There is no other experience like enjoying a great cup of coffee. It can really pep you up for the day. But not every cup of coffee is a great one. Keep reading for some great tips on buying, brewing and enjoying a delicious and aromatic cup of coffee.
If you want great coffee at home you have a couple choices. You can invest in either an espresso machine, or one of the new single serve coffee makers. The espresso machine will require a bit of a learning curve as you learn to properly brew espresso and steam milk, but can be a great way to impress your friends.
For a quick and affordable brew of espresso, try using a Moka stovetop coffee pot. Mokas generally produce one or two cups of coffee in the amount of time it takes to boil that amount of water. The coffee is brewed by pressurized steam rising through a funnel of coffee grinds and then rising again into the top chamber where it is ready to be poured into a cup.
Buy a coffee grinder, and buy whole bean coffee. There is no substitute for the taste of freshly ground beans. If you can’t afford a coffee grinder, you can still buy whole beans. Most supermarkets have grinders that you can use to grind your coffee purchase before you leave the store.
Buy smaller cans of coffee. If you buy coffee in a can, only buy what you will consume in a couple of weeks. It will cost more money than buying a large can and storing it for a while. What you save in money by buying a larger can, you end up sacrificing in taste.
When grinding your coffee at the store, use a medium grind if you plan to drip brewed coffee. A medium grind is similar to the consistency of granulated sugar. This grind is perfect for a drip brew that takes about 6 minutes. If it takes longer, use a coarser grind.
If you grind your own coffee, be sure to only grind the amount you will be using that day. If you grind too much and just leave your coffee around, the elements will take the freshness and taste of it. Contrary to what many believe, storing coffee in the refrigerator does not leave it fresh.
Do not use hot water to make your coffee. Many people think this is the best way to make their coffee hot; the truth is that the only thing this does is diminish its flavor. You should be using water that is not only cold, but charcoal filtered if possible.
If you are making a cup of iced coffee, it is a good idea to use some hot coffee to melt the sugar before you start. This will stop the grains of sugar from lingering at the bottom of the cup. Each sip will taste just as sweet as the last.
To get the strongest cup of coffee, only grind your beans immediately before you brew them. While grinding is fun and fills your kitchen with the enticing aroma of fresh coffee, it also immediately releases the flavor of your beans, limiting their shelf life. To get the freshest brew every time, invest in a coffee machine that both grinds and brews.
To get the ideal flavor from your coffee beans, the water needs to be just the right temperature. Boiling water is too hot and as a result will sap the more bitter oils from your beans. Alternately, water that is not hot enough will not brew all the flavor from your beans leaving you with a very bland coffee.
A big mistake that many people make when brewing coffee is not using the proper amount of coffee. The proper ratio of ground coffee to water is six ounces of water for every two tablespoons of coffee. Any less coffee and you will have a weak and unsatisfying brew that tastes more like water than coffee.
Get the best deals on your favorite coffee by finding and using coupons. When they are on sale, use the coupons to buy them at the best price. Many times, grocery stores will print out coupons for the items you purchase most often. This is a great way to save on your coffee budget.
Don’t pour hot coffee over ice to make iced coffee. The coffee will taste watered down. Instead, brew your coffee. Once it has cooled, put the coffee in ice cube trays and freeze. Once they are frozen, they are ideal for iced coffee, adding flavor as they melt.
If you are among the people who enjoy iced coffee, there is a way to keep your brew from becoming diluted. Make a pot, allow it to cool. Then, pour it into ice cube trays. Use the frozen coffee to ice your fresh coffee. You will avoid the weak flavor that sometimes accompanies the end of a cup of iced coffee.
Only store your coffee beans at room level temperatures. Coffee beans that get stored inside a cold appliance are going to attract and absorb both condensation and the aromas of nearby foods. The resulting flavor of the coffee is going to wind up reflecting this, and turn into substandard coffee.
You don’t have to go out for fancy coffee. You can easily make lattes and other drinks at home inexpensively. Research how to make your favorite coffee drinks online. You will be surprised at how many of them; you can make without the aid of fancy appliances. Likely, a simple coffee maker is all you’ll need.
Adapt your coffee to water ratio in function of the technique you are using to brew your coffee. A Technivorm or a vacuum pot will require you to use more coffee grounds than a French press or a drip machine. Drip machines are actually the cheapest way to make coffee but you will get a better flavor with other techniques.
As was stated in the introduction, there is nothing like a well-brewed cup of high quality coffee. But brewing or finding that great cup of coffee is much easier said than done. Use the advice that you learned from the article above to locate and brew awesome, delicious coffee.
