Brewing The Best Gourmet Coffee Page 2
Brewing Tips
Consult the manual that came with your coffee pot. Also, always keep your coffee maker
clean. Wash the carafe after each use and use commercially available coffee maker
cleaners or a solution of water and vinegar on a regular basis.
If you like the taste of strong coffee but can't handle the caffeine, mix it up with some
decaf (must be the same bean type as the regular stuff, otherwise it'll taste different).
Learn how to use the timer on your coffee pot and have fresh coffee waiting for you when
you wake up in the morning.
Make sure to close the bag of coffee grounds tightly after you measure out your grounds
because your coffee will go stale.
When pouring water into the coffee maker, consider using filtered water. The majority
of coffee is water so try to use the best water you can get. Chlorinated water or hard
water can and will affect the taste of your coffee and shorten the life of your coffee
maker. Buildup of hard water deposits in a coffee maker reduces the temperature of
the machine, detracting from the flavor.
Cheaper coffee brands often mix types of beans which usually does not yield consistent
taste. True coffee lovers often prefer Arabica beans so try to purchase a brand that only
uses those. The label will tell you if it's "all Arabica beans" or a "blend". Keep in mind that
not all Arabicas are high quality either.
How the beans were roasted is very important. French roast is pretty strong, Italian roast
even stronger. As a rule of thumb, the darker the bean the stronger the coffee.
Experiment! Try your coffee with some half-and-half, flavored creamer, fat-free creamer,
and different sweeteners. Many coffee drinkers enjoy adding sweetened condensed milk.
Coffee should be your personal thing and it's a good idea to learn how YOU like yours.
Splurge a little and buy yourself a bag or can of CoffeeAM or Arco coffee. These are two
very popular brands and most serious coffee lovers will adore the taste. You may also
choose other high quality gourmet brands like Gevalia or even Starbucks.
Too much caffeine can actually make you tired and mess with your metabolism. Try to
stay below three regular sized cups, less if you are sensitive to caffeine. (Consult your
doctor if you have questions or concerns about this. This suggestion was not researched
using scientific methods and is only a personal suggestion of one of the authors.)
Try organic coffee. Some coffee brands use a lot of chemicals during the growing and
roasting process which affects the taste and could possibly affect how your body reacts to
the beans. Organic coffee steers clear of the bad stuff. Not all chemicals are toxic or bad,
though, and the lack of standards in organic farming can prevent you from making an
educated, informed decision. Be sure to do your own careful and thorough research.
Starbucks coffee is a tad more bitter than many other coffees due to their roasting
method and the type of beans they use. So, if you or somebody you know only tried
Starbucks coffee so far and didn't like it consider trying another brand. One bad coffee
experience should not spoil your opinion about coffee forever.
If your coffee often ends up being more bitter than desired, sprinkle 2-3 pinches of salt on
top of the grounds. This practice helps remove the bitterness created during the brewing
process (especially if the coffee you use is of a lower quality). This is actually a practice
used in the US Navy (trivia tip).
Finely ground cinnamon sprinkled on the grounds prior to brewing can also reduce
bitterness of strongly brewed coffee. Be careful though: in drip coffee makers, more than
one tablespoon of the finely ground spice could cause the machine to back-up and
overflow the coffee maker's hopper.
Do not be afraid to buy espresso roast or espresso grinds for brewed coffee. Just use a
little less and tamp it down after filling the filter basket.
Try to avoid buying coffee from grocery stores as even higher end coffee may sit on the
shelf for months at a time and even air sealing will not prevent the flavor of the coffee
from deteriorating. Buy from coffee shops and local roasters where there is a little more
certainty about the age of the coffee.
Many electric coffee pots do not heat coffee to an adequate and consistent temperature.
Make sure to do some research before buying a coffee maker. Do not assume that the
most expensive coffee maker at the store is the best. Additionally, you can use a Chemex
manual drip pot and heat the water yourself.
