[Linen Coffee Filters, Your Happy Morning Companion]
On holiday mornings, we enjoy a leisurely “morning set at home” with delicious bread and carefully brewed café au lait. The family is somewhat excited the night before, and conversations like, “What kind of sandwich are we going to make tomorrow morning?”
When we make our morning coffee, we use Okai Mafu Shoten's Linen Coffee Filter. I used to use disposable paper filters, but when I came across this linen coffee filter, I fell in love with it and couldn't live without it. Coffee brewed with the linen filter is richer and milder than that brewed with the paper filter. It blends well with milk. I later learned that paper filters absorb the oil from the coffee during drip brewing. I am not a coffee expert, but I was impressed by the difference in taste.
I am often asked if linen filters are difficult to care for. I am often asked, “Isn't it difficult to clean the linen filter?” All you have to do is wash it with water or lukewarm water after removing the coffee grounds, wring it out thoroughly, shape it, and hang it up to dry. To be honest, before I started using it, I was worried that it might be a bit troublesome, but it is not much different from washing dishes, and I can use it without any burden. Sometimes, when I feel like it, I boil the water to make it more refreshing. I think the fact that linen is a durable material that dries quickly and has excellent antibacterial properties is also a key factor in its ease of use. However, don't forget to stretch out the wrinkles thoroughly each time you hang it to dry. Linen dries crispy, so if you dry it in an odd shape, it will be hard to drip, and I have regretted drying it properly.
As such, I spent a little more time being conscious of coffee than before, and I became more interested in how to brew good coffee. There are really many different ways to brew coffee, but when I asked a friend who works at a specialty coffee shop for tips, he told me the following. First, pour in plenty of hot water that has cooled slightly from the boiling state to spread the water over the entire bean, and let the bean steep for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Discard any hot water that falls to the bottom at that time. After steeping, drip slowly. For café au lait, pour hot water a little at a time in alternating inner and outer whirlpools. The amount of hot water, the interval between whirlpools, and the time should be as even as possible. I practice just for fun, but somehow the taste is a little different every time, even though I think I brewed it the same way. I don't think I can ever become a master, but whether it works or not, I always have time to savor it with my heart and soul, wondering how it tastes today...? I can never be a master, but whether it works or not, the time I spend tasting it with my heart and soul is a luxury.
I digress, but the addition of this little favorite to my daily life has deepened my holiday happiness a bit. How about these recommended linen coffee filters for everyday use or as a small gift for coffee lovers?
Okai Mafu Shoten's Linen Coffee Filter
https://www.shokunin.com/en/okai/coffee.html
Glocal Standard Products’s Tsubame Dripper
https://www.shokunin.com/en/glocal/dripper.html
Hario's V60 Ceramic Dripper
https://www.shokunin.com/en/hario/
Matsuyama Tokojo's Atatamenabe L
https://www.shokunin.com/en/matsuyama/
