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.
Make sure that you make your coffee in water that you would have no problem drinking alone. This is important because the taste of the water will affect the way that it makes your coffee taste. If you live in an area where the water quality is not that great, use spring water to brew your coffee.
For best results, your coffee should be stored in a perfectly airtight canister or jar. If the beans are exposed to too much air, they will go stale and your coffee will taste terrible. Get the coffee out of the bag that it came in, because once those seals have been broken, air will come in. They only let air escape after roasting to let them cool.
You should make sure to clean your coffee pot every time you use it so that any residual flavors do not tarnish the taste of it. There are oils that will stick to the coffee pot over time. Many people do not notice the difference, but true coffee lovers will be able to tell right away.
Keep your automatic coffee maker clean with white vinegar. Run a brewing cycle with one part water to one part white vinegar. After allowing the carafe to soak in the vinegar for a while, run a cycle with plain water to rinse the machine. Clean your coffee maker once every week or two to remove rancid coffee oils, mold and other contaminants.
Does your coffee get stale because you cannot drink it fast enough? You should store it in an airtight container. Put your weekly dose of coffee into a smaller container and keep it in your freezer so it stays fresh. Store the rest of your coffee in a larger airtight container and open it only when you need to refill your smaller container.
Do not let air get into the container that you use to store your coffee. If it is not airtight, your coffee will absorb odors from the refrigerator. Moisture can also end up in the coffee if stored for a long time in an inappropriate container.
Do not store your coffee in a container that is made of plastic or metal. These materials can change the way that coffee tastes. The best thing to do is to store your coffee in a glass jar that is able to be sealed shut with no way for air to get in.
Fresh coffee beans taste better than anything you can buy in stores. Did you know you could roast your own beans and enjoy fresh coffee every day? You can easily roast your own beans by placing them in your oven or using a heat gun. Buy some cheap beans to practice.
When you are 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 have a tendency to overheat and can give your coffee a scorched flavor.
A big mistake that many people make when brewing coffee is not using the proper amount of coffee. The proper ratio of ground coffee to water is six ounces of water for every two tablespoons of coffee. Any less coffee and you will have a weak and unsatisfying brew that tastes more like water than coffee.
Get used to cooler coffee if you have recently had a baby. Active infants usually need your hands on them pretty often to keep them safe and loved. Finishing a cup of coffee with a baby around can take a lot longer than you think, so find a way to live with room temperature coffee, or switch to an insulated mug.
Many people feel like there is something wrong with giving children coffee every now and then, but it is okay as long as the coffee has no caffeine in it. The caffeine content is the main reason that coffee is not considered to be a suitable beverage for children to drink.
If your kids have been bugging you for a sip of your coffee, but you do not feel that it is appropriate for them to have it, consider buying coffee flavored syrup for them to add to milk. This gives you the same great coffee flavor without worrying about caffeine.
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, where the fresh beans would have held out a little longer.
The water you use in your coffee is as important as the beans. If you use a drip-brewer, then avoid putting hot water into the drip machine. Instead, start with cold water. Charcoal filters can dramatically improve the taste of local water, but avoid using softening filters on your coffee water. Softened water may not pull the oils from the beans properly.
Check your pantry for distinct flavors and sweeteners you can use to spice up your coffee. Compared to white sugar, raw and brown sugar create a new taste experience for coffee. Cinnamon, cocoa, vanilla, nutmeg and other flavor choices enhance the flavor of coffee too. Alternative milks made from soy and rice can be used as a substitution for regular milk or cream.
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.
