I love everything about the morning; the routine, the smells, the breakfast waiting to be whipped up, coffee ready to be ground, and an entire day in front of you, adventures awaiting.  It is no secret that I LOVE coffee so naturally it takes center stage in my morning routine, stealing the show with its aroma and zombie curing qualities.  

When I partnered with Equator Coffees & Teas earlier this year I was given the opportunity to visit their roastery and learn the ins and outs of everything coffee.  The amazing Akaash (an award winning barista who can make a pour over that would blow your mind) taught me everything from where the beans come from, how they are farmed, harvested, roasted, and brewed.  I was even taken through a pretty in depth "tasting" where I got to try coffee from all over the world, beans produced using both the natural and washed methods, and really start to develop a feel for my own palate and the flavors I enjoy in my morning brew. This is where the "dreams do come true" sentiment became reality when I got to create my very own blend, a blend that is now sold online here and will also be available at Equator Coffees new Larkspur location when it opens this Spring! 

I was like a kid at disneyland, loving every deliciously caffeinated minute of my coffee training. Among a million other things, Akaash taught me how to make the perfect pour over and it has been a game changer in my mourning routine.  Sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep at night because I am SO excited about my morning (yes the 5 year old inside me is still very much alive).

I couldn't keep all of this goodness and giddy excitement to myself so I wanted to share my recipe for the perfect morning, starting with the perfect Tayler Wiles Blend pour over! :)  

The Perfect Pour Over

  • Equipment
    • Grinder: I use the Hario hand grinder which is great to travel with and has the ability to adjust the grind based on brewing method.  This is SO important, if your grind is too fine or too coarse for your brewing method the extraction won't be right and the coffee will taste weak or bitter.  If you are buying a mechanical grinder make sure it has different grind settings (fine, medium, coarse, etc).
    • V60 Cone.  Or pour over cone of your choice!
    • V60 Cone filters
    • Bonavita kettle.  This kettle is amazing.  To make the perfect brew you need to control the water temperature and also have a kettle with a spout which allows you to pour evenly.  This one ticks both boxes like a champ!
    • Hario Range Server (decanter): this is just fancy pants stuff, you can use your mug or a coffee cup, but this looks pretty!
    • Hario V60 drip scale.  You can use any food scale, this is very important because the the amount of coffee as well as water used is key to making the perfect morning cup!
    • Equator Coffee & Tea Tayler Wiles Blend! :) 
    • You can find all of the equipment you need at any of the Equator Coffee & Tea locations in the Bay Area, or on their online shop here!
  • Method
    1. Fill the kettle and heat to 200 degrees F.
    2. Grind your beans, for a pour over your grind should be medium. For my tiny cyclist arms this also doubles as an arm workout ;) 
    3. Put your paper filter in the V60 cone and rinse it with a small stream of warm water making sure the entire filter is wetted. This removes paper taste and warms the V60.
    4. Place the V60 cone & filter on top of the Hario decanter (or your mug:) and place both on top of the scale.
    5. Zero out the scale.
    6. Pour ground coffee into the filter.  Ok here is the math...for every gram of coffee grounds you use, you will use 15 grams of water.  To fill a standard coffee cup it would be about 24 grams of grounds and 360 grams of water.  I like to fill up a big travel mug so my morning brew is about 40 grams of grounds and 600 grams of water.  However, the ideal amount for the very best result in flavor is 23-25 grams of grounds.
    7. Once you have your coffee weighed and noted, zero the scale again.
    8. Here's my favorite step.  When the water reaches 200 degrees start the brewing process by hitting start on the timer on your scale and start pouring slowly, but only add enough water to equal double the weight of your grounds (for example if you started with 24 grams, you add 48 grams of water to start) this is how you form the "bloom." This is the coffees first reaction to the water, when the aroma smacks you in the face and causes an instant smile :)
    9. After 30 seconds start pouring again.  Just pour little bits of water in a circular motion until you reach your target water weight (for example if you started with 24 grams of coffee, you will end when you've added 360 grams of water).  The process should only take about 2.5 - 3 minutes :) 
    10. Remove the dripper cone, pour that delicious coffee into your mug and ENJOY! 

My perfect morning doesn't end there, because breakfast is the supporting act to my coffee and my muesli recipe is the best compliment to delicious coffee.  This recipe was developed with inspiration from the breakfast bowls served at La Fabrica here in Girona Spain! :)  

Tayler's Morning Muesli :)

Ingredients (this yields about 4 or 5 servings)

  • 1 1/2 cup oats (oat flakes work best, you can always buy regular oaks and pulse them in a blender to break them up a bit! :)
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/4-1/2 cup chia seeds (I like a lot of chia so I usually do 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 cup raw pepitas
  • 1/4 cup flax seeds
  • 1/4 cup raisins 

Daily Prep Ingredients 

  • +/-1/2 cup coconut milk (almond milk works too, or regular milk if you perfer) 
  • 1 tsp - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it.
  • Chopped fruit of your choice.  My favorites are chopped mango, strawberries, and banana.

Instructions

  1. Heat coconut milk on stove till its warm but not boiling.
  2. Place 3/4 cup to 1 cup of muesli into a bowl.
  3. Once coconut milk is warm pour it slowly over the muesli.  Only add enough to cover it at first, then let it sit for 5 minutes to let the oats and chia soak up the milk.  Pour a little bit more if you'd like, I like it to be pretty coconutty ;)
  4. Top with honey and your fresh cut fruit and enjoy with a Tayler Wiles Blend pour over! :) 

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