Brew a Perfect Cup of Coffee at Home
Brewing a great cup of coffee requires 4 things: the best coffee beans you can find; a grinder; a brewing device; and pure, cold water.
Here is a guide for creating a perfect cup of coffee right at home.
Many people buy their coffee from the grocery store.
Most selections are drinkable.
However, the issue with grocery store coffee -- even national brands -- is freshness.
Once roasted, any coffee's quality decreases with time, like fresh baked bread.
An incredible cup of coffee demands not only fresh, but high quality beans.
Coffee shops that roast, or roaster-only operations have the freshest coffee.
Find a local shop/roaster, or search online.
Coffee purchased from these retailers will consist of specialty Arabica beans that meet very high standards of both quality and growing conditions.
"Specialty" is an actual grade of coffee - the highest.
Beans that meet this standard have almost no noticeable defects.
The person roasting is an artisan, a member of the Roaster's Guild, which is part of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).
(The SCAA is a trade association that promotes excellence in the specialty coffee industry through education and training.
)To him or her each pound is precious and their survival relies on your satisfaction.
Roasting is done in small batches and the fresh coffee is shipped directly to your home.
Air, light, and nearby food odors are coffee's arch enemies, so use air-tight storage and whole beans will maintain freshness about 2-4 weeks; ground coffee about 2 weeks.
A little more about coffee.
Arabica coffee is grown in countries on or near the equator -- including the U.
S.
(Hawaii).
Central, South America and the Caribbean also produce coffee in this hemisphere.
African, Arabian, Asian, and Indonesian countries produce in the eastern hemisphere.
The coffee for you will depend on the flavor profile that suits your taste.
Do you prefer a bright, acidic Costa Rican with a quick finish, or a heavy yet smooth Sumatran that lingers on your tongue? Lighter roasts, or dark? Coffee from a specific country is called single origin; when coffees from different countries and with different flavor profiles are mixed they are called blends.
Thus, blends often have names that don't always reflect their origin, like Breakfast Blend, or Uncle Ben's Blend.
Unless your palette has traveled the coffee world there are likely many countries whose coffee you have yet to try.
Map out your coffee travels.
Perhaps start with the office favorite, Columbian, and then expand to a pleasant, fruity Ethiopian.
Experience the difference between a Guatemalan and a Nicaraguan.
Or a Kenyan and a Tanzanian.
For the best tasting cup of coffee it is best to buy whole beans and grind them just before brewing.
Coffee can be ground by whirling blades -- a blade grinder, or crushed by two sets of precisely milled metal teeth called burrs.
A burr grinder is considered superior to the blade style because it grinds more evenly.
If you want to brew coffee in a way that brings out all of its body, richness, and flavor use a French press.
Regardless of price, they all do the same thing the same way.
Operation is very simple: dump in your coarsely ground coffee, add hot water (the correct brewing temperature is 195-205 Fahrenheit), stir, and wait 4 minutes (enjoy the aroma while you wait).
Then press down the plunger and pour the coffee into your cup.
Let's say you don't want to mess with the press.
The traditional kitchen countertop, drip coffee maker is easier to clean and more practical when brewing for groups of people.
Choose a unit that has a thermal carafe instead of a glass pot with a hotplate.
Also, look for a removable brewing basket (easier to clean) and an auto-shutoff feature (for safety).
Filtered water is critical for great tasting coffee.
A cup of coffee is about 97% water.
Regardless of the brewing method always use filtered water -- not direct tap or distilled.
Tap water contains many chemicals, for example, chlorine, which taint coffee.
Condiments are limited only by your imagination.
Possibilities include sugar (white granulated or raw), dairy, non-dairy, soy milk, flavored syrup, cinnamon, cardamon, and the list goes on.
Or just drink it black.
Lastly, how long will that pound last? The standard brewing method is 1 tablespoon (approximately ¼ oz) of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water.
(You can adjust the ratio to your taste.
) Most mugs hold 12 ounces, requiring about ½ oz of ground coffee.
Assuming one mug per day, (30 mugs times ½ ounce) that's roughly one pound per month.
With the combination of great beans, equipment, and water, you can brew coffee that exceeds your expectations every time.
