Coffee is something that people from all walks of life have long considered a dietary staple. A strong foundation of knowledge about coffee can help those who love it get even greater enjoyment from drinking their daily cups. The tips below are a great place to get started building that base.
To make a good coffee, always start with fresh beans. They should look kind of oily, and they should be potent. Try to avoid dehydrated beans, any grocery store beans, and any beans that have been exposed to air for a long time. Your best bet is to roast beans yourself or buy them from a local roaster.
No matter how attached you are to your favorite blend, don’t be afraid to try a new variety. You don’t need to invest in a large bag to try something new. Almost all brands will offer a single pot or sampler size to allow you to try out new flavors.
There have been many studies about whether or not coffee is healthy or harmful. Some state that the caffeine in coffee can be harmful unless consumed in moderation. Other studies indicate that coffee can work as an antioxidant and help prevent some diseases such as cancer.
Do not leave your coffee open any longer than necessary. While preparing your coffee, don’t open the can or bag until you are ready to scoop. Immediately after scooping, close the coffee container. This will keep your coffee fresher longer. It also keeps the flavor and aroma from evaporating in the air.
Brewing your coffee at home can add huge savings when you compare it to the costs of going to a coffee shop every day. Invest in a good no-spill travel mug, so don’t regret your decision. Use that expensive coffee to treat yourself when achieving one of your goals.
Do you enjoy strong coffee? It would be best to use a French press instead of a drip machine. Pressing the coffee means more oil will end up in your beverage instead of being retained by the filter of your coffee machine. You will find that pressed coffee has more flavor and contains more caffeine.
Do not throw out the used grounds when you brew your coffee at home. These coffee grounds might not be suitable for another cup of coffee, but they are excellent for many other purposes. They are great for composting, exfoliating, cleaning, and other uses. Could you not throw them away?
Iced coffee doesn’t taste so great when the ice cubes begin to melt, watering down the flavor. An excellent tip is to make ice cubes out of coffee or milk and keep them in the freezer in zippered bags. They will be handy anytime you want a cold drink on a hot day!
When grinding your coffee at the store, use a medium grind if you plan to drip brewed coffee. A medium grind is similar to the consistency of granulated sugar. This grind is perfect for a drip brew that takes about 6 minutes. If it takes longer, use a coarser grind.
Take advantage of any repeat customer program that your local coffee house runs. Even a single-unit independent place might have a punchcard system where you get a free cup of coffee for every five that you buy. Never throw these away, even for places you do not frequent much. They can still add up to free cups of joe over time.
When looking for a coffee grinder, do not purchase one that uses blades. Instead, look for one that has cone-shaped or grinding burrs to reduce the beans. You will obtain a more consistent cut. Also, the flat blades tend to overheat and can give your coffee a scorched flavor.
If you brew a large pot of coffee that will not be consumed quickly, take it off the burner. Place it into a pre-heated storage device. When coffee is left on the burner, the taste will deteriorate quickly. A nice carafe or another storage device will eliminate this concern.
If you go to a coffeehouse for a cup of joe and work away from home, be careful how you place your laptop. You do not want to spill your drink on it, nor do you want anyone reading your screen over your shoulder. Also, be mindful of what you say on the phone. Your competition could be in there too.
Only store your coffee beans at room-level temperatures. Coffee beans stored inside a cold appliance will attract and absorb both condensation and the aromas of nearby foods. The resulting flavor of the coffee is going to wind up reflecting this and turn into substandard coffee.
Make it a habit to only grind enough coffee for your immediate use. When you grind a whole bag of coffee, you are speeding up the flavor shelf life. Those grounds will lose flavor within a couple of days, whereas the fresh beans would have held out longer.
The kind of coffee you enjoy drinking depends on the region where it is brewed. If you prefer coffee with a mild flavor, go with coffees from Latin American countries, like Brazil. If you like those with an exotic taste, you should drink coffee from African or Asian countries.
Try a new variety or blend of coffee every week. This can be an excellent idea for many reasons. You can try new tastes, which helps you avoid getting bored with one flavor, but there is also an opportunity for you to buy a new favorite.
It is difficult to find people who do not relish even the occasional cup of coffee. However, the key to getting the most out of drinking coffee is to acquire a thorough knowledge of brewing, selecting, and enhancing it. The piece above is a perfect starting point for beginning the process.
