If you are ready to expand your knowledge and participation in the world of coffee, then you will be happy to know that there are numerous resources available to help you learn the lingo and choose the brews that give you the greatest sense of satisfaction and enjoyment. Read on for some ways to immerse yourself in the nuances of finding the best coffee beans and methods of preparing them.
If you want great coffee at home you have a couple choices. You can invest in either an espresso machine, or one of the new single serve coffee makers. The espresso machine will require a bit of a learning curve as you learn to properly brew espresso and steam milk, but can be a great way to impress your friends.
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.
Always make sure that you store your coffee in an airtight container if you are not planning on using it. This will help to preserve its freshness so that you can make coffee that is desirable for all of your friends and family. Coffee tastes the best when it is fresh, as this will help to optimize your brew.
Avoid storing your coffee in the freezer. The extreme temperatures of the freezer will destroy the oils in the coffee. Instead, drink what you have or buy smaller amounts of coffee. If you do not buy too much coffee, you will not need to worry about storing it for an extended period of time.
Utilize the purest water in order to obtain the best brew from your coffee beans. Remember, anything you put into your brew will influence its taste. For this reason bottled or distilled water, or filtered water makes the best cup of coffee.
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.
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.
To brew the best cup of coffee, your water temperature needs to be just under the boiling point. At this temperature, the water will extract the maximum amount of flavor from your beans. If your coffee does not taste good in the morning, run a thermometer in the water to ensure that it is heating to the right temperature.
If you want to reduce the amount of caffeine that you consume, you do not have to completely eliminate coffee. You can ween yourself off of it by mixing regular beans with decaf beans. If you normally use ground coffee, simply use half of each when you make coffee.
When buying coffee, never buy in bulk. Buy enough coffee for the week and store at room temperature. Heat and light destroy the flavor of your coffee. If you have to, you can store your beans in an airtight container in the freezer, and they will last up to a month.
If you prefer a strong cup of coffee than you should roast your beans from 12 to 14 minutes. The bean sugar caramelizes, giving the beans a slightly oily appearance when taken out of the roaster. This will give your coffee almost a smokey taste, perfect for espressos or those who just love a strong cup of joe.
Use a French press for your coffee rather than a standard drip. The reason for this is because a greater amount of the coffee oils will get in your cup rather than in the machine filter. As a result, your cup of coffee will taste a lot better. Give it a try!
To give brownies, frosting, or other chocolaty treats more depth and complexity, add coffee. The type of coffee depends on the recipe. In some cases, you can replace some of the liquid with cooled, brewed coffee. In other recipes, a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee granules or very finely ground coffee is better.
If you have cats that like to make a mess of your garden, sprinkle it with used coffee grounds. The smell is a natural repellant for cats. This will stop your cat from thinking that the flower bed you love so much would be better if used as a litter box.
Clean your coffee grinder with uncooked white rice. Add a couple of tablespoons of dry rice to your grinder and turn it on. When the rice is ground, empty the grinder and repeat until the rice no longer contains flecks of brown. The rice binds to the oils and coffee particles that cling to the grinder and can turn rancid.
Make sure you buy the right size filters for your coffee maker. If your filters aren’t the right size, grounds can slip into the coffee being brewed, making it grainy. This defeats the purpose of using filters. Using the right size filters will ensure your coffee is smooth and delicious.
Enjoying a great cup of coffee is no longer a simple “push the button” process on a drip machine in the morning. This international beverage has made its way into the elite corners of specialty cafes and fine dining establishments across the globe. You can easily be a coffee connosieur in no time with the information you have learned. Dive in and start enjoying your coffee, your way.
