Great mornings, as they say, often start with a good cup of coffee. Nothing beats a warm cup of freshly brewed coffee to help you start up your day. But for some people, getting the perfect homemade brew is not an easy task to do with consistency. Even with using expensive brands of ground coffee and sophisticated home coffee brewers, people still struggle to get just the right blend.
On a lighter note, you can brew a good cup of coffee without having the need to undergo professional barista training. As a matter of fact, the way to a gourmet-style brewed coffee involves just a few tricks that are pretty simple and easy to follow. Here are five simple ways that you can try to brew better coffee at home.
The best cups of coffee are made from the best coffee beans.
Whole coffee beans and ground coffee that we find in supermarkets are definitely not ideal for a perfect home brewing. Imagine the long journey they had from the farms where they were produced to roasting and grinding facilities, and finally to the shelves of the groceries. The freshness is severely compromised and that is what we are trying to avoid.
As much as possible, you should purchase whole coffee beans from trusted local roasters. With that, you can assure that you are not getting stale ground coffee made from under-ripe and over-roasted coffee beans. Purchase small quantities at a time and always remember to consume roasted coffee no more than three weeks since the date of roasting.
Grind your coffee beans at home.
Coffee starts to lose its flavor and aroma after around 30 minutes since it was ground. It is therefore advised to get your own coffee grinder at home. What we are looking for are medium-coarse grains similar to the size of rock salt crystals. This degree of grinding is just right for a sweet and flavorful cup. Anything finer will make our coffee taste burnt and bitter, and anything finer will yield a weak and sour cup of coffee.
Brew at the optimal temperature.
The ideal temperature range to extract full favors from ground coffee, without burning the essential oils, is between 195 and 210 degrees Fahrenheit. People often skip this important step and the result is a bland and ordinary tasting coffee. Most coffee makers can be set to brew within a temperature range. If you are using a stove-top kettle, sticking up a kitchen thermometer to monitor the temperature will do the trick.
Measurement is the key.
Whether you are brewing strong or light coffee, following a particular standard is something that you should always remember. For moderately strong coffee, 1 part ground coffee to 20 parts water is just right. A 1:15 ratio for strong coffee and 1:30 ratio for light coffee is also followed. Find the perfect balance for your taste between those values.
Choose the right coffee brewer.
The ideal coffee brewers are those that are able to reach and maintain the sweet-spot temperature. They should be easy to clean too! Traditional brewers should be able to brew small batches in two to three minutes while espresso machines should be able to complete a shot in 30 to 40 seconds.