Remember, it's all about the coffee: seek the best.
Here is a guide for creating a perfect cup of coffee right at home.
Many people buy their coffee from the grocery store.
Most selections are drinkable.
However, the issue with grocery store coffee -- even national brands -- is freshness.
Once roasted, any coffee's quality decreases with time, like fresh baked bread.
An incredible cup of coffee demands not only fresh, but high quality beans.
Coffee shops that roast, or roaster-only operations have the freshest coffee.
Find a local shop/roaster, or search online.
Coffee purchased from these retailers will consist of specialty Arabica beans that meet very high standards of both quality and growing conditions.
"Specialty" is an actual grade of coffee - the highest.
Beans that meet this standard have almost no noticeable defects.
The person roasting is an artisan, a member of the Roaster's Guild, which is part of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).
(The SCAA is a trade association that promotes excellence in the specialty coffee industry through education and training.
)To him or her each pound is precious and their survival relies on your satisfaction.
Roasting is done in small batches and the fresh coffee is shipped directly to your home.
Air, light, and nearby food odors are coffee's arch enemies, so use air-tight storage and whole beans will maintain freshness about 2-4 weeks; ground coffee about 2 weeks.
A little more about coffee.
Arabica coffee is grown in countries on or near the equator -- including the U.
S.
(Hawaii).
Central, South America and the Caribbean also produce coffee in this hemisphere.
African, Arabian, Asian, and Indonesian countries produce in the eastern hemisphere.
The coffee for you will depend on the flavor profile that suits your taste.
Do you prefer a bright, acidic Costa Rican with a quick finish, or a heavy yet smooth Sumatran that lingers on your tongue? Lighter roasts, or dark? Coffee from a specific country is called single origin; when coffees from different countries and with different flavor profiles are mixed they are called blends.
Thus, blends often have names that don't always reflect their origin, like Breakfast Blend, or Uncle Ben's Blend.
Unless your palette has traveled the coffee world there are likely many countries whose coffee you have yet to try.
Map out your coffee travels.
Perhaps start with the office favorite, Columbian, and then expand to a pleasant, fruity Ethiopian.
Experience the difference between a Guatemalan and a Nicaraguan.
Or a Kenyan and a Tanzanian.
For the best tasting cup of coffee it is best to buy whole beans and grind them just before brewing.
Coffee can be ground by whirling blades -- a blade grinder, or crushed by two sets of precisely milled metal teeth called burrs.
A burr grinder is considered superior to the blade style because it grinds more evenly.
If you want to brew coffee in a way that brings out all of its body, richness, and flavor use a French press.
Regardless of price, they all do the same thing the same way.
Operation is very simple: dump in your coarsely ground coffee, add hot water (the correct brewing temperature is 195-205 Fahrenheit), stir, and wait 4 minutes (enjoy the aroma while you wait).
Then press down the plunger and pour the coffee into your cup.
Let's say you don't want to mess with the press.
The traditional kitchen countertop, drip coffee maker is easier to clean and more practical when brewing for groups of people.
Choose a unit that has a thermal carafe instead of a glass pot with a hotplate.
Also, look for a removable brewing basket (easier to clean) and an auto-shutoff feature (for safety).
Filtered water is critical for great tasting coffee.
A cup of coffee is about 97% water.
Regardless of the brewing method always use filtered water -- not direct tap or distilled.
Tap water contains many chemicals, for example, chlorine, which taint coffee.
Condiments are limited only by your imagination.
Possibilities include sugar (white granulated or raw), dairy, non-dairy, soy milk, flavored syrup, cinnamon, cardamon, and the list goes on.
Or just drink it black.
Lastly, how long will that pound last? The standard brewing method is 1 tablespoon (approximately ¼ oz) of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water.
(You can adjust the ratio to your taste.
) Most mugs hold 12 ounces, requiring about ½ oz of ground coffee.
Assuming one mug per day, (30 mugs times ½ ounce) that's roughly one pound per month.
With the combination of great beans, equipment, and water, you can brew coffee that exceeds your expectations every time.
Remember, it's all about the coffee: seek the best.
