Introduction to Costa Rica Tobosi Estate - How to Brew Costa Rican Coffee?

Tobosi Estate, Costa Rica

Tobosi was established in 2010 with a single focus: producing high-quality specialty coffee with the ambition of becoming a leading supplier in the specialty market. The company works under a system of openness and transparency, with complete traceability records for every lot, so that customers always receive the finest possible product. All of its services and processing follow environmentally responsible principles.

To reach that goal, two estates were planned: Tobosi and Copey. For Tobosi, the most suitable blocks were selected for cultivating coffee, and the estate is managed in line with a culture of environmental stewardship.

Every plot undergoes environmental testing and soil analysis to make sure the coffee trees develop properly and receive sufficient nutrition, and the harvest is carried out entirely by hand.

Brewing Parameters Recommended by FrontStreet Coffee

Pour-over: V60 dripper, small Fuji R440 grind setting 3.5, water temperature around 90°C

French Press: Recommended grind setting 4, water temperature 90°C

Siphon: Recommended grind setting 4, water temperature between 90°C-91°C

AeroPress: Recommended grind setting 3.5, water temperature 90°C

Getting the Most Out of a French Press

If you choose the French press method, a few details are worth knowing. The French press is a full-immersion brewer with a metal mesh filter. Because the water and grounds steep together directly, the resulting cup carries richer oils and a heavier, fuller body — but if you dislike sediment or fine particles in your cup, it may not be for you.

Since immersion brewing keeps grounds in contact with hot water for a long time, light roasts tend to come out more acidic, with their floral and delicate flavors masked. In theory the French press suits medium to dark roasts better, which express sweetness and caramelized flavors more fully.

Grind coarsely — FrontStreet Coffee suggests something like coarse sand or fine gravel (around EK43s setting 10.5, or step 26 on a hand grinder). Too fine a grind lets fines slip through the mesh and leaves a muddy layer of sediment at the bottom of your cup. A common ratio is 1:15 — 15g of coffee to 225g of water — which yields a strength of roughly 1.1~1.2%. If you don't have a thermometer, let boiled water sit for 2-3 minutes, to about 90°C; because a French press has no agitation during the steep, running 1-2°C warmer than a typical pour-over helps compensate. Steep for around 4 minutes (3 to 5 minutes is the usual range: shorter for light roasts to avoid underdevelopment, shorter still in effect for dark roasts to avoid bitterness), then press the plunger down slowly and pour carefully without disturbing the bed.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you enjoy fragrant, aromatic coffee in a French press, FrontStreet Coffee recommends Strawberry Candy, a Geisha blend built from Costa Rican honey-process coffee and washed Geisha from Panama, combining the finest flavor characteristics of Central American coffee. Steeped in a French press, it releases aromas of rose, citrus, grape, and dried blueberry, and with a splash of milk it takes on a strawberry-soft-candy sweetness.

If you prefer a low-acid black coffee with a full, oily body, go for FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling. One of Asia's most famous specialty coffees, it passes through three rounds of hand sorting plus one machine sort, leaving the beans even and bright. Roasted medium-dark, it shows big, bold flavors of spice, caramel, cedar, and dark chocolate, and the French press brings out its heavy body and rich crema-like oils.