Preparing coffee is the process of transforming coffee beans into a drink. A reliable way to brew a quality coffee is to start with superior quality beans.
No matter how fancy your espresso machine is, there are a few techniques that can improve the quality of your brew.
In case you don’t know, coffee is not only refreshing but also a healthy choice.
Here are a few tips to improve the flavor of your drink.
1. Buy Fresh Coffee Beans
A cup of coffee is only as good as the beans used in making it.
If you buy ground coffee in bags, then you can never get a great tasting drink. Instead, start with fresh whole beans.
Most companies do not list the roasting dates, and there is a reason for that. What you find on a shelf in a grocery store may have been there for months. Coffee reaches its best flavor a few days after roasting. And it is best to consume it within one month of roasting.
To find fresh beans, go to a local brewing shop. Some are roasted on-site or in a local roaster baked in small batches, resulting in fresh beans.
2. Storing Coffee Beans
To keep the coffee fresh for a prolonged time, remember to store it properly. A standard mason jar is suitable for the majority of people, even though many people recommend using a vacuum-sealed container with a one-way valve.
If you have several glass bottles, it is good to transfer the beans to the glass bottle of the most appropriate size when brewing.
A quarter-size (946.35 mL) wide-bodied container is ideal for 12 ounces of coffee (340 grams). When handling the bag, you can shrink the pot to the pint (473.18 ml) and even use a 4-ounce (118.29 ml) jar to hold your weighed food.
3. Grinding Method and Time
Before brewing coffee, grind the beans for the greatest flavor.
Researchers agree that after 30 minutes coffee starts losing its taste and texture. In this case, it’s best to grind it right before brewing the pot.
The size and consistency of ground beans are also important. Grind too coarse and you’ll get a small cup of drink.
If you grind it again, you will over-extract the beans, which will result in a bitter taste. Most filter brewing machines need a medium to fine grinding.
You don’t want to spend more than $100 (around $80 and $130) on a high-quality automatic burr grinder.
Handheld grinders are the cheapest way to get a good, consistent grind, although they need little physical effort.
Disk blenders can also work but deliver inconsistent sizes of beans, which can result in over-extraction.
4. Proper Way of Measuring Coffee
Instead of measuring by volume, measure coffee by weight.
For making better drinks, aim to cut variables. For each brewing process, one method is to use the same amount of beans per unit of water. Measuring with a digital scale takes only one second.
It allows you to better compare the amount of coffee and water used each time.
One cup of espresso usually has a 1:20 ratio, but it varies widely, depending on one’s preference. It’s up to you to choose which one tastes best, and once all the guesswork is eliminated, it’s easier to do it.
5. Pre-filled Ground
Your coffee maker will most likely skip a critical step. You can check out BoatBasinCafe to find out the best brewing machines.
Most automatic brewing machines do not prepare the coffee grounds for adequate extraction. Unlike in an automatic dripper, manual pouring into the cone requires an initial injection or the so-called spraying.
In this way, drinks can be prepared by pouring hot water on the ground coffee to release the carbon dioxide gas left over during the roasting process.
Skip this step and reduce the brewing power, which will cause CO2 to repel water during the brewing process.
To pre-fill the coffee, place the filter in the container and add the coffee grounds. Then heat about 50 milliliters or a quarter of a cup of water to 200 degrees Fahrenheit using a kettle.
Pour hot water onto the bed, moistening the entire surface. Before starting the machine, let it rest for about 45 seconds.
6. Brew at the Right Temperature
The optimal brewing temperature can not be reached by many brewing machines.
Another step that many automatic brewing machines miss is achieving the optimal temperature. The temperature required for coffee brewing is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
Newer high-end models sometimes have manual temperature control, but older, cheaper models do not offer the same.
Turn it on without any leftovers in the tank to make sure the machine is hot enough, and use a thermometer to check the temperature. Try checking the temperature level during the brewing process, if necessary.
As it passes through the container and enters the cafetiere below, the water temperature will drop. If it never reaches above 195 degrees Fahrenheit, check if boiling water in a kettle helps.
But remember, you don’t want to go above 205 degrees because that will burn the beans. If that doesn’t work, you may want to consider upgrading your brewing machine.
7. Use Suitable Portions of Water
Another often overlooked aspect of coffee brewing is the quality of the water used. Using hard water full of minerals would not go well with the dissolved coffee particles.
As a result, you’ll have insufficient coffee extraction and weaker taste. Moreover, this higher mineral content can also cause a build-up in the coffee pot. It will need descaling the brewing machine more often.
But large amounts of filtered or distilled water can damage the equipment. Insufficient ions and minerals will force the water to leak minerals from the metal components.
It will also degrade the device’s performance over time. Additionally, distilled water has a larger binding space, which can lead to over-extraction.
Using distilled water and adding capsules to the third wave water, you can get the perfect water for brewing coffee. Still, it is enough for ordinary drinkers to filter the water.
Conclusion
Unless you’re starting with high-quality, freshly ground coffee beans, there’s no point in hoping to get a great cup of coffee. After selecting the beans, add the correct amount of clean and pure water according to your preferences. Here are some of the best methods of brewing coffee. We hope that these tips will help you make a great-tasting cup of coffee.
