Among life’s simplest, yet most enduring pleasures is a cup of hot coffee. Sadly, not enough coffee drinkers have a great deal of knowledge about their favorite drink, and therefore many miss out on some of its best attributes. Review the tips and information in the article below regularly, and you will always be armed with interesting and useful facts about coffee that you can share with others.
Always perform a trial run with any new coffee maker. This means brewing water in it like you would a pot of coffee. This will remove any strange smells or debris that may have been sitting inside of it.
Do not freeze all of your coffee in one large container. This is a good way for your coffee to become spoiled easily. Every time you thaw out coffee, it will have some moisture in it. Refreezing it constantly will kill the quality. Use small storage bags to freeze it in batches.
Make certain that you understand how much water you need to make the right cup of coffee. If you don’t use enough water, your coffee will be far too strong. However, diluted coffee can be just as disappointing. Who wants watery, weak coffee? You should usually use two cups of water for each scoop of coffee grounds.
Good water is just as important as quality coffee when it comes to brewing a great cup. If the water you are using is not very tasty, you cannot expect to end up with a quality cup of Joes. The best coffee is made with spring water or tap water that has been run through a filter.
The most delicious coffee comes from beans that have recently been roasted. Check expiration and roasting dates when buying whole beans. It’s best to buy coffee beans from specialty stores or coffee shops instead of your grocery market.
If you grind your own coffee, be sure to only grind the amount you will be using that day. If you grind too much and just leave your coffee around, the elements will take the freshness and taste of it. Contrary to what many believe, storing coffee in the refrigerator does not leave it fresh.
If you are buying coffee from a drive-in window, always error on the side of caution to stay as protected as possible. Typically, when you are buying coffee in this form, it will be piping hot, as you will not want to burn your hands or other areas of your body.
If you are making a cup of iced coffee, it is a good idea to use some hot coffee to melt the sugar before you start. This will stop the grains of sugar from lingering at the bottom of the cup. Each sip will taste just as sweet as the last.
Many people use bacon soda to keep smells from permeating refrigerators, but used coffee grounds have the same effect. Coffee acts like a natural sponge, and it will absorb any odors it comes in contact with. This is why you should place a small dish of them in your refrigerator to keep odors at bay.
Don’t let your coffee stay on the burner for any longer than 20 minutes after you have made it. By letting it sit there; you will find your coffee to have a harsh taste. Furthermore, leaving it on the burner for too long can burn both the pot and the coffee.
If you want to brew your own espresso, you need to use beans that have been finely ground. You can also use this grind in your regular drip brewer if you like really strong coffee. A good grinder will allow you to control the consistency to suit your preferences.
Brew your coffee with charcoal filtered water. The easiest way to do this is to install a filter on your tap that uses charcoal. Some modern coffee makers feature a built-in filter. Another way to approach this is to look for bottled water that has already been filtered with charcoal.
Once coffee is done brewing, don’t leave it in the coffee maker. If you let the coffeepot sit, the coffee keeps cooking and the flavor is ruined. If you want to keep it hot, move it to an insulated container.
Using salt can remove an acidic flavor from coffee. Don’t use too much though. All you need is a little bit to get the desired effect. You may consider using sea salt for a more natural, balanced flavor that contains trace minerals.
Do not store coffee beans or ground coffee in glass jars or other transparent containers. Light, heat, and exposure to air can negatively affect the quality of the coffee. Place ground coffee beans in an airtight container that you cannot see through. Store the container in a cool area away from the stove.
Even if your coffee pot has a “pause and serves” type feature, avoid using it. Let the coffee brew completely before pouring yourself a cup. When you use this feature, the coffee pot needs to wait and let the water heat to the proper temperature before it can start dripping again.
Use filtered, cold water for brewing coffee. This helps reduce mineral build up and wear on your coffee maker. More importantly, filtered water makes a better cup of coffee. If you think about it, coffee is just flavored water, so the better the water is, the better the coffee will taste!
Coffee is something that an amazingly large percentage of the world’s population has loved for centuries. Unfortunately, a general lack of information about coffee can result in many drinkers losing out on a truly optimal coffee experience. Apply the guidance above, and you will never need to worry about falling into that category.