coffee bean

Ingredients for Success

If you strip coffee down to the basics, what you are left withis water and ground coffee beans. The higher the quality ofthese two ingredients, the better your finished product willtaste. The key is to start with fresh, cold water. You want toenhance the coffee while letting its desired natural propertiesshine through. Water that is hot or stale can produce a bittertaste. Depending on the mineral content of your tap water, youmay prefer using bottled water for a purer coffee flavor.

Grinding your own coffee beans will provide the freshest, mostflavorful coffee. Many people steer clear of this step becausethey think it takes too much effort or is too time consuming.The truth is, with the aid of a powered grinder, the job can bedone in 30-seconds or less. The amount of beans you'll want touse for your brew varies by the type of machine you're using andthe desired result. For your average pot, use approximately1-cup of coffee beans per cup of coffee.

Freeze-dried or "instant" coffee will get the job done but, whenyou truly want to indulge, go for fresh grounds or whole beans.Many stores prepare the beans daily, or you can check the bottomof the bag for its freshness date. Good beans should appeal tothe eye and the nose. Avoid purchasing broken beans because theywill stale more quickly. For that gourmet kick, choose beansfrom the Arabica coffee plant only. Robusta coffee beans arerenowned for their high caffeine levels, but they provide a moreacidic taste.

To find a flavor you really enjoy, try a few different roastsand brands. Beans with a high acidity level will have a sharpertaste. Everyone's taste-buds are different. Don't be afraid togo for specialty coffees just because they sound intimidating orlook fancy. When trying the new brew, let the drink cool a bitand take the time to swish it around in your mouth beforeswallowing. This will give your tongue the chance to identifythe many layers of flavor in each sip.

Caffeine content should also factor into your decision whenpicking a coffee, as it affects your overall experience. Thisstimulant is naturally present in the and can havemildly addictive effects if large amounts are consumed. Manycoffee drinkers enjoy the increased alertness brought on by thedrug, but too much caffeine can cause negative effects such asheadaches, insomnia and nervousness. Lighter roasts have highercaffeine content than do darker roasts because less of it islost during the shorter roasting period. Many coffees offerdecaffeinated varieties which can be delicious if you seek tolimit your caffeine intake.

Be sure to store your coffee in an air-tight container in acool, dry place away from any potentially contaminating odors.Freezing beans can damage the oils that give coffee its body andflavor. To really lock in the freshness of whole beans or cutgrounds, double bag them. Ground beans can lose flavor within afew hours if exposed to the air. Even well-stored ground coffeebegin to stale after only a few days, so it's recommended thatyou don't prepare more beans than you need at the moment. Atrick for adding life to pre-ground, stored coffee is to brieflygrind it again so new surface area is exposed.

If you choose to use fresh coffee beans, apply the followingrule of thumb regarding how finely ground the coffee beansshould be: Longer brewing cycles equal coarser grinds. Forexample, an expresso or cappuccino maker requires beans with avery fine, almost powdery grind because the machines brew inless than a minute. Electric drip brewers with paper filtersshould utilize coffee grounds with a consistency similar to saltgranules. Percolators work best when paired with coarsely groundbeans. This may seem like an unimportant detail, but it has atremendous impact on the strength of your drink's taste and cancause problems for your machine, such as filter clogs.

Tools of the Trade

When working with whole beans, you'll want to invest in a coffeegrinder. These tools are well worth the money if you enjoy afresh cup of coffee. Some coffee machines come with built-in grinders to helpsimplify the brewing process. You can get an easy-to-usestainless steel blade grinder for a reasonable price. Thegrind-level is controlled by how long you let the blades run.The metal can get hot if you're making a fine ground coffee,which can unfortunately create a burnt taste if you aren'tcareful.

Burr grinders are different from blade grinders in that thecoarseness of the ground is controlled by the burr's position.They work by crushing the coffee beans between a moving grindingwheel and a non-moving surface. These are often more expensiveand create a more consistent ground than bladed grinders. Wheelburrs are reasonably priced because they operate noisily andwith some mess. Conical burrs are the best grinders that moneycan buy. These tools usually work more quietly, less messily,and are the least likely to clog because they operate at aslower speed.

The demands of your lifestyle will determine the type of coffeebrewer you prefer. On-the-go coffee fanatics have made thesingle-cup coffee maker a popular item in recent years. Mostpeople use a traditional stove-top boiling pot or a paperfiltered automatic-drip coffee machine to make their coffee at home. To properlybrew using this equipment, be sure to read the directionscarefully. The shape and size of a stove-top pot can impact theboiling time and the amount of grounds needed.

The peak temperature for boiling coffee is 195 to 200 degreesand can be attained by letting the water come to a boil for atleast a minute before adding the coffee. Measure your water andgrounds carefully; otherwise you can end up with abitter-tasting, weak brew or an overly strong coffee that mustbe diluted with creamer.

With a filtered brewer, you'll use approximately 1-tablespoon ofcoffee per ground per 6-ounces of water. Choose your filtercarefully. A heavier, higher quality filter will not clog aseasily as a cheap filter and will prevent coffee "mud" fromgetting into the bottom of your drink. Similar to the filteredbrewer is the French drip brewer. These pots have a built-instrainer on top that filters the coffee grounds as hot water ispoured over them. Flavorings, such as sugar, may be added to thegrounds before they pass through the filter. This provides amore blended taste. To protect the strength of each cup's flavorand aroma, serve the coffee immediately after brewing.

Percolators are great for brewing large quantities of coffee andare available in both stove-top and electric models. Thesebrewing devices have declined in popularity in the past decadesbecause they often produce a watery, bitter tasting drink. Twoof the trendiest coffee makers available at the moment are theFrench Press and the expresso maker. To operate a French Press,you'll first steep hot water and coffee grounds in a glassbeaker. A plunging device is used to push the grounds to thebottom of the beaker, leaving only the dense coffee liquid ontop. Expresso makers produce full-bodied drinks by forcing hotwater through the grounds and directly into your cup. The breweris also capable of processing the steamed milk used in lattes orcappuccinos.

About CoffeeCow

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