Tips for making coffee at home

 

 

Coffee is a drink that many people just can’t live without, but it can be quite expensive to go in a coffee shop every time you crave a caffeine hit. However, the economically better choice of making a brewed beverage at home often doesn’t taste quite as good as the brew your local cafe. You can change that, and save lots of cash, with these tips on making great coffee at home. 

Get the right coffee machine

The very first step in making the perfect cup of coffee is to make sure that you are using the correct equipment. There are many coffee maker recommendations out there.

Some are designed to make espresso, others make regular black coffee, and some to make the fancier lattes you can get from a coffee shop. Depending on your choice of drink, you will need to find the machine that best suits you. This is just the first step, though, because even if you like espresso and want to buy the best espresso machine, you will have to go through different reviews and brands until you find the one you want to buy. It is worth all that effort when you get that perfect cup of coffee you’ve been thinking of.

Brewing techniques

This is mainly needed if you plan on brewing your coffee manually without the use of a fancy machine. There are different brewing techniques that you can experiment with, based on the coffee beans you pick, the grind size, as well as the type of drink you want to end up having. For example, brewing French-style coffee, which can be prepared using a french press coffee maker, entails an entirely different technique than brewing Turkish or Arabic coffee. Here are three popular ways to brew your coffee at home, other than getting an espresso machine.

• Pour over and drip — This is the oldest and most commonly used method of making coffee if you do not want to spend a ton of money on a fancy machine but still want great-quality coffee. All you need is a funnel, coffee filters, and water to pour over your coffee grounds.
• Plunger/ Press — The plunger/ press technique is quite different because you immerse your coffee grounds in water, then use the pressure from the plunger to infuse the water with the coffee. It is quite a quick process, but you cannot use it if you do not have the necessary tools.
• Moka Pot — This is another cheap way of making coffee. A Moka pot has two compartments. One is filled with water, and the other is filled with coffee grounds. You then put the pot on the stove and wait for it to brew your coffee for you.

Picking the beans

Getting the right coffee bean is the key to a perfect cup of coffee. When picking which beans to get, it is important to find out when they were harvested and roasted. The fresher the beans, the tastier your coffee will be. There are many different beans to choose from; do not be afraid to experiment to find which taste appeals to you more. 

Grinding the beans

After getting the coffee beans of your choice, do not grind them straight away. Do not grind any coffee beans except when making a fresh batch of coffee. Grinding coffee beans are science because you have to find the perfect coarseness for the grounds. This brings us back to what type of coffee you want to end up with. The coarser the grounds are, the weaker the flavor of the coffee is. If you plan to grind your coffee beans at home, get a grinder that gives you uniform results so that you can ensure consistency when making your coffee.

Storage

Storing your coffee beans and grounds correctly will keep your coffee from tasting bad. You need to store your coffee beans in an airtight container away from any dampness or humidity. This is because when coffee grounds are exposed to air, their shelf life significantly decreases. You could still use them of course, but they will not give you great results. Do not expect to drink amazing coffee if you do not take the necessary measures to store your coffee beans and equipment.

Water usage

Even the water you use factors in how your coffee turns out. This is not just about the quality of water, although it is quite important; it is also about the temperature of the water you are using to brew coffee. It is well known that the hotter the water, the more it absorbs the coffee particles. When you use water that is not hot enough, your coffee will be weak and not as infused with the flavors you want.

Wash everything except the coffee beans

When making coffee, it is important to wash the coffee filter you plan on using before you start brewing your coffee. This will remove any kind of chemical residue on the filter paper that might have been there when it was made. It will also make it easier for the coffee to drip into the cup or carafe when you start the brewing process. You also need to make sure that the grinder you are using is well-cleaned and dried before brewing because you do not want your coffee beans to clump together or take the smell and subsequently the taste of other things you used the grinder to grind.

Using these seven detailed tips, you are sure to create the perfect cup of coffee in no time. Do not be afraid to experiment with different coffee types, ground coarseness and size as well as different brewing techniques until you find the way that works best for you.