Get The Right Water Temperature
Water temperature affects the way your coffee tastes. So, if you want to improve your brew, then always check your water temperature.
The hotter your water is, the more it quickly extracts the flavors from the coffee grounds. But once the water starts to cool, the flavors and smells also tend to change.
The ideal water temperature is somewhat 195205-degree Fahrenheit since the coffee grounds react to water at near-boiling temperature.
If youre using a drip coffee machine, check the manufacturers guide. This is why sometimes, its also better and preferable to brew your coffee on an auto-drip machine for the fact that they are built to obtain a great cup maintaining its proper temperature.
Step : Choose A Brewing Method
Not all brewing methods are created equal, so youll want to choose something that works best with your lifestyle . For an even, mild pot of coffee, an automatic drip coffeemaker is your best bet. Meanwhile, the French Press is a great, low-maintenance way to get yourself a bolder, darker brew. But if youre simply wanting a smooth cup for one, a nice pour over could do the trick. Whatever method you ultimately choose, just know youll have to adjust how course you grind your coffee.
Step : Invest In A Scale
To brew better coffee at home, Jazmin recommends using a scale. Before becoming a barista, Jazmin measured her coffee at home with a spoon. It doesnt taste the same, she said. She now understands the importance of accurately measuring your coffee. You need to know how much coffee youre going to use in order to make the perfect cup. Having a scale will help you achieve the right strength and balance for you.
At Brew Brew, baristas measure 180 grams of whole bean coffee per carafe. Each carafe makes 12 8 oz. cups. At home, for a 6-cup, automatic drip coffeemaker, Jazmin recommends measuring out 90 grams of whole bean coffee onto a small, inexpensive scale before grinding and brewing.
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Pay Attention To Your Grind Sizes
Also, pay attention to how fine or course your coffee ground is. The size of the grind is essential if you want to make your coffee tastes better. Otherwise, you may get a coffee that doesnt provide you with the taste that satisfies your cravings.
- If your grounds are too fine, you may end up with over-extraction. That means too much flavor will be extracted out from your ground coffee.
- If your grounds are too coarse, it may result to under-extraction. That means the needed flavor will not be extracted out from your coffee.
If your coffee tastes bitter, bad or bland, you didnt extract the right amount of flavor from the coffee. It is probably the result of improper extraction.
Brew At The Right Temperature
Many automatic drip machines don’t reach optimal brewing temperature.
Another step many automatic coffee makers skip is reaching optimal temperature. The desired brew temperature for drip coffee is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Newer, high-end models sometimes have a manual temperature adjustment, but older, cheaper makers do not.
To make sure your coffee maker gets hot enough, run it without any coffee in the hopper and use a thermometer to measure the temperature. If you can, try to measure the temperature during the brewing process, as the water temperature will drop as it passes through the hopper and into the carafe beneath. If it never reaches at least 195 degrees Fahrenheit, see if pre-boiling your water in a kettle helps.
Keep in mind, however, you do not want to exceed 205 degrees, as it will “burn” the coffee. If this doesn’t work, you might want to consider upgrading your coffee maker.
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Find A Brewing Method And Recipe You Like
Izzy Rivi via Unsplash
The brewing method you use matters less than being able to do it consistently you want to reliably produce a great cup of coffee, not occasionally get lucky. Three of the most popular at-home methods are the French press or cafetière, the AeroPress, and pour-over brewers like the Chemex and Hario V60.
The French press may be the method youre most familiar withalmost every home has one tucked away in a cupboard somewhere. They have a bad reputation among coffee snobs because a lot of people tend to use them imprecisely, but they can reliably produce excellent drinks.
The AeroPress is an extremely popular choicetheres even an annual competition dedicated to finding the World AeroPress Championand while it has more moving parts than a French press, its still easy to use.
There are also a wide range of pour-over brewers, but the method is much the same. You douse the grounds in water as they sit in a cone of filter paper, and coffee flows out into a carafe for you to drink. Its the hardest of the methods to perfect, but to many people, its the best.
Youll notice that all the recipes call for a certain ratio of coffee to water. To hit those levels, youll need a set of weighing scales. Your kitchen scales will work finealthough you can get dedicated coffee scales.
How I Tested Coffee Methods
There are a lot of considerations that go into choosing a coffee-making method, including quantity, economy, and convenience. But for this test I wanted to determine which method simply yields the single-best cup of coffee. And my basis for consideration was my platonic ideal: the rich, smooth, complex, just slightly bitter brew I found in Italy.
In order to remove as many extraneous variables as possible, I didnt give any consideration to whether a method makes a lot of coffee or a single cup, and I didnt pay much attention to how complicated or time-consuming a method might be. Taste was the goal, although I realize that a coffee method is often more about how many people you need to serve or how long you have.
