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Tips For Making The Best Coffee
May
There are so many ways to make the best coffee. They said this way, they said that way, but in this blog, we are going to go through making the best coffee.
Nothing can be better to start off your day on a good note than a fantastic cup of coffee. Asked to describe the best cup of coffee, one would usually describe it as having a wholesome taste and one that wakes up your senses. While there may not be a perfect method to brew coffee, here are some simple steps that you can follow to achieve something close to your perfect cup of coffee each time. Now, you can create a smoother and richer cup of joe.
Tip 1: Always Buy Fresh Beans
Coffee is definitely best when being used within days after roasting, which is why buying from a local roaster (or roasting your own) is the surest way to make sure you get the freshest beans. Bulk buying coffee can still work but beware the sun and oxygen, these are the worst for ruining the flavour of your coffee. The best coffee you can buy from supermarkets are coffees packaged in sturdy, vacuum packaged bags. Or you can order them to your door on a frequent basis, just like we do.
Tip 2: Keep Your Beans fresh
Coffee should always be stored in an airtight container, the best choices are canning jars, either glass or ceramic with rubber gasket seals. This makes sure oxygen can’t reach your coffee and start to ruin or ‘age’ it and take away the flavour. Although we have seen a lot of people do this, we always advise against it, please don’t refrigerate your coffee. Refrigerating your coffee means your beans will soak up moisture and other food odours, taking away their flavour. We like to recommend buying a 5-7 day supply of your favourite coffee bean flavour at a time and keep them at room temperature.
Tip 3: Choose Good Coffee (Obviously We Have The Best)
This is probably the most important part of creating your “near perfect” cup of coffee. Your choice of the coffee beans is critical because it determines the flavour of your brew. There are 2 categories of coffee beans – arabica and robusta. And, each category has its sub-families and strains that have their own distinctive flavour profiles. Ensure that you check out the source of the coffee beans and the roasting process used. Also, check the roasting date to ensure the freshness and richness of your brew.
Many coffee drinks can rival wine drinkers for snobbism. However, an amazing work of coffee flavours awaits anyone willing to move away from mass-marketed commercial brands. Speciality and locally roasted coffees that clearly state the country, region or estate of origin can provide a lifetime of different tasting experiences. The two main beans on the market are Arabica and Robusta beans. Arabica are more widely produced, this is for their wider range of flavours and the fact they are considered ‘better quality’ beans. The other alternative are Robusta beans, they are more noted for their higher caffeine content but harsher flavours. You can always find out a lot more about your coffee when you know where it was from and what elevation the coffee was grown at.
Making the best cup of coffee is easier than you think. By following these simple rules, you are sure to make a satisfying and delicious cup of coffee each and every time.
Tip 4: Grind Your Own Coffee
Fresh, good coffee starts to lose its quality and flavour immediately after grinding. This means the best way to drink your coffee is freshly ground (you can order beans or ground coffee from us). Coffee connoisseurs prefer to grind inexpensive burr mills but you can do this with affordable ‘Whirly Blade’ grinders e.g Bodum, De’Longhi. You can even grind your coffee with a pestle and mortor, but it may take a while. One thing to remember is scoop for scoop, a finer grind will produce a finer flavour.
Tip 5: Use Good Water
This may sound like a silly thing to suggest but using tap water with chlorine or off flavours will ruin your otherwise perfect coffee. A lot of coffee users will use bottled spring water or use carbon filters on their taps. If you use a water filter in your fridge, that will produce perfect water for your coffee. One thing to account for is softened or distilled water, these make bad coffee, the minerals in good water are essential to creating an amazing coffee.
Tip 6: Avoid Using Cheap Filters
Sometimes this can go without saying, bargain-priced paper coffee filters are often bleach dyed and therefore can affect the flavour of the coffee. According to experts, you should be looking for Oxygen-Bleached or Dioxin-Free paper filters (Filtropa, Melitta). You could also suggest in a long lived gold plated filter. Many believe these deliver the best flavour, or you could use your Cafe Cafetiera which can be used again and again, just press slowly and don’t forget your coffee to brew.
Tip 7: Don’t Skimp On The Coffee!
Easily what so many new coffee drinkers do. Using less coffee only loses flavour, use more and have an amazing cup of coffee every time! The standard measure for brewing coffee of proper strength is 2 level tablespoons per 6-ounce cup or about 2 3/4 tablespoons per 8-ounce up. Tricks like using less coffee and hotter water to extract more cups per round tend to make bitter brews.
Tip 8: Beware The Heat
This can be a common argument. We have this argument all the time, how long do you leave the water to cool before putting it on your coffee? Do you even have to leave it? Will hot water burn my coffee? Well, we are going to settle this.
Water that is too hot will extract components from the coffee that are bitter rather than pleasant. The proper ‘scientific’ brewing temperature is 200°F, or once you’ve boiled it, leave it for around 45 seconds to cool. Once brewed, your coffee won’t hold its flavour for long, reheating, boiling or prolonged holding on a warming platform will turn even the best coffee bitter and foul tasting.
While the flavour of your coffee depends on many factors, the temperature of the water you use lets you unlock the richness of the coffee beans. In fact, having the water at the perfect temperature is vital to making a great cup of coffee. If the water is too hot, then your coffee will leave behind a bitter aftertaste and you will not be able to extract the full flavour of the coffee beans if the water is too cool.
As per the National Coffee Association, the water should be between 90oC to 96oC in order to extract the best flavours from the coffee beans. This temperature range is just right to dissolve the coffee grounds and get a balanced distribution of the flavours.
Tip 9: Keep Your Equipment Clean
You need to clean your storage containers and grinders every few weeks. If you don’t your going to end up with an oily buildup which is going to stop your coffee from being the best it’s going to be. At least once a month, run a specialty coffee cleaner, or even use a strong vinegar solution through your coffeemaker to dissolve away any mineral deposit, then just rinse through before reuse.
Tip 10: Make Your Coffee Manually
Chances are that you have been using a coffee maker for a very long time because it is not time-consuming and is more convenient. However, when you’re looking for taste, pour-over coffee or French press offers the best type of flavours that you are really seeking from your coffee beans. And, if you don’t really have the time to prepare manually brewed coffee, then you could invest in a single-cup brewer which mimics the process of a pour-over coffee and gives you a superb cup of coffee every time.
Thats it, your ready to go!
