As busy wives and mothers, you know the value of a good cup of coffee. Actually, some of you may say that it’s priceless.
Although you can spend beaucoup-bucks for a pound of premium coffee, unless it’s fresh and you’re using proper techniques, you are just wasting your money. So, what are the secrets to satisfying your daily coffee craving?
The truth is, there are many methods for making a delicious cup of coffee — no single technique is right for everyone since everyone has their own preferences. Whether you take your coffee black or revel in a cappucino, there are a few guidelines to consider in order to brew a winner.
It Starts With The Equipment
For starters, is your equipment clean? Many people use their coffee maker day in and day out, just rinsing out the permanent filter after each pot is made. Instead, make sure that your equipment is thoroughly cleaned after each use by rinsing it with clear hot water, checking to see that no grounds have accumulated. Scrub all the parts with soapy water at least once a week.
Since coffee beans contain oils, every time you brew a pot of coffee, oil residue is left behind. If that residue remains, it will impart a bitter, rancid flavor to future brews, so you need to clean your equipment.
The French Press
We all love the convenience of an automatic drip coffee maker, you’ll get better results with a French press (or plunger pot). Plus, your coffee break should be indulgent, so get a little fancy.
The French press directly infuses ground coffee in just boiled water. Once brewed, the grounds are pressed to teh bottom of the carafe. Because the coffee’s oils are not filtered out, this method yields coffee nearly as full-bodied as espresso. And you get to control the water temperature and the brew time.
How Fresh Is Your Coffee?
In order to make a truly superb cup of coffee, you have to use fresh roasted coffee. Plan to buy your coffee every 1-2 weeks so it stays fresh. Make sure it comes in a heat-sealed, aluminium mylar bag with a one-way de-gassing valve (it sounds complicated, but most premium coffees are sold this way).
Unopened, these bags will keep your coffee beans fresh for up to 90 days (oxygen turns coffee stale). Once you dig in and open the bag, the clock starts ticking.
Either store your beans on the counter away from heat and light or put them in the freezer if you plan to keep them longer than 2 weeks. Be careful to never store your coffee beans in the fridge, where they’ll absorb other flavors.
Take The Freshness Test
If you want to know how fresh your beans are, you can scoop 1/2 cup into a zip-lock baggie, pressing out all the air. Leave the bag overnight. If the beans are within 7-10 days of roasting, they will make the bag puff up from the carbon dioxide released. If the bag remains flat, then the beans are not producing gas — a sign they are past their prime.
Get Into The Grind
To get the freshest coffee, you really need to ground your beans right before you brew vs. buying pre-ground coffee, since the flavor is deteriorated when pre-ground. Also, a mill grinder is more preferable than a blade grinder so that the coffee is ground to a consistent size.
If you normally grind your coffee at home with a blade grinder as most of us do, try having it ground at the store with a burr grinder for a change. You may be surprised at the difference.
Do not underestimate the importance of the size of the grind to the taste of your coffee.
Brew time also plays a role in the size of your grind. In general, the longer the brew time, the coarser the grind.
The Best Brew Ratio
So how much coffee should you use per cup of coffee? A general guideline is 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water, although everyone’s taste buds vary. Be sure to doublecheck the ‘cup lines’ on your equipment to see the actual measurements.
The Water Source
Keep in mind that 98% of your coffee is water. Luckily, Memphis has some great water, so water shouldn’t be an issue. However, if you find yourself with water that has chlorine or strong mineral flavors, your coffee will too. If you are using tap water, let it run a few seconds before filling your coffee pot and be sure to use cold water. Don’t use distilled or softened water.
Best Brewing Time
Another important factor which affects the taste of your coffee is the amount of time that the water is in contact with your coffee. In a drip system, the contact time should be approximately 5 minutes. If you are making your coffee using a French (plunger) press, the contact time should be 2-4 minutes. Espresso, as the name implies, means that the brew time is even shorter — only 20-30 seconds.
If the taste of your coffee is not optimal, it is possible that you are either over-extracting (the brew time is too long) or under-extracting (the brew time is too short) your coffee. Experiment with the contact time until you can make a cup of coffee that suits your tastes perfectly.
Once brewed, enjoy it immediately (and take some time to enjoy the aroma).
Coffee begins to lose its optimal taste moments after brewing, so only brew as much coffee that you can consume immediately. Also, don’t leave it on an electric burner for longer than 20 minutes because it will start to develop a burnt taste.
And if you want good tasting coffee, don’t reheat it.
Finally, this probably goes without saying, but you should never reuse your coffee grounds. Once brewed, the desirable coffee flavors have been extracted and only the bitter undesirable ones are left. So throw them away.
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