Last year, Harris Coffee contacted me and organised a giveaway on this blog, along with sending us some coffee to sample for ourselves. I’ve not stopped drinking it since. Hand on heart, that’s the brand I buy when we shop for coffee now. Harris are very proud of the way they roast their beans in their Kingsgrove factory, tailoring blends to the discerning Australian palate. They also want to make sure readers have the tools and knowledge to improve their coffee making skills and make their drinking experience even more pleasurable. Take a look at this terrific list.

Step-by-Step Tips on making the perfect cup of coffee at home by Daniel Vergnano, Harris Master Roaster and Blender

• It all starts with the machine. Whether you are using a plunger, percolator, grinder or espresso machine, you need to understand what works best for what you have!
• From there, it’s all about the bean. The beans need to be fresh, and the grind has to be perfect for your machine. If you’re grinding, only put the amount of beans you plan to use at the top of the grinder, and don’t grind them until just before you’re about to extract the coffee – it’s best to use your coffee grinds within 10mins of grinding them to keep them fresh. If you are using a plunger or percolator, grind your beans coarsely. This is key – if your grind isn’t big enough, your coffee will be over-extracted and will be too bitter.
• Always use fresh coffee – rather than buy in bulk, buy in small quantities, as this drastically changes the taste.
• Heat up your cup, but keep your milk cold! The colder your milk, the longer you will have to get the spin required from a steamer (if using) to make those creamy, thick micro bubbles. To heat your cup, fill it with boiling water before making coffee to pre heat it.
• For a plunger, scoop your coffee into the plunger and heat your water separately. You should use around 15mL coffee for about 90mL water (you can adjust to your taste though).
• Pour water into your Harris Coffee gently, pressing slowly on top of the coffee grounds – make sure you only add as much water as you need based on volume of ground coffee. If any of the coffee grounds remain floating at the top of the water, it means they are still dry, so stir them with a spoon.
• For a percolator, add the water, and assemble the tube and chamber appropriately, using two tablespoons of Harris Coffee per cup. Then place your coffee onto your heat source and when it gets to boiling point, remove it or reduce the heat and let it brew for 3-4 minutes before pouring – the longer you leave it, the more bitter your coffee becomes. If you prefer it stronger, try adding an extra tablespoon of Harris Coffee instead. For a plunger, add the lid and let your coffee brew for 3-4 minutes – the plunger should be drawn all the way up while it brews.
• Lower the plunger and pour your Harris Coffee!
• It’s better to use full cream milk – light or skim doesn’t have enough protein, but the key is to make sure you don’t overheat it. The ideal temperature is around 60 degrees, anything over that will get a ‘burnt’ flavour.
• Keep your equipment clean! Wipe it down thoroughly between each use and wash it regularly.
• It’s best to store your coffee in an opaque, air-tight container in a dark, cool and dry place, like a pantry. Try and keep it away from moisture, especially wet spoons.
• Don’t refrigerate or freeze your beans because it will affect the coffee’s oils and absorb flavours from other foods.

I use a stovetop percolator – I don’t think I will ever give it up. It makes a rich and strong brew (Adam jokes you can ‘cut my coffee with a knife’). And guess what? You see this hamper? The one filled with Harris Coffee and all sorts of delicious goodies? Well, for one, it’s worth over $500. And I’m giving one away to a lucky reader. See below for the terms and conditions.

Giveaway terms and conditions

1) You must be an Australian resident.
2) To enter you can enter one of the 2 ways below, or both if you like (a maximum of 2 entries):
Leave a comment saying why you would like to win the Harris Coffee hamper.[1 entry]
Tweet the link to this post (button at bottom of post) and come back to leave the Tweeted link in a separate comment (so I can verify).[1 entry]
3) This competition will close at 5pm Friday 20th June 2014.
4) If contact cannot be made with the winner I reserve the right to draw another.
5) The winner will be determined by a random number generator.

Full T&Cs here.

Thank you – and enjoy!

Flickr image source: kanaka

Edited: this competition has now closed. Good luck!