The recipe for a great cup of coffee Proportion,
Grind, Water and Freshness. Understand and follow the guidelines for each of them,
and you're on your way to brewing a great cup of coffee every time.
Proportion
Use the right proportion of coffee to water This is the most important step in making
great coffee. For the most flavorful cup of coffee, Starbucks recommends two tablespoons
of ground coffee (10 grams) for each six fluid ounces (180 milliliters) of water.
If coffee brewed this way is too strong for your taste, you can add a little hot
water to your cup of brewed coffee.
Grind
The shorter the brewing process, the finer the grind. Different brewing methods
have different grind requirements, so grind your coffee for the brewing method you
use. The amount of time the coffee and water spend together affects the flavor elements
that end up in your cup of coffee, and the design of your coffee maker dictates
how long the coffee and water sit in direct contact during the brewing process.
For instance, coffee ground for an espresso machine should be very fine, in part
because the brew cycle is only 19 to 22 seconds long. But for a coffee press, the
coffee should be coarse ground, because the water and coffee are in direct contact
for about four minutes.
Water
Use fresh, cold water heated to just off the boil A cup of coffee is 98 percent
water. Therefore, the water you use to make coffee should taste clean, fresh, and
free of impurities. Water heated to just off a boil (195° to 205° F or 90° to 96°
C) is perfect for extracting the coffee's full range of flavors. Any cooler and
the water can't adequately do the job. Automatic coffee makers heat the water for
you. Make sure the one you use gets the water hot enough.
Freshness Use freshly ground coffee Think of coffee as fresh
produce. The enemies of coffee are oxygen, light, heat, and moisture. To keep coffee
fresh, store it in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature. Storing coffee
in the refrigerator or freezer for daily use can damage the coffee as warm, moist
air condenses to the beans whenever the container is opened. For the best results,
coffee should be ground just before brewing. Whole bean coffee stays fresh longer
because there is less surface area exposed to oxygen. By grinding beans each time
you brew, the freshness is preserved. Additionally, the person making the coffee
will enjoy the freshness as the grinder releases the aromas inside the bean.