Then there was the choice of coffee beans and roast. Although my own preferences tend toward something a little more locally-sourced, I wanted to make this as even-handed as possible. I decided to use a high-quality, but widely available medium roast coffee: Starbucks Pike Place medium roast beans. If you decide to repeat my methods, you should most certainly use the beans you prefer.
I used the amounts recommended by the manufacturer, unless otherwise specified, and tap water, heated with a gooseneck kettle, in all tests. All brews were judged black, without sugar or cream, also to reduce the variables.
- Time: 8 minutes
- Flavor Rating: 5/10
- Time: 5 minutes
- Flavor Rating: 7/10
- Time: 10 minutes
- Flavor Rating: 8/10
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The Coffee Journal: An Easy Way To Achieve Consistency In Brewing Coffee
Lets talk about how you can address this challenge.
The first step I want you to take is to go to your local office supply house or go online and get yourself a notebook.
Youre going to start a coffee journal.
Yep. Thats right, a coffee journal.
There are actually specific coffee journals/logs available online for sale.
This is not going to be a place where you pour your heart out about the challenges of your relationship with your espresso machine or local coffee roaster .
And if you had one of these espresso machines that do everything for you you might be wanting to write poems about it!
Were going to start taking notes on what works and what doesnt work in your coffee-making process.
This is where you are going to embrace consistency.
So you have a coffee journal or notepad ready? Heres how to get started!
How To Guarantee Amazing Coffee
I am about to share the secret to great coffee.
There is a secret that you need to know in order to make great coffee at home. Do you want to know what it is? I think it might surprise you.
Its simpler than you think.
What is it?
Its consistency!
I know youre probably thinking that this answer is too simple but hear me out or risk brewing and drinking bad coffee for another 5 years..
Making coffee is both an art and a science. But lets emphasize on the science part of things. Because we can see the art side of coffee everywhere .
The fact is, if you think of brewing a coffee through the eyes of a scientist no matter the type of coffee maker that you use you have a list of variables, and then you have the human
The variables are your coffee brewer, your coffee beans, you burr grinder, a scale, water temp etc etc etc.
These can all be controlled with consistency
And then there is YOU. The human.
Humans are consistently inconsistent. . YOU are the reason for you bad coffee, nothing else.
By learning to apply consistency to your coffee brewing, you fix everything.
I am here to help you become consistent in your coffee brewing and youll be amazed at how this will transform every cup of coffee you make from meh to WOW
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Consider Cold Brew Instead Of Iced Coffee
Speaking of cold brew, you might want to consider it over your classic Americano next time you’re in the mood for something cold. “Cold brew is the Swiss army knife of coffee preparations because it’s very easy to control its strength by changing the recipe for how much coffee and how much water you use,” says Phillips. “Use more coffee and less water, and you end up with a very heavy brew that can be a great ingredient for mixing into other drinks or food dishes. Use more water and less coffee, and you have a light and refreshing cup to cool you off on a hot summer day.”
It’s also worth noting that, sustainability-wise, Phillips points out that cold brew is great because if you make a high-strength version , it will stay fresher longer , and you can then just dilute it by the cup when you want a glass to drink. Feel free to keep the concentrate around for up to a week.
Why Pouring Is Different
Pourover coffee continuously replenishes the liquid surrounding the coffee grounds with new, fresher water. This promotes a faster, more efficient brew. On the other hand, that fresh water also has a tendency to extract more from the surface layers of the grounds. It’s sort of like frying cubed potatoes in a seriously hot pan. Compared to a cooler pan, your potatoes will cook faster, but there’s also the risk that you’ll overdo it, especially on the outsides.
Pouring one stream of water, rather than a dozen or more little streams from a coffee-maker’s shower head, results in a brewing environment that’s a few degrees higher, just from reducing the surface temperature loss from those narrow water streams. Temperature and water quality affect the overall reaction rate of our little coffee chemistry set .
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Measure The Ground Coffee
The Spruce / S& C Design Studios
Each brewing method will require a different ratio of ground coffee beans and water. Use too little, and you have no flavor too much, and you get thick mud.
The key is to find the perfect amount of beans for your brewer and how many cups of coffee you make at a time. A standard drip machine, for instance, uses one tablespoon of coffee for every cup of water. If needed, measure your beans with a kitchen scale to get the perfect amount for your taste every time.
Add Extra Flavors And Your Personal Touch
The best way to make a cup of coffee truly your own? Doctor it up to your liking. Add traditional flavored syrups like chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut and caramel to step up your coffee creations. Latte art is an art within itself and takes a lot of practice. If youre a beginner and want to make a prettier cup, top your coffee with some frothed milk or whipped cream and lightly dust some cinnamon or cocoa powder on top.
