8 Flavorful Tips to Make a Great Coffee
Do you love coffee but can’t make it just as you want? Coffee is indeed a tricky drink. It has got a unique aroma and bitter taste which should be combined and accentuated so as to get the best coffee. Here are a few tips for you to make the best coffee.
1. Let the Coffee be Fresh
The shelf life of coffee is around 6 weeks. In a grocery store, you get coffee which is 3 to 12 months old on an average. All in all, when you buy coffee from your local store, you are drinking coffee that is equivalent to stale moldy bread. You can avoid this and can also enjoy the extensive array of the flavors of coffee by purchasing it only from a local independent roaster. Another surefire place to get the freshest coffee is Bristol Nicaragua. This is the first step towards a great coffee.
2. Let the Water be Filtered
The second most important step towards a great coffee is to check the water you are using. You should use filtered water or even bottled water, but NEVER use distilled or softened water.
3. Be Keen about Your Grind
The next step is to use a burr grinder. If a blade grinder is what you have, you have rare chances of getting your desired cup. In that case, you can get your coffee custom treated from your local roaster. A good local roaster can grind coffee for you as per your filter needs. If there is a burr grinder in your kitchen, here’s how you can proceed. Grind your coffee at #4 for “cone” shaped filters (gold or paper cone). Grind a bit coarser with a #6 grind for flat-bottomed filters. The grind is important for the extraction process and the resultant flavor. Here too you can rely upon artisan ground coffee by Bristol Nicaragua.
4. Use the Right Proportion
For making a great coffee, your proportion of coffee and water should be just right, i.e. 2 level tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 oz of water.
5. Pre-wet the Coffee Grounds
Many people don’t know this trick which is indeed fun. If you can fast heat up a small amount of water, add not more than an ounce of water to your grounds prior to brewing. This starts the extraction process and begins pulling the flavor to the upper layer of the grounds. When brewing begins, it will have a head-start on the extraction.
6. If Your Coffeemaker ain’t Hot, Buy Another
Your coffeemaker should be at a constant temperature of approximately 200° F to guarantee optimal extraction. If your coffee is colder, maybe it’s time to get a new coffeemaker. An additional tip is that a drip maker must take only 5 to 7 minutes to brew.
7. You Shouldn’t Wait!
If you want to enjoy the optimal flavor of your coffee, enjoy it right away. The coffee remains warm longer in a thermal carafe than in a glass pot. Regardless of how warm you keep your coffee, ensure that you finish it off within a half to one hour of brewing. Keep in mind that re-heating the coffee can never bring back the optimal flavor that comes just after brewing.
8. Regards to Drip Brewer
There is a custom of coffee aficionados to downplay the flavor of drip brewer and there are several reasons for that. But the fact is that, a drip coffeemaker can make the world’s best coffee with the right water, beans and grind. Whether you are a fan of a light roast coffee, a medium roasted coffee or a dark roast coffee, you only have to pay keen attention to details.
Use these tips and enjoy the coffee that you are waiting for, for long!