Cox. Image: Frank Farmer

Cups Fondren general manager Cody Cox will offer home-brewing coffee classes every Saturday in June at Cups’ flagship Fondren store. (Here are details on the September 2017 sessions.)

Topics to be covered include Chemex/iced Chemex on June 3; Aeropress and Freddo on June 10; auto-drip and French Press on June 17; and home espresso machines on June 24.

Each class will be about an hour and limited to six people. The cost per session is $25; sign up for one or for all four. Participants who attend all four classes get a special home brewing kit. Sign up in person at Cups in Fondren or email Cox at elegant.trainwreck@gmail.com.

We talked with Cox about the classes, what he hopes people learn and why he believes teaching the sessions is so important.

How did the classes come about?
This is something that I have been wanting to do for a while now and have just now had the time and flexibility to do it. Basicall, I wanted to demystify the home brewing methods outside of an electric coffee maker or one-cup pod machine, and showcase a bit of the science behind brewing coffee. Maybe get a tiny bit into proportions so that these skills can be transferable to many styles of coffee brewing. And to show off the fun behind something that seems so innocuous as caffeine intake.

Why did you pick these particular brewing methods to cover?
These are mostly all manual style brewing methods that offer a wide array of taste profiles of coffee. They are also the most affordable of the manual home brewing set ups. I hope to show off the versatility of each method while also allowing students the ability to find the brewing method which suits their taste palette and daily life.

Which is your favorite way to brew?
Of all these, the Chemex makes me very happy to work because of its aesthetic nature and functionality. Its a pretty piece of construction while allowing a pretty wide array of both brewing style and coffee palette.

I’d also like to add that I, in no way, look down on any brewing method that gets the job done. I have had countless cups of truck stop coffee and use my Mr. Coffee (that my staff bought me for Christmas a few years back) to make whole pots of coffee.

Is that the same brewing method that gives you the taste you prefer?
Honestly, I like having an arsenal at home for my coffee brewing. I never know what mood I will be in when I decide to have a cup. I may want to pull out a clean finish and showcase a coffee’s crispness but other times I want to have that silt, that oil, that makes the body of the cup seem substantial. I am not sure that I answered this question actually.

Are you hoping you help expand a person’s  horizons beyond a Kuerig or drip coffee maker?
Most definitely! Not only expand horizons but also make people feel more comfortable trying out new things in general. Most people seem a bit afraid of things that they don’t understand or know much about. There is no reason that someone can’t enjoy a perfect cup of coffee at home. They just need the info and the knowledge to gain the skills. I don’t want someone to limit themselves when they make coffee at home. I don’t want anyone to limit themselves to the entire coffee menu when they order at a cafe. And I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated by “fancy” coffee.

I like to equate it to someone walking into a party where they don’t really know anyone. Most people aren’t just going to walk up to a stranger and start talking to them. If someone introduces them around a bit and breaks down that initial wall, then everything seems easier and they will be more adventurous most times.
Do you foresee these being Cups regulars who attend or is this an opportunity to reach beyond your base?
I really have no idea what to expect. This is a new territory for Cups, as well as myself. I hope to see everyone from regular customers to current baristas, from barflies to teachers on summer break, and everything in between. This is for everyone.
Update: Cox will teach classes in September 2017 as well. Get details here.