Making A Great Cup Of Coffee

Thought and preparation goes into great coffee, but once you get it, it is really simple. Great tasting coffee does not happen by accident, but represents the culmination of preparation, cleanliness and meticulous brewing methods.

A really good cup comes from the main ingredient...and no, it's not the coffee. The starting point for great tasting coffee does not come from choosing the right blend of coffee or even the type of brewing equipment to be used. Good coffee comes from the quality of the water!

As coffee is more than 98% water is should come as no surprise that the quality of the water has a dramatic impact of the quality of the finished beverage. Freshly filtered water should be used when making coffee. Many domestic and commercial water filters and calcium treatment units are available and most do an excellent job in removing heavy elements, impurities and odors from water. Be sure to draw a little water from the system first, and pour it away. Use fresh clean cold water for starting off the process of brewing your favorite beverage.

The next thing to do is make sure you are buying a high quality bean. Avoid buying pre-ground coffee - it may be more convenient but it will start to oxidise the moment you open the packet and even if subsequently kept in an air-tight container much of the damage will have been done. The flavor of freshly roasted coffee can deteriorate remarkably fast and within a week or so much of the flavor will be lost.

Whole beans start to lose flavor once the beans are opened, but as long as you keep them in a cool dry place, out direct sunlight and not open to the atmosphere they will stay fresh for quite a while. For these reasons you should only grind as much coffee you need for the brew in question and not be tempted to grind more than what it going to be used immediately. Don't be tempted to store you coffee in the refrigerator as it may become tainted by the odors of other products.

The grind of the coffee is very important to the taste of the final coffee brew. Always follow the guidelines of the brewing equipment used and grind your coffee beans to their specification. Grind too large and the final beverage will be too weak, grind too fine and it may clog up the system. Keep your grinder clean. Grind a little coffee and then discard it, this should get rid of any old stale coffee within the grinder that you cannot see or reach after cleaning.

The average drip brewer will take about six minutes to brew. It is best to wait until the complete coffee jug has brewed before serving. Typically a drip filter machine will produce slightly weaker coffee at the start of its cycle as it comes up to temperature and slightly stronger towards the end. All good things come to those who wait!

Shopping for an Espresso Machine? Here's a selection at affordable prices:

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Tags: coffee, coffee beans, coffee brewing, coffee drinking, coffee making, drink, food, food and drink

March 25 2009 05:45 am | coffee

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