The Steps To ‘At Home’ Coffee Perfection

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in America. Sadly, most people skip brewing their own and instead race to the corner cafe for their fix. Brewing a perfect cup at home can be easy as long as certain steps are followed.

Always use clean equipment when brewing. Anything left if the machine will either go rancid or burn. This will give the new batch of coffee a bitter flavor.

Obtain the freshest beans you can. This usually means buying at a specialty store instead of the super market. Coffee is a perishable product, so the fresher it is, the better the flavor will be. You don't want beans that have been sitting around getting stale.

Purchase only enough beans to fit your lifestyle. If beans go stale in a store they will also go stake in the house. If you only drink one cup a day, don't stock up on beans. Even if you buy your favorite, it won't taste as good if it goes stale.

Use good, clean water. If your tap water is great as is, use that. If you wouldn't drink the water out of the tap use filtered water.

Fresh ground beans means better flavor. Always grind at home before brewing. A grinder at home is a small investment in fresh flavor.

Select the correct grind size for your apparatus. Coarse grind is best for cold water brewing in a percolator. Medium grind is the most useful. This is used for drip methods and French presses. Fine grind is used for vacuum and Neapolitan flip methods, popular in Europe. Extra fine is used for espresso machines.

Always make sure that the right amount of grounds are used. One six ounce cup needs 2 tablespoons of grounds. More grounds do not make a better cup and wastes beans. Less than 2 tablespoons makes the water work too hard to extract flavors leading to the leaching of bitter tannins from the beans.

Contrary to popular belief, putting beans in the fridge does not prolong their shelf life. The fridge exposes the beans to moisture that ruins flavor. They should be stored in a cool, dry, airtight container. If freezing is necessary, they should be used in 2-3 months.

It is important that the water used for brewing be very hot, but NOT boiling. For most people this is not an issue because they have automatic machines. This is important to keep in mind when using a French press.

After brewing, but before serving, make sure to stir. This helps distribute the particles that have settled on the bottom. It also mixes the oils into the drink. This makes for consistently good cups throughout.

Store any remaining coffee in a thermal carafe or thermos. This will keep it hot and fresh without scalding it on the hot plate of a machine.

Getting the perfect cup of coffee is easy if these steps are followed. It is cheaper and more satisfying to be able to brew your own at home.

Coffee is a huge industry worldwide and employs millions of workers. It is a living for many people, but for others it is a great way to start their day and get a kick start in the morning when they need it. Machines like the single serve coffee maker and the gourmet coffee maker abound. To find out all you need to know, please visit our free website.

April 27 2010 | coffee | No Comments »

Does It Take A Gourmet Coffee Maker To Make Great Coffee?

If you are a coffee lover then you have probably tried many different coffee roasts. But have you ever experimented with different coffee makers. Many people use the same old coffee maker without giving much though to other options available. The truth is that a quality cup of coffee is largely determine by the machine used to make it.

Many Makers To Choose From

The most ubiquitous coffee maker is certainly the standard drip coffee maker. This is a popular choice because it is affordable and easy to use. You simply fill the reservoir with water, add your filter and coffee grounds, then push the button and walk away. When you return you have a pot full of steaming hot coffee.

The standard drip coffee maker is easy to use and makes decent coffee but many coffee connoisseurs believe that you should never use a filter if you want a real quality cup of joe. The filter adulterates the flavor of the coffee and takes away from even high quality beans. Fortunately there are many gourmet coffee makers out there that don't rely on filters.

Perhaps the simplest design and most affordable option is the famous French Press. The French Press comes in a variety of sizes. Some only brew a single cup while others make a large pot of coffee. These little beauties make excellent dark coffee. You simply add your coffee grounds and hot water to the French Press and let it sit for a few minutes. Then you slowly push the plunger and the coffee grounds are forced to the bottom of the press leaving pure coffee at the top. Don't be fooled by the simple design or low price- the French Press is truly a gourmet coffee maker.

However, some coffee drinkers don't like the French Press because it tends to leave more sediment in the coffee than other methods. These coffee aficionados prefer the vacuum coffee maker. Through a vacuum process, the coffee is rendered free of nearly all sediment and there is no need for a coffee filter. Unfortunately, this is a more expensive gourmet coffee maker.

Many believe the espresso machine is the ultimate gourmet coffee maker. These machines work much like a traditional coffee maker except they don't require the use of a filter. This is accomplished by compressing the coffee grounds and then moving hot water through the grounds at high pressure. These machines have different pressure settings, which affect the final taste.

With a little knowledge about what makes a gourmet coffee maker more effective than the standard drip coffee machine, you are ready to make the perfect coffee. You can check locally or shop online for you next coffee maker and are sure to find a machine that fits your budget.

August 02 2009 | coffee | No Comments »