Brewing Tips
Consult the manual that came with your coffee pot. Also, always keep your coffee maker
clean. Wash the carafe after each use and use commercially available coffee maker
cleaners or a solution of water and vinegar on a regular basis.
If you like the taste of strong coffee but can't handle the caffeine, mix it up with some
decaf (must be the same bean type as the regular stuff, otherwise it'll taste different).
Learn how to use the timer on your coffee pot and have fresh coffee waiting for you when
you wake up in the morning.
Make sure to close the bag of coffee grounds tightly after you measure out your grounds
because your coffee will go stale.
When pouring water into the coffee maker, consider using filtered water. The majority
of coffee is water so try to use the best water you can get. Chlorinated water or hard
water can and will affect the taste of your coffee and shorten the life of your coffee
maker. Buildup of hard water deposits in a coffee maker reduces the temperature of
the machine, detracting from the flavor.
Cheaper coffee brands often mix types of beans which usually does not yield consistent
taste. True coffee lovers often prefer Arabica beans so try to purchase a brand that only
uses those. The label will tell you if it's "all Arabica beans" or a "blend". Keep in mind that
not all Arabicas are high quality either.
How the beans were roasted is very important. French roast is pretty strong, Italian roast
even stronger. As a rule of thumb, the darker the bean the stronger the coffee.
Experiment! Try your coffee with some half-and-half, flavored creamer, fat-free creamer,
and different sweeteners. Many coffee drinkers enjoy adding sweetened condensed milk.
Coffee should be your personal thing and it's a good idea to learn how YOU like yours.
Splurge a little and buy yourself a bag or can of CoffeeAM or Arco coffee. These are two
very popular brands and most serious coffee lovers will adore the taste. You may also
choose other high quality gourmet brands like Gevalia or even Starbucks.
Too much caffeine can actually make you tired and mess with your metabolism. Try to
stay below three regular sized cups, less if you are sensitive to caffeine. (Consult your
doctor if you have questions or concerns about this. This suggestion was not researched
using scientific methods and is only a personal suggestion of one of the authors.)
Try organic coffee. Some coffee brands use a lot of chemicals during the growing and
roasting process which affects the taste and could possibly affect how your body reacts to
the beans. Organic coffee steers clear of the bad stuff. Not all chemicals are toxic or bad,
though, and the lack of standards in organic farming can prevent you from making an
educated, informed decision. Be sure to do your own careful and thorough research.
Starbucks coffee is a tad more bitter than many other coffees due to their roasting
method and the type of beans they use. So, if you or somebody you know only tried
Starbucks coffee so far and didn't like it consider trying another brand. One bad coffee
experience should not spoil your opinion about coffee forever.
If your coffee often ends up being more bitter than desired, sprinkle 2-3 pinches of salt on
top of the grounds. This practice helps remove the bitterness created during the brewing
process (especially if the coffee you use is of a lower quality). This is actually a practice
used in the US Navy (trivia tip).
Finely ground cinnamon sprinkled on the grounds prior to brewing can also reduce
bitterness of strongly brewed coffee. Be careful though: in drip coffee makers, more than
one tablespoon of the finely ground spice could cause the machine to back-up and
overflow the coffee maker's hopper.
Do not be afraid to buy espresso roast or espresso grinds for brewed coffee. Just use a
little less and tamp it down after filling the filter basket.
Try to avoid buying coffee from grocery stores as even higher end coffee may sit on the
shelf for months at a time and even air sealing will not prevent the flavor of the coffee
from deteriorating. Buy from coffee shops and local roasters where there is a little more
certainty about the age of the coffee.
Many electric coffee pots do not heat coffee to an adequate and consistent temperature.
Make sure to do some research before buying a coffee maker. Do not assume that the
most expensive coffee maker at the store is the best. Additionally, you can use a Chemex
manual drip pot and heat the water yourself.
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