Brew Something Special With Our Strategies For Coffee
Coffee is something that people from all walks of life have long considered to be a dietary staple. A strong foundation of knowledge when it comes to coffee can help those who love it get even greater enjoyment from drinking their daily cups. The tips that follow below are a great to place to get started building that base.
If you tend to drink a lot of coffee, you should invest in a quality coffee machine and make your own coffee at home. Go to a coffee shop only occasionally, for instance on weekends or when you go out with some friends. This should help you save a lot.
Do not reheat coffee after it has been brewed. This will not expel harmful chemicals, as some believe. The taste does suffer, though. The compounds that give coffee its special taste start to break down as soon as 30 minutes after brewing. This can make coffee taste bitter or different.
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.
Coffee tastes much better if it is fresh brewed, and is actually lower in caffeine if consumed soon after it is made. Some people are particular about using only spring water or bottled water to make it, while others seem to think tap water works just fine for making good coffee.
For coffee brews that are pungent and strong, look into purchasing a simple French press. These types of coffee makers pull out the oils in the coffee beans and deposit them into your drink. Traditional coffee machines contain paper filters that remove the oils during brewing.
You do not need to tip the barista at a coffee shop the same percentage as you do a waitress or a hairdresser. Your hairdresser has to understand precisely what you want and then do it, and a waitress has multiple tables to keep up with exactly everyone’s order. Your barista mixes up one cup at a time, so do not feel guilty for tipping him or her less. Still, do throw a few coins in the tip jar frequently.
If you really want good coffee, throw away your cheap machine. It isn’t going to make you a great beverage and there are other alternatives that are very inexpensive. Just go to the store and locate a pour-over brewer. You will also need some paper filters. Go online and find a tutorial on how to use these products. They will cost you under ten dollars and the coffee will taste much better!
After purchasing coffee it is important to properly store it for it to retain its freshness. If you will be using your coffee within a week, store it in an airtight plastic or glass container out of direct sunlight and away from heat. If it will be longer than a week before you will use it up, consider placing the coffee in the freezer.
Do not use hot water to make your coffee. Many people think this is the best way to make their coffee hot; the truth is that the only thing this does is diminish its flavor. You should be using water that is not only cold, but charcoal filtered if possible.
When you get some coffee beans, put most of them away in an airtight container. Place the container in your freezer if you do not have a cool place to keep it. You should grind small quantities of beans, for instance enough to last you for a week. Experience with different grinding techniques if you want different flavors.
You shouldn’t store coffee near an oven. Heat can ruin the taste of coffee. Thus, you should not store your coffee in cupboards or on countertops that are within close proximity to the stove.
Many discriminating coffee drinkers insist their coffee be fresh ground, and they buy whole beans to be ground just before they brew their coffee. The coffee grinders can be adjusted to make a fine ground coffee, or a coarser grind. Generally, the finer the grind, the stronger the coffee.
The best way to brew coffee is to brew it strong. If you do not like the taste of strong coffee, add milk or water after it is brewed. You want your coffee to be at its peak of flavor. If it is brewed strong and according to the proper water to coffee ratios, it should be strong and aromatic.
Do you have health problems such as high blood pressure? If yes, you should stay away from any beverage that contains caffeine. Try drinking some decaf if you miss the taste of coffee and talk to your doctor about how much caffeine you should drink. Staying away from caffeine for a while should help you get your blood pressure under control.
Coffee beans are grown all over the world, but most people think of Columbia as the origin of most coffee. There are certain regions of the country that produce the most flavorful coffee because of the climate there. Columbian coffee beans that have been roasted properly are thought to produce the best flavor of coffee.
Before you decide on a drive-thru establishment that you want to purchase from each morning, try them all to get an idea of the one you like the most. The last thing that you will want to do is settle for a mediocre coffee, if there is a place that you would enjoy better.
If you are among the people who enjoy iced coffee, there is a way to keep your brew from becoming diluted. Make a pot, allow it to cool. Then, pour it into ice cube trays. Use the frozen coffee to ice your fresh coffee. You will avoid the weak flavor that sometimes accompanies the end of a cup of iced coffee.
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.