There is nothing better in the world than waking up to the fresh smell of roasted beans. A cup of freshly roasted coffee is the modern-day saviour of working youngsters. However, making good coffee is also a hobby many of us enjoy on a daily basis.
A sip of coffee can either make or break your day. Therefore, it is essential to get the coffee-making ritual right. The process of brewing your cup of heaven is quite therapeutic and easy. All you need is the right items to make your coffee delicious every morning.
So are you excited to make the best coffee of your life? Follow these simple tips to get started!
Use right-sized fresh ground coffee beans.
The key to making any good drink or dish is to use the best raw materials. The same rule applies in the case of making coffee as well. Using ground coffee beans instead of instant coffee is essential to get the real taste.
Finding the right flavour of freshly roasted coffee beans is an experience in itself. Nowadays, many options are available, and they are mostly affordable. So to get the adventure started, but first you need to consider if you are a light, medium, or dark roast person.
Depending on your coffee beans, your coffee will be mild, slightly robust, or bittersweet. Then you need to take into account the undertone/flavour that is present apart from the coffee flavour. Some of the undertones are:
- Fruity: flavours of berries and citrus fruits.
- Nutty or earthy: hazelnut, cashew, walnut, almonds, chestnut, etc.
- Chocolaty: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate flavour.
- Spicy: Cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger or cloves, etc.
Finally, once you have chosen the perfect coffee flavour, it’s time to grind them in the correct size. It depends on the machine or technique you use to make your coffee:
- Espresso machine: Use fine (almost like flour) grind coffee. Fill the coffee grounds as tightly as you can for the best results.
- French Press: Use even or coarse grind coffee.
- Pour over coffee: Use medium to coarse grind coffee.
Once you have your perfect coffee in hand, it is time to make them correctly by paying attention to details!
Use the right temperature, quantity, and type of water.
The amount of water you add to your coffee decides the intensity, taste, and flavour. Generally, for a strong coffee flavour, the ideal coffee to water ratio is 1:15.
While it is easy to measure water in the marked glass container, you can use a coffee dosing cup for measuring coffee. You can adjust around this mark according to your preferred coffee strength. You can easily find these cups on the internet from a site like a barista stockhouse.
The next important thing is to ensure that the water temperature is correct. According to NCA, the ideal temperature is 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This is because it requires an optimum temperature to extract and activate the coffee flavour.
While cold water produces flat coffee, hot water destroys the delicate taste. Last but not least, use filtered or clean water so that your coffee tastes the best!
Take care of your coffee machine.
No matter which equipment you use, cleaning them properly is crucial. This precaution is essential for better taste, health, and hygiene issues. People mostly remember to clean coffee pots but not so much the filter of the espresso machine.
Therefore, every time you make a cup of coffee, put away the steel filter and filling spoon in the wash basin as well. The residual coffee grind often dries up and clogs filtering process.
Similarly, the drip coffee maker or even the water container of the espresso machine needs cleaning. The reason behind this is to remove the mineral build-up on the inner walls of the container. Therefore, regularly cleaning them keeps the flavour of your coffee unadulterated!
Spice it up!
The coffee beans already have existing flavours, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a personal touch to them! Here are a few tips:
- Add a bit of cardamom or cinnamon powder for an earthy flavour.
- Add a bit of red chilli powder along with ground hazelnut powder for a cup of unique winter coffee.
- Are you feeling blue? Make your coffee Irish by adding a bit of vodka or whiskey to it!
- Mix some flavoured coffee syrup with water and freeze them. You can add it to your cold coffee without worrying about making them bland!
Here are some things to keep in mind!
The above points cover most of the grounds for perfect coffee-making skills. However, there are other tricks you can keep up your sleeve to ace the brewing game. Some of these are:
Switch it up
No matter what coffee you choose, your taste buds might want a change after a certain point. Therefore, it is better to keep switching coffee flavours from time to time when buy them. Or even better, keep at least two flavours on the shelf and use them according to your mood!
Proper storage
It is essential to store your coffee grind properly, so their freshness and aroma remain intact. So, fill them in airtight jars and keep them in a dry, cool, and dark area.
Preparing milk for your latte or cappuccino
If you want to add milk to your coffee, ensure the temperature is not too hot to provide the best taste. Similarly, while using a coffee frother or steamer, make sure the temperature is mild so that your latte is foamy enough!
Happy Brewing!
The process of making coffee is like creating a piece of art. It requires patience, precision, and love. This might be why we all love cafes, they are cosy, and the barista staff is always cheerful.
But going to a cafe whenever you need a fresh brewing cup of warmth is impossible. It’s not only expensive but also inconvenient. Therefore, you can create your own coffee corner in the kitchen or the dining area! It could be your area of solace and creativity.
You can experiment your way into coffee making every day with simple hacks and tricks. After all, everything else is easy as long as you have the right grind size and equipment. One can say, ordinary people have bar corners, and coffee lovers have a barista corner in their homes!
