Introduction to Costa Rica Santa Cruz Estate - How to Brew Costa Rica Pour-Over Coffee

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The Story of Santa Cruz Estate

The Zamora Picado family began their coffee business in the 1970s, when estate owner Mr. Egidio Zamora Navarro started growing coffee in the micro-region of Alto Canet, located in what is now Santa Cruz Estate in the Tarrazú region. Today, guided by the twin principles of meeting international consumer demand and creating market value, the second-generation operators—brothers Jacob, Esteban, and Felipe—focus intently on running their own processing plant, emphasizing micro-batch specialty coffee, refined processing procedures, and specialty coffee marketing.

The growing area sits in Tarrazú at extremely high altitudes reaching up to 1,975 meters—conditions that give the coffee its bright acidity and distinctive flavor. The average annual temperature ranges from 12°C to 24°C, with ample annual rainfall of 2,400 centimeters and relative humidity of 84%. During the dry season humidity drops significantly, providing excellent drying conditions for green beans. Under the current owner's plan, Santa Cruz Estate and its mill produce only about 200 quintals (roughly 20,000 kilograms) of green beans a year, with Caturra and Catuai as the main varieties.

Brewing Parameters

FrontStreet Coffee suggests the following brewing parameters:

• Pour-over: V60 dripper, Fuji R440 grinder setting 3.5, water temperature around 90°C
• French Press: Recommended grinder setting 4, water temperature 90°C
• Siphon: Recommended grinder setting 4, water temperature 90°C-91°C
• AeroPress: Recommended grinder setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Since the French press is one of the recommended methods for this coffee, here's how to get the most from it. The French press is a full-immersion brewer with a metal mesh filter: because the water steeps directly with the grounds, the resulting coffee has richer oils and a thicker, fuller body. If you dislike sediment or fines in your cup, though, it may not be for you. Immersion extraction means long contact between grounds and hot water, so light roasts can come out overly acidic, muting their florals and delicate layers. In theory the French press suits medium or dark roasts best, expressing sweetness and caramel-type flavors more fully.

Grind coarsely—FrontStreet Coffee suggests a coarse granulated-sugar grind (about EK43s setting 10.5, or 26 on a hand grinder): like small gravel rather than fine sand. Too fine a grind lets fines slip through the metal mesh and leaves a lot of sediment in the cup; if you do grind finer for more layered flavor, shorten the steep to avoid over-extraction. Use a 1:15 ratio (15 g of coffee to 225 g of water) for a strength around 1.1–1.2%—full and rich; adjust from there to taste. Water at about 90°C works well: if you have no thermometer, let boiled water rest 2–3 minutes. Since the French press allows no agitation during the steep, raising the temperature 1–2°C above your usual pour-over temperature helps compensate for extraction. Steep for about 4 minutes (3 for dark roasts, 5 max for lighter ones), then press the plunger slowly to the bottom and pour carefully without disturbing the bed—and enjoy.

For a fragrant immersion brew, FrontStreet Coffee Strawberry Candy is a lovely choice: a Geisha blend combining Costa Rican honey-processed coffee with Panama washed Geisha, capturing Central America's finest flavors. Steeped in a French press, it gives off rose, citrus, grape, and dried blueberry aromas, and with milk it turns into strawberry-soft-candy sweetness. If you prefer a low-acid, full-oil black coffee, go with FrontStreet Coffee PWN Golden Mandheling SOE—one of Asia's most famous specialty coffees, triple hand-sorted plus once machine-sorted for uniform, translucent beans. Medium-dark roasted, the large beans carry rich spice, caramel, cedar, and dark chocolate aromas, and the French press cup is mellow and thick with a satisfying layer of oils.