Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee

If you love coffee, then you need to know what keeps the flavors at their peek.

For the freshest coffee, you should use your coffee beans within 45 days of roasting, and in half that time if they are already ground. It is for this reason, that you should not buy your coffee beans in bulk!

Coffee should be brewed in 4-5 minutes using 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of filtered water. Tap water alters the taste of the coffee, so use spring or filtered water.

Make sure the wet the paper filter first (if using a drip coffee machine) as this takes away that paper taste from the filter. Freshly grind your coffee beans using a medium setting, and do not leave the coffee sitting on the warming tray, make enough to consume right away, for the perfect cup of coffee.

If you are using one of those French Presses to make your coffee, then freshly grind your coffee beans using a course setting, remove the plunger, place your ground coffee at the bottom and add your boiled water. Do not pour absolute boiling water over the coffee, the temperature should be about 205 degrees, just under the boiled point. After 4-5 minutes press down the plunger to separate the grounds from the coffee. Making the perfect cup of coffee can take a few minutes, its not something you do while stuffing a donut in your mouth and putting on your coat at the same time! You should not be rushed.

Grab a chair, your newspaper, take a relaxing deep breath, and sip your coffee and enjoy!

By Diane Palmer

5 Tips on Choosing the Right Commercial Coffee Maker

The choice available today on commercial coffee makers is endless - Coffee urns, plumbed coffee makers, thermo serves, airpots to name a few.

Hence making a checklist of the features you require from your coffee maker becomes a important to do before you go shopping for it.

Is finding a cheap coffee maker your top priority or are you willing to spend premium dollars in exchange for a quality machine? Would you like to have as many variations of coffee flavors as possible or do you just personally prefer a plain brew?

Here is a list of the top 5 tips that you can use:

* Check out which brand of coffee maker manufacturer offers the best line of commercial coffee makers.

Remember that not all long-existing coffee maker brands have a great line of coffee makers for commercial use. To determine which brands are the best, read the online reviews of different brands.

You can gain valuable feedback from the experts who know exactly what to look for You can also read through the actual experience of online users who have bought and actually used a particular model.

* Decide which features are most important for you.

Some coffee makers are all-in-one machines which have grinders, water filters and brewers. There are also commercial coffee makers which are a virtual beverage maker - which can brew anything from a simple cup of black coffee to high-grade tea, to a rich cup of hot chocolate.

Before flipping out that credit card, make sure that you have an idea about the features which are most important to you so that you can get the best value for your money.

* How technologically advanced do you want your commercial coffee maker to be?

There are commercial coffee makers which have digital controls, LCD display screens, auto-off and Pause 'N Serve features. If you want a great coffee maker with nifty features, you may have to pay a premium price for it.

* Determine how many cups of coffee you need the coffee maker to brew at any given time.

This is especially important if you will be using the coffee maker in an office or restaurant.

* Make sure that the commercial coffee maker that you will purchase is easy to clean.

This is one area that most homeowners take for granted. No matter how feature-packed the commercial coffeemaker is, it will be a trouble to maintain if it is difficult to clean. You will actually dread using the commercial coffeemaker that you bought if there are an endless number of steps involved in cleaning the machine.

By Yogi Shinde

Nine Steps to a Clean Coffee Maker

Let's face it, we live in a dirty world. Dirt, dust, molds, bacteria...You name it, and it's out there. What's worse is that it's lurking in one of the most treasured, hallowed places on earth: Your Coffee Maker!

Test your coffee maker. Pour a clean pot of water into the reservoir and 'brew' it.

Now, taste the water. Does it taste like water? Or does it have a strange 'dirty' flavor to it?

Ok, so you know that your coffee maker is dirty. How do you clean it?

Here are nine quick, easy and inexpensive steps to clean your coffee maker with what you already have (most likely) on-hand.

What you'll need:

Vinegar (regular distilled/white vinegar is best, but I've even used cider vinegar)

Dish Soap

Water

Nine steps to a clean coffee maker:

Fill your coffee pot with 1 part vinegar and 3 parts cold water

Pour the mixture into your coffee maker's reservoir and 'brew' the mixture

When the brewing is finished, let your coffee maker cool for 10 minutes

For coffee makers that are exceptionally dirty (you know who you are), repeat steps 2 and 3

Discard the vinegar mixture

Now, 'brew' two full pots of clean water letting the coffee maker cool for 10 minutes between each brewing

Wash the coffee pot with dish soap

Wash the filter basket (the basket comes out of some coffee makers making it easier to clean)

Finally, clean the outside of the coffee maker.

There you have it: Nine Steps to a Clean Coffee Maker...and better tasting coffee.

Now, celebrate! Brew a pot of coffee.

By Jeffrey Dyer