How To Brew A Perfect Cup of Coffee
- Lifestyles
- Special Interest
Author: Aramco ExPats Staff
Released 16 January 2004
The wonderful aroma and taste of a good cup of coffee is not achieved without a bit of knowledge and a lot of appreciation for the beverage you are about to consume. To assist you in the pursuit of perfection, follow the seven essential steps to brewing a perfect cup of coffee.
Bayouni Coffee in Al-Khobar
Photograph by Aramco ExPats
Always use clean equipment. Over time, coffee oils build up in brewing equipment and will cause brewed coffee to taste stale. Home brewing equipment should be cleaned every 60 brew cycles with a mild solution of white vinegar and cold water. Run the solution through a full brew cycle then run a full cycle of cold water through the machine to eliminate traces of vinegar.
Use cold, filtered water. Coffee beans are very absorbent. If you use non-filtered water, the flavor will be transferred to your cup of coffee. Use bottled water or run tap water through a carbon filter. Newer brewing equipment may include a carbon filter. This should be replaced every 60 brew cycles.
Bayouni Coffee in Al-Khobar
Photograph by Aramco ExPats
Use fresh coffee. Many roasters package their freshly roasted coffee within 24 hours of roasting. Modern, one-way valve packaging will maintain freshness for up to six months, but not all roasters are using this packaging. Shelf-life can be diminished considerably by the type of packaging selected by the roasters. The longer coffee beans are kept from air and moisture, the longer they maintain freshness. Once coffee is exposed to air, freshness diminishes quickly. It is recommended that coffee be stored in a cool, dry, dark, airtight container; not in the freezer where the beans will be exposed to moisture. In ground form, coffee will maintain maximum freshness for up to 3 days. In whole bean form, coffee will maintain maximum freshness for up to 10 days. This is why many coffee drinkers buy coffee in small quantities and grind their own coffee beans just before brewing.
Use the proper grind for your brewing equipment. Pre-ground coffee is ground for most home brewers, but may not be the ideal grind for your brewer. The amount of time allowed for water to extract the oils from the ground coffee beans is critical to a good cup of coffee. If your grounds are too large, the water will pass through too quickly resulting in a watered down cup of coffee. If the grounds are too small, the water will pass through too slowly resulting in a burnt or bitter cup of coffee. Have your coffee ground, or grind it at home, for the type of filter you have (i.e., flat bottom, paper filter, cone paper filter, gold cone filter) and/or for the brewing method you are using (i.e., drip brew, percolator, press pot, Turkish or espresso).
Bayouni Coffee in Al-Khobar
Photograph by Aramco ExPats
Use the correct proportion of ground coffee to water. This measurement may be a matter of personal taste, but the general rule of thumb is two tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces of water.
Brew at the proper temperature. Your brewer must heat water to the proper temperature for brewing. The right temperature for extracting the perfect amount of oils is 195o - 205o F.
Store brewed coffee in an airtight thermos. If you leave coffee on a hot plate, it will burn within 15 minutes. Many coffee brewers today brew directly into airtight containers. If you do not drink your coffee immediately, you may consider purchasing a thermos to keep your coffee fresh.