Some people seem to be able to make coffee very well while others seem never able to do it right. Actually, it is easy to unlock the secrets of experts on brewing the perfect cup. Here are some of those secrets for you to try when you are working with a homemade coffee recipe.
Coffee beans gradually lose their flavor and aroma right after they have been roasted. This means that if you want gourmet coffee, fresh roasted beans are necessary. Either get your beans from a local roaster, or learn to roast and grind your own. Never buy in bulk because that means the beans will just be sitting in your cupboard, losing flavor. Purchase only what you can consume in a week.
Coffee beans need to be stored in an airtight container. If you have sealed ceramic storage crocks or glass canning jars, you can use these to store you coffee. Never keep your coffee beans or ground coffee in the refrigerator or freezer. Your stock should be kept at room temperature, especially if you have dark roasts. In addition, you should not store more than a week’s supply.
Every cup of coffee starts with the beans. So, if you want the best coffee, begin by getting the best beans. Find out which varieties you like, and make them an essential part of your own coffee recipe.
Chlorine is the kiss of death to a good cup of coffee. Do not use tap water because it can have a lot of chlorine. Neither should you use softened water because the chemicals used to soften it will affect the flavor of your coffee. Distilled water makes terrible coffee because the naturally occurring minerals in water help make coffee taste good.
It is both tempting and convenient to buy the readily available bargain filters in department stores. However, experts say poor filters mean inferior-tasting coffee. Invest in the good kind and you won’t be sorry.
The standard proportion of coffee to water for optimum strength is 2 3/4 tablespoons per eight ounces of water. Some people try to save on coffee by putting less and heating the mixture longer to extract more flavors from the ground beans. This doesn’t work. You will just end up with bitter-tasting coffee.
You need to keep the temperature of the water in your coffeemaker at 200 degrees Fahrenheit when it hits the ground coffee. If your water is too hot, your coffee will taste bitter. If it’s too cold, you won’t be able to draw out the distinct flavor of the beans. Keeping the coffee on a warming plate for an extended period will also give it a nasty taste.
Maintaining the cleanliness of your storage containers, grinders, and your coffeemaker is essential if you want to get gourmet coffee from your homemade coffee recipe. Make no mistake about it, oils and mineral residues will build up in your equipment, and give your coffee a bad taste. Once a month, run a solution made of one part vinegar to two parts coffee to dissolve any unwanted deposits. After that, run at least two cycles of water to rinse everything.
Your coffee beans should not have been roasted longer than a month before you use them. Your coffee should be brewed at slightly less than boiling point, and it should not be brewed longer than five minutes. These are basic numbers to keep in mind for good coffee.
These nine tips will guarantee that the gourmet quality of the coffee you get from your home made coffee recipe. The extra care you will have to take will be nothing compared to the satisfying aroma that will greet you from your kitchen every day.
The standard proportion of coffee to water for optimum strength is 2 3/4 tablespoons per eight ounces of water.