Coffee Guide

There is good coffee and absolutely abysmal coffee. Both may start with the same elements, but one cup can taste completely different to another. Freshness is the key to great tasting coffee. Here is the play by play smackdown of how to create a fantastic tasting cup of coffee.

1.Use good beans. Go to a local coffee roaster and buy only enough coffee beans to last you a week. Buying fresh beans is one key to good taste. When you buy beans make sure the beans are all relatively the same size and same color for even grinding and flavor. If you buy beans from the supermarket at minimum, check to see if the beans are Arabica.

2.Use filtered water. Even if your coffee maker has a charcoal filter it is best to start off with filtered water to ensure there are no impurities like chlorine or minerals to alter the real taste. Use cold water.

3.For the best tasting coffee ensure you have a coffee maker which can brew up to 95 to 98 degrees Celsius, just off the boil. This temperature is the optimal temperature to get the best flavor out of the bean.

4.The grind. Only grind as much coffee as you are going to need for that moment. The finer you grind, the more flavor you will receive. The grind has to be even to ensure even taste. If you are using a cheap coffee maker you should only use a medium grind to avoid the over-extraction. However, grind to your equipment?s recommendations.

5.Use two level tablespoons of coffee per cup. If you are making more than 10-cups of coffee you should use the strength meter on its highest position possible to allow more water to penetrate the grounds evenly.

6.Use unbleached coffee filters or ensure your permanent filter is free from all coffee sludge. When it comes to coffee, cleanliness is next to Godliness.

7.Stir the pot. Once the coffee is brewed, stir the pot to infuse the taste.

At bare minimum, these steps should always be used when making coffee. Think about the farmer?s in the field, if you skip a step are you doing their hard work justice? On a selfish note, missing one of those steps will affect the taste of your coffee, even slightly. Other things to make a great cup of coffee are:

1.Always ensure your equipment is clean. Old coffee sludge can really change the taste of coffee. Polident can clean your equipment to almost new.

2.NEVER reuse coffee grinds.

3.NEVER grind beans just taken out of the freezer. Let them thaw first.

4.Always store coffee in air-tight containers away from direct sunlight.

5.NEVER leave the coffee on a heater for longer than ? an hour. It gets a burnt taste and smell.

6.Always warm your cup and never reheat coffee.

The best coffee starts with fresh beans, clean equipment and clean water. Adhering to at least those three guidelines will give you great tasting coffee. Everything else is just gravy.

Kate Simpson is a freelance writer who contributes for the Coffee Bean Queen – http://www.coffeebeanqueen.com/ ? a website offering information on everything from coffee to coffee making, capresso coffee and more.

I think the aroma of fresh coffee in the morning wakes up your senses and starts the day off with a feeling of vitality. With no coffee in the morning a lot of people have a hard time getting started. Coffee jump-starts my day.

I have used just about every type of coffeemaker there is. The percolators make a fine brew as do the programmable automatic ones. Whether you use glass or prefer stainless steel the finished product is only as good as the water you started with. Too much iron in the water tends to turn it green. Chlorine or fluoride will give the coffee an odd taste. Good water is essential. If you are lucky enough to have an artisan well I am jealous. I get coffee water from my neighbor, he has an artisan well with no iron.

I generally use a French Press coffeemaker but my favorite way to make the brew is with an egg.You are probably thinking, an egg? Yes, an egg. My great grandmother made egg coffee and it is a real treat. I make it for special occasions or when I want to share a cup with someone who has never heard of egg coffee.

To make egg coffee you need a clean pot and fresh cold water. I use an enamel one. Measure your coffee grounds into a cup and add a beaten egg. Stir the mixture into the cold water and put the pot over a low heat. Slowly heat to a boil, stirring often. When it comes to a boil, turn off the heat. Let sit for about two minutes then strain it into a cup.

That may sound like a lot of monkey business but I think it is well worth the effort. Coffee made like this over a campfire in the outdoors is delicious. At Christmas we add a little Irish Creme for flavor. Santa sure enjoys it.

I am such a cooking enthusiast that I made a website as a tribute to five generations of country cooks. You will find other cooking tips at http://www.pothaven.com

Making French press coffee is a way to enjoy an extremely robust and high quality cup of coffee. If you know how to use a French press pot you can make the best tasting coffee you have ever had.

To make French press coffee you will first need a French press pot. Many online sites have good selections of French press pots and will ship one right to your front door.

You will also need a good coffee grinder and a tea kettle to boil the water.

You want to grind the coffee beans slightly larger than you would for drip coffee. Too fine of a grind will produce a bitter cup of coffee. If your grind is too coarse, the coffee will taste weak.

Some people even prefer to roast their own beans when making French press coffee. For French press coffee, many connoisseurs prefer a dark roast when choosing their coffee beans.

Remove the plunger from the press pot and put 1 rounded tablespoon of coarse ground coffee per each 6oz. of water into the pot. You can adjust this to your own taste.

Coffee is 99% water so use clean filtered or bottled water free from chlorine and other minerals that affect the taste of coffee.

Boil the water and remove it from the heat for five minutes before you pour it. This will give you the 195 to 205 degree water that is ideal to brew with. Now pour the 195 to 205 degree water over the ground coffee.

Stir the coffee to get total saturation of the grounds then place the plunger on top of the pot and let the coffee steep for 3 to 4 minutes.

Depress the plunger slowly to push the grounds to the bottom of the pot.

Serve all the coffee in the pot after the 3 to 4 minutes of steeping. Otherwise the coffee will keep getting stronger.

The difference in taste between regular coffee and French press coffee is night and day.

Ever wonder why restaurant coffee tastes so good? It could be because many fine restaurants use a French press to make their coffee.

Making French press coffee may take a little more time but it is worth it. Many people swear by French press coffee and wouldn’t have it any other way.

If you are looking for an extremely robust and high quality cup of coffee and have the right equipment treat yourself and try making French press coffee.

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