Having a satisfying cup of coffee first thing in the morning could set the tone for the entire day. However, getting your daily dose may be difficult if you rely on a barista who isn’t available when the coffee stores are closed. If that’s the case, you might want to try making a pot at home using the suggested tips and tricks in this article.
Table of Contents
1. Use Fresh Beans
Undoubtedly, coffee tastes the finest if consumed shortly after roasting. The best way to ensure you’re getting the freshest beans would be to purchase from a nearby roaster. You could also look for a coffee roasting guide and do it yourself at home. Buying coffee in large quantities from supermarkets might be risky.
Stores that don’t care about selling freshly brewed risk having their storage tubes covered with rancid coffee oils due to exposure to oxygen and harsh light. These elements destroy the taste of ground coffee.
2. Store the Beans Properly
Once coffee beans have been opened, they should be kept in a sealed jar. Rubber-gasket sealed glass jars for canning or porcelain crocks for storing food are both excellent options. Putting something in the fridge is a bad idea. Because of their porous nature, roasted beans quickly absorb liquids and take on the flavors of anything they are placed near.
Experts warn against freezing coffee, particularly the dark roasts, because it changes the flavor. If you can, only buy enough fresh beans for the next 5 to 7 days, and store them at room temperature.
3. Pick the Right Coffee Brand
Coffee snobbery is on par with wine snobbery. However, the reality is that there is a remarkable variety of flavors available to those who are willing to look beyond the ubiquitous big-name brands.
Gourmet coffees can offer a lifetime of flavor exploration, especially those that identify the country, area, or estate from which they were sourced. Arabic and Robusta coffee are the two most popular varieties.
Arabica coffee beans are the “superior bean” due to their greater availability, flavor variety, and higher quality production. Seek only authentic Arabica. Robusta, which is used in the cheaper alternatives and is known for its more robust caffeine levels but harsher flavors, could be present.
4. Grind Your Beans Where Possible
After being ground, coffee quickly loses its flavor. Freshly ground beans produce the finest drinks. While pricey burr mills are the preferred method of grinding for coffee purists, affordable electric “whirly blade” grinders can get the job done. So long as the crusher is rocked back and forth to achieve a good, consistent particle size. The flavor is increased with fresh grinding, which you can do at home.
5. Use the Right Coffee Ratios
If you want consistently delicious coffee, one trick is to always brew with the same ratio of coffee to water. Measuring using a digital scale takes only a second, and you can get more consistent results when comparing coffee and water usage.
One part coffee to twenty parts water, or around 7.5 grams of coffee per 150 milliliters of water, produces a full cup of coffee.
6. Use the Correct Temperature
Most automatic coffee makers also omit the step of heating the water to the correct temperature. For optimal flavor, make drip coffee at a temperature of around 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Modern high-end models may provide a manual temperature knob, while earlier, less expensive brands typically do not.
7. Use Clean Water
Chlorine or other unpleasant tastes in tap water are the surest way to ruin a cup of coffee. True coffee aficionados replace tap water with bottled spring water or install activated carbon/charcoal filters. Remember that the minerals found in good water are essential to making decent coffee and that using softened or distilled water will provide horrible results.
8. Maintain Your Equipment Hygiene
Removing oil accumulation from grinders and storage boxes every week is essential. Remove mineral deposits from your coffee machine at least once per month by running a strong vinegar solution or a specific coffee-equipment cleaner. Make sure to give it a good scrub before using it again.
Conclusion
Trying out new brew recipes and brands is a significant part of the fun of making coffee. Our suggested tips and tricks should give you a tasteful cup next time you brew.