines?

the patented design

Coffee grinder
Grind by Weight Grinders

and why you want one

Coffee grinder burrs
When to change your burrs

and why you should

Vostok lever machine
Vostok - The Future of Espresso Machines

Check out this dream machine!

ITC
La Spaziale ITC explained

We explain what the ITC feature is on the La Spaziale espresso machines

Cold brew coffee
A guide to cold brew coffee

The origins of cold brew coffee and how to make it.

Oils on coffee beans
Oils on coffee beans

Oils on coffee beans? Good or bad, what is the deal?

Coffee for the office
Guide to office coffee machines

The different types and options for your office and your team.

Greener coffee
Greener coffee shops

Tips on how you can make your coffee shop greener.

Flushing of group head
Flushing of the group head

Why the need for flushing the group head should be an important part of your routine.

The resting of coffee
Fresh is best...or is it?

Is the freshest coffee always the best coffee...

Serving filter coffee
How to serve filter coffee

An article about the various methods of how to serve filter coffee in a busy coffee shop.

Understanding milk
Understanding milk

An insight into different types of milk and their latte art.

Americano
Americano

A simply enough looking drink that has a lot more to it than you might think.

Water quality
Water quality

How important is water quality to the taste of our brewed coffee?

Fresh is best
What is that smell?

You walk through the doors into your beautiful coffee shop and you smell the wonders of coffee.

Fresh is best
Fresh is best!

How fresh is the coffee that you drink and how can you tell?

Ristretto
No more espressos...

A different concept for serving espresso based drinks.You can be different and serve coffees with a different base.

Latte macchiato
Latte, cappuccino, macchiato.... what?

A simple explanation of many of the amazing names that the coffee world has come up with over the years.

Benefits of multiple grinders

Why we think having more than one grinder is so important.

Tamping
Tamping

Learn more about why tamping is actually so important. It is a skill owned by the barista and it does make a difference.

Compact
Compact vs normal size machines

What really is the difference between a compact and a standard size machine.

Crema
Crema

Not sure what crema is? Then this is a must read.

Espresso machine
Guide to espresso equipment

Our comprehensive guide on choosing the correct equipment for your espresso drinks.

Backflushing
Backflushing your espresso machine

Learn about why you need to backflush an espresso machine and how it works.

Filter coffee
Filter coffee

Filter coffee is beautiful and here we will introduce you to some of the more popular methods.

Loose leaf tea
How to create 'theatre' in your coffee shop

Instead of just serving coffee, serve something that get people talking about you.

Bean to cup
Difference between an espresso machine and a bean to cup

Why we here prefer traditional espresso coffee machines.

Christmas Opening Times
December 2024
23rd - Normal Hours - 08:30 - 16:30
24th - Normal Hours - 08:30 - 16:30
25th - CLOSED
26th - CLOSED
27th - CLOSED
28th - CLOSED
29th - CLOSED
30th - Normal Hours - 08:30 - 16:30
31st - Normal Hours - 08:30 - 16:30

January 2025
1st - CLOSED
2nd - Normal Hours - 08:30 - 16:30
3rd - Normal Hours - 08:30 - 16:30

To ensure you have your coffee order in plenty of time for Christmas, we recommend ordering by Friday 13th December.

We will be dispatching your delicious coffee as normal on the days we are open. Do bear in mind that due to higher volumes through our couriers, deliveries may take a little longer than expected over the Christmas period.

We wish you all a fantastic end of the year and look forward to an amazing 2025!!

Limini Coffee
The Roastery
Unit 6 Luddite Way Business Park
Rawfolds Way
Cleckheaton
BD19 5DQ
West Yorkshire
United Kingdom

Coffee roaster

Get in touch


call us for a chat on 01274 911 419

Monday - Friday | 09:00 - 16:30
Closed bank holidays

/ Instagram

Terms and conditions | Privacy policy | Website settings

By continuing to browse you agree to our use of cookies.

Copyright © 2008-2024 Limini Coffee Services Limited. All Rights Reserved