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How To Make Really Strong Coffee In An Espresso Maker : 2 Steps
People can be pretty picky about their espresso method, Im not. I make espresso, and then turn that deliciousness into an Americano for my hubby, and the rest into a cappuccino-type treat for myself. We use a stove-top espresso maker called a moka pot.
The following video will show you how to make coffee in a stove-top espresso maker.
Note:use coffee beans that are finely ground for an espresso maker
Choose The Right Equipment
The equipment you choose to brew coffee can affect the taste of your drink and how long it takes to make.
Source: Diana Yen / T Magazine
French Press: A French Press is a pot, usually made of glass, containing a mesh plunger that separates the coarse ground coffee beans from the hot water. The French Press is truly the simplest way to enjoy coffee and produces a perfectly bold flavor. Youll want to make sure the coffee beans are ground coarse and evenly. If youre in the market for a french press, may I suggest: Bodum Copper French Press, Williams Sonoma Glass French Press and the Espro Coffee Travel Press.
Source: Good Morning Journal
Chemex: A Chemex is an hourglass-shape glass coffee maker that uses specially designed filters to produce clear, pure flavorful coffee. Chemex coffee maker styles range from their classic design, glass handle design and handblown glass design. The classic model comes with a wooden collar, which serves as an insulated handle. Youll want a medium-coarse grind for your beans.
Source: The Kitchn
Drip/Machine Drip: Also known as pour over or filtered brewing, it is probably the most commonly known way to brew coffee. Try these coffee makers: Mr. Coffee, Capresso Coffee Maker, Keurig Brewing Systems and Nespresso Coffee and Espresso Machines. Although pricey, these pour over stands are just too awesome not to share.
Source: Belathée Photography for Rue Magazine
Source: HGTV
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Which Brewing Method Is Best For Strong Coffee
To get the best tasting strong coffee try an espresso or french press coffee maker. Both of these methods brew quicker than drip coffee and produce a richer flavor. In my opinion, espresso beats french press.
To order a rich, bold tasting coffee at a cafe youll need to know what its called.
What is strong coffee called?
There are a number of strong coffee drinks to try at a cafe. And if you have the equipment you can make them at home.
The following list will give you a rough guide of what to order at a cafe/restaurant and how to make strong coffee at home.
Ways To Add Extra Flavor To Your Coffee
Guides like this covering how to make great coffee often focus on just water and beans. The black coffee that results from it is treated as all youre ever going to need. Black coffee is great, but what if you want some extra flavor in there?
It doesnt have to just be from milk and sugar. As far as coffee additives go, milk and sugar might be classic but theyre not the best. Adding a raw taste of rich cream or pure sugar doesnt do much to enhance its flavor profile. It is like chucking sugar on pancakes, it tastes good but its a bit boring when theres a world of more complex flavors out there.
These are some ways you can add an extra kick to your coffee, without having to just load up on sugar:
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How To Make Strong Coffee At Home
Its great to know how to make strong coffee at home because you can save yourself time and money. I like not having to leave the house to get me some strong coffee.
Making coffee at home can also help people who have food-related sensitivities.
If you like making your own coffee you might also enjoy learning about ways to sweeten your coffee without sugar.
So lets learn how to make strong coffee at home sweet home.
Brew With The Perfect Temperature
While there is some room for debate on the perfect temperature to brew coffee, Karcher says that experts agree that it’s more than 185 degrees Fahrenheit and less than boiling. “98% of your cup of coffee is water, so this is an extremely important, but often neglected, step. If you have an electric kettle with temperature settings, I recommend starting around 190 degrees Fahrenheit and fine-tuning based on your results,” Karcher says.
If you’re working with a kettle and stove, he recommends simply that you bring your water to boiling and then remove it from the heat for 45 to 60 seconds. The temperature will fall into the sweet spot between 190 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Dont Forget About Your Water
In my opinion, the most important ingredient to making coffee is the water and its quality, Spillman says. Water matters 98% of coffee is water. Therefore, the quality of water you are using makes an incredible difference in how your cup will taste. There are brands out there that offer a mineral packet that you can add to distilled water, like Third Wave Water. When theres magnesium and calcium in the water, more taste is extracted from the coffee beans, according to the Barista Institute.
Third Wave Water Mineral Supplement
Using filtered water from a Brita, Pur or other home filter will result in better taste as well, Spillman adds.
Brita Metro 5-Cup Water Filtration Pitcher
Pur Advanced Faucet Filtration System
Another important detail when it comes to water? Getting it hot enough, according to Siemens. You want to brew with water between 195 to 205 degrees F, he advises. I recommend boiling the water and letting it stand for one minute. That should put the water in the perfect spot for brewing. The next rule is being able to come up with an accurate ratio of coffee to water. I usually use one part coffee to 16½ parts water.