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Blooming Beans: The Ins and Outs of The Coffee “Bloom”
The concept of “blooming” your coffee might be new for some. But for coffee nerds and connoisseurs, blooming your beans is crucial to the flavor and aroma of a good cup of joe. But what is coffee “bloom” and how do you do it? And what are the benefits of blooming your beans?
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What Is Coffee Bloom?
When you pour hot water onto coffee grounds, bubbles will pop to the surface, almost like the coffee is exhaling. This process of pouring hot water on coffee beans and releasing bubbles is called blooming.
You can see this in real time if you’re using a pour-over. The coffee grounds foam and swell, puffing and bubbling until they finally settle down—30 seconds to a minute or so. In a French press, you’ll see the grounds form a foamy raft on top of the hot water and float there, until you stir them back down.
Why Is Blooming Important?
When coffee is roasted, something else forms within the bean: carbon dioxide. The gas resides in the bean but leaches out over time, until the roasted coffee eventually goes stale. This degassing process happens naturally but can take a while for most of the CO2 to fully vacate the beans. Assuming your coffee is fresh—less than a week or two old—there’ll still be some CO2 left to come out when you brew it.
You might wonder, does the bloom phase really help? After all, you’re dousing beans with hot water throughout the brewing process anyways. So does the initial wetting phase before pouring the rest of the water really change things?
Here’s the difference:
Flavor: By allowing the carbon dioxide to escape, the coffee grounds are more evenly saturated, which leads to a more uniform extraction of flavors.
Aroma: The bloom releases aromatic compounds, enhancing the coffee’s bouquet and making the overall brewing experience more enjoyable.
Freshness: A good bloom indicates fresh coffee. Stale beans won’t produce much of a bloom because most of the carbon dioxide has already escaped.
How To Bloom Your Coffee
Measure: Start by measuring 30 grams of freshly roasted coffee beans, ideally from a quality coffee brand. A light-medium roast is ideal for pour-over and filter brewing.
Grind: Grinding coffee more than a few minutes in advance of your brewing process is a big issue for the coffee bloom, but more importantly, it accelerates the aging and staling of the coffee. After just minutes from grinding, you’ve allowed most of the gas to escape from within the coffee beans’ structure. This means you’ll see a loss in the coffee bloom (and more importantly, flavor quality).
If you’re making espresso, grind no earlier than one minute in advance to ensure freshness and highest levels of crema (bloom in this case).
If you’re using a pour-over cone, grind no earlier than three minutes in advance to ensure you get a lively coffee bloom and the highest quality of flavor.
If you’re using a French press, grind no earlier than five minutes in advance to get a good bloom.
Add Hot Water: Pour just enough hot water (approximately twice the weight of the coffee grounds) over the grounds to wet them completely. We recommend 205°F filtered water using a temperature-controlled kettle.
Wait: Allow the coffee to bloom for about 30–45 seconds. You’ll notice bubbles forming as the gas escapes.
Brew: After the bloom, continue with your preferred brewing method.
Mastering the art of the coffee bloom can significantly enhance your daily coffee ritual. It’s a simple step that can transform an ordinary cup into an extraordinary experience. So next time you brew, take a moment to appreciate the bloom and the fresh, vibrant flavors it brings to your coffee.
Hungry for more? From electric kettles and frothers to coffee makers and espresso machines from top brands like Breville, JURA and Nespresso, our Coffee & Tea Collection has everything you need for your morning cup o’ joe.
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