Morning coffee is a bliss of its own kind. You know your day is going to be a great one when you have a perfect blend of coffee. No matter what type of coffee you use or what is your method of preparing the drink, you can make your cup of Joe better by simply using these nine important rules.
- Use the freshest coffee beans
The first golden rule of preparing a good cup of coffee is by making sure you are using fresh coffee. Now, you could roast coffee on your own, or you could buy roasted coffee from a store, the only thing you need to ensure is that the beans are freshly roasted. If roasted coffee beans are exposed to air and light, it will lose its flavors.
There are two ways of getting fresh coffee, roast it by yourself and use it within a month of roasting it or buy it from the market. When buying roasted coffee, always buy coffee packed in high-quality vacuum-sealed packaging.
- Store the coffee properly
Coffee will lose its flavors or get bad in no time if you don’t know how to store it properly. An ideal way to store roasted coffee is storing it in a glass mason jar with rubber gasket seals. It will keep the moisture out and retain the flavors.
Another thing you need to ensure is that you should never store your coffee in a refrigerator. Coffee beans are porous and will absorb the moisture quickly, and on top of that, it will absorb food odors.
- Use filtered water
The next step is using filtered water. You could even use bottled water. But distilled and softened water should be avoided when making coffee. The water you are using needs to have natural minerals in it for coffee to taste good.
- Grind before brewing
The thing about coffee grounds is that it starts to lose flavors within half an hour of grinding it. Experts suggest that you should use up the coffee grounds right after you grind it.
Apart from that, the consistency of coffee grounds has a significant effect on the taste. If you grind it too fine, it will be too strong and it is too coarse, it will be weak. Medium grind is the way to go.
- Keep a check on the temperature
You need to make sure that you are brewing your coffee at the right temperature. The ideal temperature is 195-205 Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature while brewing. You could even pre-boil water in your coffee maker to ensure the right temperature.
However, make sure the temperature doesn’t go above 205 Fahrenheit as it will burn the coffee. Once you brew your coffee, make sure to consume it instantly or it will go bad and taste bitter if you let it sit outside or reheat it.
- Use good quality filters
The quality of filters that you use matters as well. It is no wonder that if you use cheap filters to filter your coffee, the result will not be what you expect. Buy good quality oxygen bleached paper filters.
- Use the right amount of coffee
An important step in making coffee is using the right amount of coffee. You need to use two tablespoons of coffee for 6 ounces of water.
To make a strong cup of coffee, use one part coffee to 14 ounces of water and for a weak cup of coffee, use one part of coffee with 30 ounces of water.
- Learn the art of decorating lattes
Decorating your coffee is easy once you get the hang of it. It involves pouring melted chocolate and milk patiently. You can simply look up for videos online and try them at home or you could go to your local cafes and ask the workers to teach you a trick or two.
- Clean your coffee making equipment
Keeping your coffee making equipment is as important as the rest of the steps. You need to clean your grinder, and coffee maker regularly to get rid of any buildup and oil. Cleaning them once a month is ideal.
