No. 8 Consent, our eco-pulped, sun dried Costa Rican from Alajuela, brews cleanest as a pour-over or drip, both at 60 grams per liter, the ratio on its own label. An AeroPress gets close to the same result in about half the time. All three recipes below use that same starting ratio and a medium roast that is forgiving of small timing mistakes.
Where it comes from
Alajuela is a coffee-growing province in Costa Rica's Central Valley, and this lot is grown between 1,300 and 1,445 meters from Caturra and Catuai plants. It is eco-pulped, a process used widely in Costa Rica that removes the fruit from around the bean using less water than a fully washed process, then sun dried. In the cup that tends to land close to a fully washed coffee, clean rather than fermented, which is part of why the sweetness on the label, apple, raisin and honey, comes through clearly.
Pour-over
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 20 g |
| Water | 330 ml (11 oz), 200 F (93 C) |
| Grind | Medium-fine |
| Bloom | 40 g water, 30 seconds |
| Total time | 2:30 to 3:00 |
Bloom with about twice the coffee's weight in water, wait 30 seconds, then pour the rest in slow circles. This is the method that separates the apple, raisin and honey notes most clearly, since the paper filter keeps the body light.
Drip machine
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 60 g per liter of water |
| Grind | Medium, like coarse sand |
| Water | Whatever the machine's fixed setting is |
| Filter | Paper, rinsed first if your machine allows it |
A drip machine holds temperature and pour speed steady on its own, which is convenient but takes away some of the control a manual pour-over gives you. Honey and apple lead in this version, with the raisin note a little more subtle than in a manual pour-over.
AeroPress
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 16 g |
| Water | 220 ml (7.5 oz), 195 F (91 C) |
| Grind | Medium-fine |
| Steep | 1:30, stir once at 30 seconds |
| Press | 30 seconds, gentle and steady |
The AeroPress is the fastest of the three and the easiest to get consistent, since the seal controls contact time for you. It leans a touch heavier in body than pour-over, honey a little more forward, which makes it a good weekday option when a full pour-over setup is more than you want to deal with.
Our pick
No. 8 Consent
Alajuela, Costa Rica · 1,300 to 1,445 m · Eco-pulped, sun dried · Caturra, Catuai · Medium roast
Clean and sweet, with nothing in it to push back against, which is why it works for someone who says they do not like black coffee.
Storing it between brews
Keep the bag sealed at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and the stove. A medium roast like this one holds its sweetness reasonably well once opened, so there is less urgency to finish it fast than with a lighter roast, but it is still best worked through within a few weeks rather than left half full for a month.
Adjusting strength without losing the sweetness
All three recipes above start at the same ratio because that is where the apple, raisin and honey notes are most balanced against each other. If you want a stronger cup, move up toward 65 grams per liter in any of the three methods before adjusting anything else, since this coffee has little bitterness to begin with and tolerates a stronger ratio better than most. Going past that starts to mute the individual notes into a single generic sweetness rather than making the cup taste stronger in a useful way.
What if you only have a French press
This guide covers three ways deliberately, since pour-over, drip and AeroPress are the methods that keep Consent's notes most distinct from each other. A French press works too, at the same 60 grams per liter and a 4 minute steep, it just rounds the apple, raisin and honey into a heavier, less separated cup, closer to how a French press treats most coffees. It is a fine everyday option, just not the method that shows this particular coffee at its most detailed.
For the same three methods applied to a different coffee, see our guide to brewing No. 9 Optimism, or read more about how we source and roast on our why page. Browse the full lineup to compare notes across all ten.
Start with pour-over, that is where the label notes show up most clearly.
Questions people ask
What is the best way to brew No. 8 Consent?
Drip or pour-over, both at 60 grams per liter, are the roaster's own suggestion and the clearest way to taste the apple, raisin and honey notes on the label. An AeroPress gets close to the same result in less time and with less equipment.
Do I need to change the recipe if I use a drip machine instead of pour-over?
Not much. The ratio stays at 60 grams per liter either way, the difference is that a machine holds a fixed temperature and pour speed, so you lose some control over the bloom that a manual pour-over gives you. The cup stays clean and sweet either way, just slightly less distinct between the three notes.
Can I make No. 8 Consent stronger without making it bitter?
Yes, within reason. Since it is described on the label as clean and sweet with nothing in it to push back against, you can go up to about 65 grams per liter before the extra strength starts to taste harsh rather than just fuller, since there is little bitterness in this coffee to begin with.
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Keep the ratio chart on your fridge
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