Jason Winn, founder of Bonk Breaker, prides himself on his versatility and spontaneity – he will run, hike, bike, climb, or swim at a moment’s notice and he’ll happily sleep in a tent or on a couch. But tell him he has to drink bad coffee and it’s a no-go!
“Coffee-making is an art form at my house!” says Jason. Here, he shares his tips for making the perfect cup of joe.
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Founder & President Jason Winn and his coffee-making rituals then and now – he still likes the “pour-over” and makes a “fancy cappuccino” for his wife, Jess.
Coffee is a simple drink with an incredibly complex and diverse range of preparations, flavors, and varietals. A simple black coffee can contain upwards of 850 aromatic compounds, allowing it to taste acidic, fruity, floral, chocolaty, or nutty.
To get at these flavors, you need to extract the right amount of them from your ground coffee. We’ve all had acidic and weak under-extracted coffees, or bitter and tannic over-extracted brews – neither of these are a good way to start your day! There are dozens of ways to prepare a cup of coffee, but Jason prefers the ritual of the morning pour-over.
The Perfect Cup
To achieve the perfect cup of coffee, follow Jason’s instructions:
- Grind your coffee coarsely on a burr grinder (it should resemble kosher salt). You’ll be brewing at a 16:1 ratio, so for a 12 oz or 354 ml mug, you’ll need about 22g of coffee (about 3-4 tablespoons).
- Boil water in a kettle.
- Preheat the brew vessel (Jason is using this one in the photo) by placing your filter paper in the container and washing it with warm water (this also minimizes the taste of paper in your coffee).
- Pour your warming water from the vessel into your coffee mug to preheat that and save water (after this, pour it on your garden plants if you want to get extra eco bonus points!).
- At this point the water from the kettle has been off the boil for about 30 seconds, bringing it to the perfect coffee brewing temperature. Use the same amount of water as you did of beans, and pour it on the grounds to “bloom” the coffee, which means making sure all the grounds are wet and then leaving them for 30 seconds to let off gas. You can give the grounds a stir to help them saturate.
- After 30 seconds, add the rest of the water in three equal pours. You want the coffee to be mostly drained each time before you pour more water.
- If your coffee drains too fast, your beans have not been ground finely enough. If it takes too long for your coffee to drain, try a coarser grind. Your goal should be to have the whole cup made within three minutes (a bit longer for larger batches).
- Pour your coffee into your pre-warmed mug, sit back, read the news, and then get out there and get after it – caffeine is a great training aid!
Bonk Breaker bars taste great with coffee! Try our classic Bonk Breaker PB&J Energy Bar or try our Salted Caramel or Cookies & Cream Plant-Based Protein Bars.
Going out to train and don’t have time for coffee? Grab a pack of Bonk Breaker Energy Chews with CAFFEINE! That’s right – our Cola and Root Beer Energy Chews will give you the kick you need!
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