The perfect cup of coffee begins with having the correct equipment. But you also need to learn the art of brewing different types of coffees. Small things can make a big difference.
If the beans are not freshly roasted, you will not get the perfect taste. If you are using a cheap paper filter, your coffee will taste like paper. Another important factor is the temperature and quality of the water.
Keep reading to find out how to make better coffee at home.
1) Start with High-Quality Beans
Start by buying coffee beans that have been roasted within the past week or two. Do some research and learn how to choose great beans. It is important to use a high-quality bean to get the right taste, aroma, and experience.
2) Grind Your Beans Fresh
Don’t buy pre-ground coffee. You need to grind your beans just before brewing because grinding causes the small particles of coffee to lose flavour very quickly. In fact, 60% of a bean’s flavour is gone within 10 minutes of being ground. It is worth investing in a good quality grinder.
3) Store Your Beans Properly
Put your beans in an opaque, airtight container and put it away from any heat source. Don’t freeze or refrigerate your coffee! Keep the container at room temperature. You must keep it in the fridge, remove just what you need for a day or two. A freezer is even worse than a fridge! Beans can absorb scents from anything stored near them. If you enjoy the coffee to taste amazing, it’s important not to leave your beans near any strong-smelling food.
4) Choose Good Water and Proper Ratios
Filtered water is best because of the high amounts of chlorine often found in tap water. If you don’t want to buy bottled water, at least use filtered water when you brew your coffee.
You should start with 1 part coffee to 16 parts water. That’s about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water (an American cup is 8 fluid ounces). You’ll get better results if you experiment with the ratio of coffee to water that you like best. Remember, though, that it’s always easier to add more coffee or water than it is to take away. Making the perfect amount is harder than making too much.
5) Let Your Coffee Brew Properly
If you like drip-brewed coffee (like what most people use in a coffee maker), let the brew cycle finish before pouring yourself a cup. If you like espresso, use water that’s just under the boiling point to extract the best flavours from your beans.
Making great coffee at home can be as simple as doing things correctly from the start. If you use the right equipment and the right steps, your coffee should turn out well every time. So keep these tips in mind and experiment to find what you like best!
What’s the best coffee to grind at home?
You should use a coarse grind for any kind of drip-brewed coffee. However, if you’re brewing espresso, you should buy beans that have already been ground to an extra-coarse consistency.
Why are there little particles floating in my coffee?
Those are called “floaters.” They get in your coffee when you make it with too much water or grind the beans at the wrong consistency. Instead, you should use just enough water to wet all the ground coffee and then stop pouring.
How fresh should I buy my green beans?
You should buy your green beans within two weeks of when they were roasted. Before that, they will have lost too much flavour.
What’s the difference between brewing coffee and making a drip-coffee?
Brewing coffee involves soaking the ground beans in water for a long time to extract as much flavour as possible, while drip-brewed coffee uses gravity to let water drip through the grounds quickly. The first method usually makes stronger coffee.
It can sometimes seem difficult to try and make better coffee at home instead of buying it from your favourite shop, but once you start learning and investing in the right equipment, you’ll save a lot of money and enjoy your own coffee even more!