Making this black coffee is simple and only calls for practical tools. However, to get the best taste of kopi tubruk, you should not guess at the amount, as you may have a too strong or too weak one, and also inconsistent taste every time you make kopi tubruk at home.
To get the best ratio for kopi tubruk, use 1 tablespoon of coffee powder which is equivalent to 15 grams and a 140 ml cup. Although it's fine to use tablespoon measurements, it will be more accurate if you use a coffee scale.
Some people brew kopi tubruk using normal amounts of ground coffee, but are you aware that the size of the coffee grind may actually affect the taste of the kopi tubruk? If you use coffee grind that is too coarse, some of the coffee grounds can remain on the surface of the cup, making the drinking experience a bit uncomfortable at times. Meanwhile, finely ground coffee will easily settle to the bottom of the cup. Additionally, coarse coffee grind usually creates a more sour taste. So, different sizes of coffee grind may also affect the resulting taste.
Maybe you've heard before, excessively hot water can result in overly bitter coffee, while water that's too cold may struggle to extract all the flavors from the coffee. Therefore, an optimal and correct water temperature is needed. To brew black coffee in the kopi tubruk style, you can use hot water with a temperature of 92-96 degrees Celsius.
The process of pouring hot water into each person's coffee cup is also different some pouring hot water directly until the cup is full, others pouring it slowly with a circular motion, while some others pouring hot water from the side of the cup. Actually, all of these methods are fine, but try to produce minimal bubbles to maximize the coffee extraction process.
To enjoy this unique black coffee, you really need patience, as you need to wait for the coffee grounds to settle to the bottom of the cup. Some people would also tap the coffee cup on the table to speed up the process of settling the coffee grounds.
Therefore, to make the best-tasting black coffee in kopi tubruk style, focus on the coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, water temperature, pouring method, and the art of enjoying it. Additionally, to get the best taste, it is also highly recommended to use freshly ground coffee bean which makes the taste even better. Interested in trying your hand at making black kopi tubruk at home?