Do you ever go to someone’s house or to a coffee shop and wonder why the coffee you brew at home never tastes as good? Well, you simply may not be as coffee savvy as others are. That is about to change; this article will give you tips to make a perfect pot of coffee.
Do not grind your coffee beans until it is time to brew them. Coffee might lose its flavor when you store the ground up coffee. You might not have coffee that is good if you grind it ahead of time.
Make sure to mark your coffee before putting it in the freezer so that you do not keep it in there for more than three months. If your coffee has been in the freezer for longer than three months, it will not be as good.
Do not keep your coffee in the refrigerator unless it is in a container that is absolutely airtight. This is important because moisture can cause coffee to become moldy. It is best to keep your coffee in the cabinet where it will stay warm, dry and at its best quality.
Just because you are drinking a dark roast coffee does not mean your coffee has more caffeine in it. This is just the way the beans were prepared, not how much caffeine is in them. If your coffee has the term Robusta on it’s packaging, it usually has twice the amount of caffeine as standard Arabica coffee.
A great tip when brewing coffee is to always use the right water. You can’t just use any water when brewing coffee. If you’re using dirty tap water, you can probably expect an unpleasant tasting cup of coffee. Good water to use should have some minerals in it that will help to extract the best flavor.
After cleaning your coffee grinder, grind a bit of coffee and then dump it. Since it is difficult to completely clean a coffee grinder, you can do this to get rid of any remaining old, stale grinds. Doing this should not be a substitute for a proper cleaning, however.
When brewing coffee, use fresh, clean water. Since your coffee essentially consists of mostly water, the quality of the water you use will affect the quality of the coffee you drink. Avoid using a water-softening filter for the water you use in your coffee. Super soft water fails to properly extract the coffee oils.
If you frequent a particular coffeehouse often, see if they will give you a discount for bringing in your own cup or mug. These cups can sometimes cost the shop a few pennies at a time, so they can save money too over time. They also get the chance to make a pro-environmental statement with you.
You don’t have to waste money on fancy coffees. Unless you’re really picky, it’s unlikely that you’ll notice a great difference between blends of coffee. Often, the plainest coffees will be the ones you enjoy most. There is nothing wrong with buying cheap coffee if it satisfies your coffee needs.
Even if you cannot afford designer coffee beans, you can get a more flavorful brew by choosing coffee beans or freshly ground coffee over packaged ground coffee. Because grinding the beans instantly releases their flavor, you want to brew ground beans as quickly as possible. Coffee that is already ground when you buy it is probably past its flavor prime.
A clean coffee maker is a great coffee maker. If your coffee maker is not cleaned on a weekly basis, your coffee will suffer. Use a solution of one part vinegar to two parts water to run through the coffee makers system to flush out any dirt and contaminants that could influence the taste of your coffee.
It is not necessary to stick with a single type of coffee. There are different blends that you can purchase, so look into them. If you want to keep a few different flavors on hand, try keeping the coffee beans or grounds in the freezer to keep them fresh.
As with everything, don’t overdo it when drinking coffee. If you drink too much coffee, you can easily become dehydrated. Try to drink about twice as much water as you do coffee each day. More than a single cup of coffee can dehydrate you, so watch your consumption.
Ask family and friends for suggestions. There are a lot of blends out there that you haven’t tried, but your family and friends may have. Ask them what is tasty and what they usually drink. They may want to show you their favorite in person at their home!
You can use coffee to bring the shine back to hair that looks worn and dull. Brew some extra strong coffee then allow it to cool. Place it on hair that is clean and dry and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. After that, rinse your hair and style it as you normally would.
If you have too much, you can freeze the coffee grinds. These are great for making iced coffee that doesn’t become watered down when the ice melts. They can also be used for cocktails or used to cool especially hot coffee.
Never get caught up in a coffee shop debate about whether or not baristas are tipped enough or should get tipped at all. Both sides are passionate about their arguments, and when everyone has a cup of coffee in their hands, a tense conversation can get anxious pretty quickly and out of hand.
Do your own math. The ratio of coffee to water you use is very important. However, not all coffee pots are alike. Pay attention to how much your coffee pot will hold. Don’t just trust the instructions on the back of your coffee’s packaging. Do your own math to get the ratio just right.
As was mentioned at the beginning of this piece, you have probably wondered why your coffee does not taste as good as others. Now that you have read the above article, however, you will never have to wonder again. Use the above advice to make perfect coffee from here on out.
