Coffee is more than just a drink. It is an essential morning tradition for every person to start their day and become part of every culture around the world. Good coffee starts with great beans. The flavor and quality of your coffee are determined by the type of coffee that you choose.
During the 17th century, coffee became popular across the continent of Europe. Coffee shops became the center of the social activity for many people in the major cities and this replaced beer and wine as their common breakfast drink. A study shows that drinking coffee improved the quality of work of many people as it keeps them energized all day. Many coffee house businesses grow across the world.
There are two main types of coffee beans, Arabica and Robusta. They have different qualities depending on how it is ground and roasted. Blending a variety of coffee together is also good to produce more flavor and aroma to your coffee. It is better to brew as much coffee as you will drink and consume it right away because once it’s done, it loses its optimal taste.
Roasting brings out the flavor and aroma of the green coffee and turns into brown beans. The goal of an appropriate grinding is to get the most flavors of the coffee. The result of how fine the coffee depends on the brewing method. The finer the grind, the quicker the coffee can be prepared. Ground coffee for an espresso machine is much finer compared to coffee brewed in a drip system.
Most people, especially real coffee lovers, drink coffee more than once a day. Brewing your own coffee can save you from buying expensive cups of coffee from coffee shops every day. Try to experiment with different roasts and preparation techniques. Here is a guide on what to prepare and how to brew your classic cup of coffee at home.
Coffee Equipment
After choosing your roasted coffee bean, the next step is making your own cup of coffee. There are different methods of brewing your coffee. You can use a French Press which has a mesh filter inside that separates the ground coffee from hot water. It makes the coffee have a stronger flavor. You can also use a drip coffee maker. In this method, coffee is also in a filter and the liquid passes into the coffee pot. The best way to brew coffee is by using a coffee machine with grinder or the Espresso Machine. The difference here is that espresso beans are finer. It can also take seconds to brew your coffee and it produces stronger taste than the two brewing methods mentioned above.
Coffee Bean
Coffee’s taste is the best when it’s fresh and used within days of being roasted. To make sure you get the fresh-roasted coffee bean, buy it from a local coffee roaster, and put in an airtight container. It is a good storage space to maintain the quality of the coffee bean. You should keep it at room temperature and don’t ever refrigerate. In choosing your preferred coffee, you may also consider the caffeine content. Dark roast has less caffeine than light roast coffee beans.
Grinder
The size of the grind takes an essential part of the taste of your coffee. It’s better to buy a whole coffee bean and grind it yourself to get a fresher taste. Burr grinder is mostly used in grinding coffee beans as it has an even and better consistency of size. The size of your ground coffee affects the extraction and taste of your finished product. If it’s too fine and over-extracted, it will have a bitter taste. If it is too coarse and under-extracted, it might taste flat.
Water and Measurement
When brewing your coffee, make sure that you’re using filtered or purified water. Tap water is not advisable as it has a strong smell and a taste of chlorine that can ruin the taste of your coffee. It is also important to have the right measurement of water and coffee. You can have different recipes on the internet and adjust it based on your taste preferences. Usually, one to two tablespoon of coffee is used for every 6 ounces of water. In brewing, different methods have different amounts of time to use. The drip method takes approximately five minutes, while the French Press takes around two to four minutes and Espresso takes twenty to thirty seconds only.
You can be experimental in brewing your own coffee to get the right balance for your preferred taste. Drinking coffee is a good source of healthful antioxidants. A study also shows that 20 percent of the people who drink coffee lowers the risk of heart diseases compared to non-drinkers.