If you have come into a Chattahoochee Coffee location you may have noticed that behind the bar looks like some kind of chemistry lab. There’s unique glass devices, crazy, expensive-looking equipment and scales.
Now scales may seem like an odd addition to the list, but in reality they are essential to every beverage we make. You may have also noticed how we weigh everything from drip coffee, to each espresso shot. The main reason we weigh is for consistency.
For example not every coffee has the same density, so if we relied on volume then each dose could differ. And likewise with water. We might be able to fill up to the same line every time, but we would have to wait until the coffee was finished brewing to see if we reached the appropriate level, and most likely we wouldn’t achieve accuracy every time. These factors are compounded when we are preparing espresso. The difference of 0.1 gram, yes that’s one tenth of a gram, can affect the taste dramatically. We weigh the amount of coffee we put in the espresso machine and we weigh the output. Meaning, we weigh the coffee as a solid, and then as a liquid. Not only does this allow for consistency it also creates accountability. Sometimes baristas need to remake a shot and weighing allows us to notice mistakes much more easily.
Weighing coffee also allows for us to be quicker, ultimately resulting in our customers receiving a better beverage in a more timely fashion.
Now all of this can seem over the top and unnecessary, but I guarantee that if you were to weigh your coffee and water at home you would drastically improve the coffee you make. Here’s a great scale (the one I personally use at home) to get you started in brewing a great cup in your own home. As always, if you have any questions feel free to come in a talk with any Chattahoochee Coffee barista. We would love to demonstrate why we weigh in person.