Let me break it down. There are only three things to deal with when making the best cup of coffee: 1) the beans, 2) the water, 3) the brewing method.
THE BEANS: Buy beans of good quality. Buy beans roasted to your liking. Only use freshly roasted beans. For the perfectionists, fresh roasted coffee only lasts for 2 weeks, then they’re stale. Don’t store them in the freezer or refrigerator – it only makes them taste bad. For the very taste, grind the beans within seconds of adding the hot water to them.
THE WATER: Make sure the water tastes good. I just use a Brita filter. Then make sure the water is hot enough. Most home drip coffee makers, if not all, do not get the water temperature hot enough. So how hot is hot enough? 190-200F. To get this temperature without a thermometer, heat up the water in a kettle until boiling. Then wait for about 45 seconds. Now it’s hot enough.
THE BREWING METHOD: If you got the beans and the water right, then the brewing method becomes a matter of preference. I immediately noticed the difference between drip and French press. I also like Vacuum or Syphon pots. This past weekend I didn’t have any of my coffee makers – so I used the drip basket with the filter paper, placed it over the coffee pot, ground the beans and poured it into the basket, poured hot water into the basket and let it drip. Since the water was hot enough and the beans were fresh, the coffee tasted quite good.
Tags: French Press, how to make, syphon coffee maker, vacuum coffee maker
