Coffee Making 101: Tips and Tricks to Make a Good Cup of Coffee

Coffee is everyone’s favorite beverage on those early mornings before dashing out to get to the meeting on time. It’s also one of the most loved beverages to have when the cold kicks in.

Apart from boosting your energy and concentration levels, coffee provides numerous benefits to your health, including helping with weight management, boosting your physical performance, and reducing the risk of certain diseases.

But the big question is, how is the perfect cup brewed? Well, different baristas have different coffee preparation methods, and the best one largely depends on the type of coffee you like. The final taste and flavor also depend on the preparation method and the kind of equipment used. If you’d rather be your own barista at home or office, then this article is for you.

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make a good cup of coffee.

Learn the Various Coffee-Making Methods

As earlier mentioned, the coffee you end up with will depend on the method you use. From using coffee bags to French-pressing, soft brewing, stovetop brewing, and steeping, there are various ways to brew coffee.

Based on a recent article on Coffee-Brewing-Methods.com, learning to make coffee at home is easy if you have information about the various methods, the needed coffee equipment, coffee beans, and everything in between. Especially if you have a favorite type of coffee, you can become your own barista and start brewing it from home in no time, thanks to online resources.

You can also add coconut oil to coffee to have a good flavor. Check the Convergent Coffee about Coconut Oil in Coffee for more information.

In a nutshell, some of the most common coffee-brewing methods include:

  • Drip/Pour-over
  • Vacuum
  • Press/Plunger
  • Percolation

Watch Water Quality and Quantity

There are various types of water in terms of taste and flavor. The most common options are fresh and hard water, which give different results when it comes to brewing coffee. It is important to brew coffee with the purest water for perfect results.

For perfect results, you’ll want to use the right quality and quantity of water. The amount of water you use will determine the concentration of coffee in a cup (if the water is a lot, the coffee will be lighter, but if the water is little, the coffee will be conc.).

Also, always ensure your coffee comes to boil for maximum flavor extraction. Avoid chlorine water by all means!

Use a Weighing Scale

This is where the difference between us and the barista comes in. Most of us are used to scooping coffee grounds from the tin, dipping it in the water, adding sugar, and milk, stirring and then sipping pleasure. Well, too much coffee can be overwhelming to the body.

A perfect cup requires the right coffee bean-water ratio so that it is not too concentrated nor too diluted. A weighing scale can help ensure just this. If you want to add frothy milk for a better flavor, you should also use a weighing scale to make sure the milk is not too much.

Choose the Right Coffee Bean Type

Coffee beans are either Arabica or Robusta. Each of the two has more different types, which come in either soluble or insoluble grains. The choice of your coffee grains will largely determine the end product after brewing.

For instance, soluble coffee tends to be better and more expensive compared to the one with insoluble grains. If you have queries on what is best for you, you can ask your local barista on how they choose coffee beans or consider locally roasted coffee that suits your taste.

Use Fresh Beans

Coffee is best brewed some days after roasting. For maximum accuracy, you can grind your own coffee beans. Avoid buying ground coffee from the supermarkets as you do not know for how long the coffee has been on the shelf. It’s also wise to store all your coffee in an air-tight container to prevent it from sucking moisture. It is also not advisable to store your coffee in the refrigerator.

Clean Coffee Equipment

You will never go wrong with a clean coffee maker. Coffee brewed in a clean coffee maker produces a quality beverage. Brewing in a coffee maker with residue will lower the quality of coffee made. Additionally, it can be unhygienic since the residue may end up collecting germs with time.

Regulate the Heat

Coffee brewed in extremely hot temperatures often turns out bitter and unpleasant. If you want the beverage in its best flavor, set a suitable temperature like 200°F.

Making your favorite cup of cappuccino is as easy as the above tips. It’s more economic, convenient, and time-saving. Let the barista at your favorite local joint notice your absence by learning to brew your own coffee. But if you have a meet-up with a long lost friend, it won’t hurt to have your coffee at your favorite joint.