5 Tips On How To Make A Better Cup Of Coffee

Tip 1: Start Your Brewing With A Fresh Filted-Cold-Water

Coffee is 98% water so it only make sense to use filtered water. If you use tap water, keep a gallon jug of it in the refrigerator. If there are any sediments or impurities, they will settle to the bottom of the colder water. The best temperature to brew coffee is between 195 and 205 degrees F. If you use an electric coffee pot, it should heat the water to the proper temperature. So, the better the water, the better the coffee.

Tip 2: Your Coffee Grinds

Avoid using pre-ground coffee if possible. The flavor oils evaporate quickly after the coffee is ground leaving the taste stale or weak. Think about how long that pre-ground coffee can or bag was sitting on the grocers shelf. Try using whole bean coffee and grind it using either a burr or blade grinder. A medium grind is usually the best grind. If you are using a blade grinder for brewed coffee, you should grind the beans for about 15 to 20 seconds. A burr grinder should have settings for each brew method.

Tip 3: Measuring Your Coffee

Let's do away with a popular myth that using more or less coffee will make your brew stronger or weaker. The intensity of your coffee starts with the beans itself, how they were grown, harvested and roasted. If you want a strong cup of coffee pick a bean that is strong and if you want a light cup, pick a bean that is light. As far measuring is concerned, typically you would use 2 level tablespoons of ground beans or 2 heaping tablespoon of whole beans for every 6 ounces of water.

Tip 4: Brewing Your Coffee

For electric drip coffee makers be sure to use the gold-tone coffee filters in place of the white paper filters. The paper filters leave an after taste and can absorb the coffee's oils. If you use the white paper filter, rinse it first in hot water to help remove the taste of the paper. Coffer taste the freshest and best if drank within the first 20 minutes of brewing.

Tip 5: Storing Your Coffee

A cool, dry place is the best way to store your coffee. Store your coffee in a sealed container or a jar with metal clamps. Many people think a refrigerator or freezer is a good place to store coffee, but they are too moist inside and can taint your coffee beans with the odors of food.

By Joseph Camerlin