How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee
This is a guest post by Maria Rainier. Learn more about how you can guest post for Daily Shot Of Coffee.
Several years ago I moved to a small town and found myself in a bit of a predicament. Although there are two cafes in the town, I quickly discovered that they typically served up flavored coffees. Although I like a wide variety of beans, I absolutely cannot stand flavorings in my coffee. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with them, but that I’m just a bit of a purist. I like to savor a good bean, not cover up its flavor with artificial sweeteners.
So I bought a coffee pot and got to brewing. I thought to myself, how hard can it be, measure out the right amount, throw in some water, hit the switch and you’re good to go. Boy was I wrong. I think the first week’s worth of brew was even worse than what they’re schlepping down at the local gas station, blech! So here are a couple simple tips I’ve learned to make your home brewing experience a good one.
Keep it Fresh
I keep all my beans and grounds in the refrigerator. The biggest difference I notice is more in the strength of the brew, although the subtle overtones of more exotic beans tend to diminish with age as well. A cool cupboard area may work as well, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Get Your Grind Right
If you’re a coffee enthusiast there is no excuse not to buy your own grinder. They’re cheap, easy to use and clean up, and offer a great amount of control over the coffee brewing experience. The problem is, if you’re like me, you just rip open the box and get to grinding. In order to produce the perfect brew, you need to take into consideration how much grinding is needed. Generally, for faster brewing coffees like espresso you will want a finer grind, but for longer drip brewing you will want a courser grind. It’s always good to experiment a bit to find the perfect balance for the bean and your tastes.
Get the Proportion Right
Two heaping tablespoons per cup will make a full-bodied coffee. My main mistake in this area was expecting the proportion to the taste of the bean. Believe me that no amount of light roast is ever going to give the flavor of a dark roast. Know your beans and roast and keep the proportion right to avoid heart attack inducing levels of caffeine. I’ve also found that cheaper pre-ground coffees can be made suitably palatable simply by keeping the proportion right, which can be useful if you’re on a tight budget.
Use Cold Filtered Water
I’m not sure why this makes the coffee taste better, but it certainly works. In my area the tap water also tends to have too much chlorine in it, frankly I think it’s like drinking pool water. Well, maybe not that bad, but adding a filter onto my kitchen faucet has certainly helped.
Wash Your Machine and Pot Once in Awhile
I say once in awhile for a reason here. Your coffee pot will build up a patina that actually produces a better tasting cup o’ joe. I think of it like a charcoal grill, or a cast iron skillet. Some patina is good, but if you aren’t brewing everyday it will get nasty. I find that using regular dish detergent leaves an undesirable aftertaste, no matter how well I rinse the pot. So I like to use a mixture of ice cubes and salt instead. Just throw in around half a tray of ice cubes (Make sure not to do this with a hot glass pot!) and about a tablespoon of salt. Swish it around, and voila, a nice clean coffee pot without the aftertaste you get from dish detergents.
Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online degrees, and what it takes to succeed as a student taking online undergraduate degree programs remotely from home. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
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Everything I have read everywhere says do not put your coffee in the fridge between brews. It attracts moisture and off flavors from your fridge. I home roast my coffee and put sealed one way valve bags of coffee in the chest freezer but once I take a bag out, I leave it out! No in and out of refrigeration. Once I have taken it out of the freezer I store it in a porcelain bail type container with a rubber gasket, protects it from light, moisture, and off flavors.
That’s great advice! I know too many people that think it’s okay to keep their coffee in the fridge or freezer between uses. I was guilty of that at one time, but I can definitely taste the difference now.
Nothing like a pure cup of coffee! No sweetener needed!
I agree 100%
good to see you here Maria.
a long long time ago a semi pro boxer in town
told me to NEVER use soap or detergent in a coffee
pot. that salt and ice solution is pretty neat.
i’ve never tried it but will.
Interesting that a boxer told you that! That sounds like a great story.
I use the salt and ice solution myself, it works great except with some of the hard water stains.
Now that’s some great advice, I know having a well made coffee keep me going through the day, even though some people think us bears don’t like it, but I tell you we do and it’s very tasty
I’m glad to hear that bears like coffee too! I always had a feeling that you guys did.
I’ve never tried the ice and salt trick to clean a coffee pot before. I’ve always cleaned mine with lemon juice. I’ll try this way and see how it affects the taste.
I’d be worried about the lemon juice affecting the next pot of coffee. However, I might try your way because of some tough hard water stains that I’ve been dealing with.
I do keep my coffee in the freezer, take it out to get the beans and then put it right back. I feel this keeps it the freshest.
2Tbsp seems like a lot to me for a cup of Joe? I do 1 heaping Tbsp and use a large coffee mug. Much more than that and my hands will be shaking (:
I use ionized alkaline water that is really purified and it definitely makes a huge difference. Water and coffee beans are the base right?
Some really great points. I will try 2 heaping Tbsp in the morning.
Selina
I thought I would give a report on the 2 heaping Tbps for one cup of coffee.
That was stronger than I was use to but tasted fine. Certainly gave me more of a “buzz” than normal.
Selina
I am a fan of the vinegar and water mix to clean my coffee maker, and only put my beans in the freezer before use. Once they have been used I keep them out of the light in an airtight container. I have never heard of lemon juice as a cleaning method, I may have to give it a shot…
By used, I mean once the bag is opened!
Since I switched to decaf, the flavor is more important than ever, so I’m loving these tips. I usually just grind the whole can of beans at the store. But if I had my own grinder, I could grind as I go for fuller flavor I suppose. Will try the ice cube/salt trick too. Good stuff