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.

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April 27 2010 | coffee | No Comments »