If you are a coffee lover and looking for ways to improve your coffee experience then definitely it should start by knowing how to brew a cup of quality coffee. Quality coffee does not rely simply on your home espresso machine or on your coffee maker. There are many other factors affecting if you want to make a cup of quality coffee. It is same even if you want to taste quality coffee in a restaurant or in a café. Then how to determine the quality of cup of coffee? What affects it?
The quality of your brew depends on few different factors. It starts with the quality of coffee beans you are using. Usually high grown Arabica beans are known as the best quality coffee beans. But there are other varieties too.
What to look for in quality coffee? Below are some of the factors that affect the quality of your coffee.
Quality of coffee beans
If you are a coffee lover then you should have experience with different tastes. Sometimes you will encounter blended coffees which are from different origins. Some local stores make such blends to lower the cost. You will find inexpensive coffee beans but you will lose the flavor too.
It is necessary to combine quality coffee beans for the best experience if you really want to enjoy your coffee moment! Luckily there are coffee guides and reviews to help you on choosing the quality beans. Read such recommendations to enhance your coffee tasting experience.
Brewing Skills
Making a quality cup of coffee is not a simple task. It is also not all about using quality coffee beans. Proper brewing is another fact that affects the quality of your cup of coffee. Even if you own an espresso machine or coffee maker you should improve your coffee making skills too. If you enjoy your cup of coffee from a restaurant then your experience totally depend on the brewer who prepares your cup.
Some of the things to master are quantity of coffee beans and temperature of water for a cup of coffee. Practice will make you a perfect coffee brewer!
Crema
Quality of crema helps you to judge the quality of coffee. If you are an espresso fan then you will get your coffee with a foamy layer which is known as crema. The look of crema and aroma of your cup of coffee should be divine. However with the appearance of crema you can judge the quality of your brew. It is a known fact that the foam on top of espresso disappears in around a minute. If your cup of coffee doesn’t have crema with bubbles then that is an indication of a coffee which has been sitting around for some time! At least it is not that fresh!
Bitterness
Bitterness is the taste that you want to avoid in your cup of coffee. But there are many facts that affect the bitterness. If the coffee beans are over roasted then your cup of coffee can be bitter. If the brewed coffee was in a warmer before serving that can affect the taste making it bitter. If you experience dull bitter taste in your cup of coffee then it is a sign of low quality coffee. However don’t confuse with the flavor of strong coffee!
Don’t worry. I didn’t want to scare you with quality coffee facts! You can easily find quality coffee when you know how to identify it. Start reading coffee guides and reviews including people experiences. Arm you with coffee knowledge. Start hunting local coffee shops until you spot few places to experience quality coffee. Or otherwise start brewing your cup of coffee at home until you master the brewing skills.
Happy coffee tasting!
