Coffee is the right way to make it, that's how you like it the most. That being said, mastering a few fundamentals will help you hone your technique. From here, we encourage you to experience different steaks, origins, or methods of preparation. Here are our tips for making a classic cup of coffee.
How to Brew Coffee
Make sure your tools, from the grain grinder and filters to the coffee machines, are thoroughly cleaned after each use. Rinse with clear, hot water and dry with an absorbent towel. It is important to check if there is no reason left to collect and if there are no accumulations of coffee oil, which can make future coffee cups taste bitter and rancid.
Great coffee starts with great beans. The aroma and quality of your coffee are determined not only by your preferred brewing process but also by the type of coffee you select. Some of the flavor factors include:
- Country and region of origin;
- The bean variety: arabica, robusta, or a mixture;
- The type of roast;
- The texture of your grind.
Although there are a lot of options, remember that it is not good or bad, for example, you can choose a dark and aromatic roasted espresso coffee and have it all ground to be prepared in a drip system. Have fun trying and enjoying different combinations.
Buy coffee as soon as possible after it is roasted. Freshly roasted coffee is essential for a quality cup, so buy your coffee in small quantities. And please, never reuse coffee grounds to make coffee. Once prepared, the desired coffee flavors were extracted and only the bitter ones remain.
If you buy coffee from whole beans, always grind your beans as close as possible to the preparation time for maximum freshness. A burr or mill grinder is best because the coffee is ground to a constant size. A blade grinder is less preferable because some coffees will be ground finer than the rest. If you normally grind coffee at home with a grinder, try grinding it at the store with a grinder. You'll be surprised by the difference!
The size of the grind is extremely important for the taste of the coffee. If your coffee tastes bitter, it can be over-extracted or ground too fine. On the other hand, if your coffee tastes flat, it can be under-extracted, which means your grinding is too coarse. If you have ground coffee to order, tell the professionals where to buy the coffee exactly how you will prepare it. Will you use a French press? A flat or conical drip filter? A gold mesh filter? They will grind it especially for the method of preparation.
The water you use is very important for the quality of the coffee. Use filtered or bottled water if tap water is not good or has a strong odor or taste, such as chlorine. If you use tap water, let it run for a few seconds before filling your coffee pot, and make sure you use cold water. Avoid distilled or softened water.