*AD
The only thing worse than no coffee is badly brewed coffee! You are looking forward to the smooth taste, and then – bam! – it hits you. Bitter, too weak, too strong, or just plain nasty, it can ruin your day.
And it is especially frustrating when no matter what you do, it seems that you just can’t nail a perfect cup of coffee.
Here are five things to consider to ensure that you brew a perfect cup of coffee every time:
Use the Right Machine
One of the fastest ways to ensure you get a bad cup of coffee is to not use the right coffee machine. There are loads of options for coffee machines from pour over drippers to full on barista style espresso machines. You can also buy single dose coffee grinders for whole beans.
Your own personal preference will influence your choice, but make sure to purchase a machine of the best quality your budget allows.
Use Good Quality, Freshly Ground Coffee
Pre-ground coffee can mar the flavour of your brew, because it only takes around 2-3 minutes for the ground beans to begin to lose their flavour. Always grind your coffee immediately before you want to brew it.
Use a good quality coffee – the best coffee beans you can get for your budget Remember that the darker the bean, the courses the grind should be for the maximum flavour.
Use the Right Ratio of Coffee to Water
When you purchase your coffee maker, take a look at the manufacturer’s instructions. This will give you clear instructions on how much coffee to use and how much water to use for the perfect flavour.
If you like the coffee stronger or weaker than they suggest, tweak the amounts until you find the strength to suit your taste. It may take a few tries, but once you hit your perfect flavour, it will be worth it.
Adjust your Brewing Time
Again, the optimal brewing time will be listed in your instruction book when you purchase your coffee machine, but this is another thing that you can easily tweak to suit your own tastes.
A longer brewing time will result in a richer, more aromatic coffee that will have a more intense flavour, while a quicker brewing time will result in weaker coffee that won’t have so much of a tang to it.
Filter Your Water
If you have tried everything listed above and you still find your coffee doesn’t taste as good as you would expect, especially if it has a chemically under taste, then it’s definitely worth switching to filtered water.
Using a water filter means that all of the chemicals and minerals are removed from the water, giving it the clean, crisp taste of bottled water but without the expense and the damage caused to the environment that comes with using bottled water.
Coffee is pretty subjective, and one person’s idea of the perfect cup may well be the next person’s idea of an awful cup. That’s why, when you’re brewing your own coffee, experimentation is an important part of the process. It’s also pretty fun and a great excuse to drink loads of your favourite coffees as you work your way through the options!
Now, who’s making the coffee?
