Here’s a quick & dirty, How-To on making a good cup of coffee…

1) Grind coffee immediately before brewing
2) Grind coffee to the proper fineness, as dictated by the brewing method (grinding details, below)
3) 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water
4) Use fresh, cool, good tasting water
5) Heat water to 195 – 205 degrees Fahrenheit
6) Do not allow water to contact coffee grinds for more than 4 minutes (espresso and cold brew are exceptions)

~ be sure to check out Our Picks for equipment recommendations ~

RESPECT THOSE BEANS!

If you think it’s difficult brewing a good cup of coffee, have you ever considered the difficulties your beans had to endure before reaching your hands?

From mountain slopes half way around the globe, your beans endured an arduous journey, a journey which most likely included:

• Surviving the whimsy of nature, just like any other agricultural product
• If not mechanically harvested, each bean was hand picked and hand sorted– one… bean… at a time
• Various methods of processing / cleaning where many things could have gone wrong
• Political unrest and sometimes armed guerrillas
• Journeys via beast of burden as well as a huge overseas freighter
• And lastly, the use of hundreds-of-thousands (if not millions) of dollars worth of roasting and packaging equipment

This remarkable effort takes place every day so consumers can have access to the finest quality, and freshest coffee beans in the world.  Yet all this effort can literally be destroyed in the final yard, in your kitchen– under your supervision!

The following information will ensure your beans achieve their full potential.

(Be sure to check out Our Picks for equipment recommendations and how-tos.)

First and foremost, make sure your coffee making equipment is as clean as can be— a “seasoned” coffee maker is seasoned with bad flavors (Our Picks tells you how to clean your coffee pot and equipment– easily!).

WATER:
Coffee is over 98% water, so make sure it’s the best you can obtain. The best water for your coffee is filtered or spring water. The worst water for your coffee is softened, distilled, or chlorinated (like most city tap water). The worst water for the environment is reverse osmosis. Make sure the water you choose is fresh, clean and cool; then make sure it reaches 195 – 205 degrees Fahrenheit when it hits your coffee grounds.

CONTACT TIME:
Too little contact time between coffee and brew water results in weak flavor. Too much contact time between coffee and brew water results in a bitter brew. 3 to 4 minutes is a good contact time, experiment to find your preference.

EQUIPMENT SPECIFIC POINTERS

PRESS POT (aka French Press):
When using a press pot, be sure to stir the grinds after adding water– top off with more hot water if necessary. If the weight of your arm is not enough to push down the plunger, use a coarser grind.

DRIP:
Most residential, electric, drip coffeemakers are a waste of money—be sure to buy one that gets water to 195 – 205 degrees

STORAGE:
Storing your precious coffee in the bag or can it came in is perfectly fine, just be sure to remove any excess air when sealing the bag, or tightly seal the lid of the can.  Keep your beans at room temperature or slightly cooler, in a dark cupboard (above the stove would be a bad place).  As long as you buy freshly roasted beans, in quantities you will consume within 2 weeks, storing your coffee in the fridge or freezer is not necessary.

GRINDER BASICS:
The more expensive burr style grinders are superior to spinning blade grinders. Regardless of grinder type, grinding beans immediately before brewing guarantees you get the most from your beans, whatever their condition or age. (Be sure to check out Our Picks for grinder recommendations.)

USE THE PROPER GRIND FOR YOUR BREWING METHOD:
• Extra fine (like Sweet’N Low): Turkish coffee
• Fine (like table salt): espresso
• Medium (like Sugar In The Raw brand): drip and vacuum pots
• Coarse (the same or more course than Sugar In The Raw brand): cold brew, press pot (French press), percolator (perk), cowboy coffee

GRIND QUANTITY:
For all brewing methods other than espresso, start with 2 level tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water.  Adjust the amount of coffee slightly, depending on your preferred brew strength. The use of a proper measuring spoon is highly recommended.

A quick word on GRIND & QUANTITY ratios

• If your coffee is too “strong,” try fewer grinds. If it’s still too strong, try a coarser grind.
• If your coffee is too weak, try slightly more grinds. If it’s still too weak, try a finer grind.

If you want to get even more serious about your coffee:

1. Preheat any and all equipment which will come in contact with your heated water and final brew– including your mug!
2. Pre-soak paper filters with water.
3. Use Puro Caff or Joe Glo to clean your non-aluminum coffee equipment.
4. Purchase a burr grinder

And if you want to get REALLY serious about your coffee:
Measure by weight– use a scale to measure both your water and grinds.

STORAGE:
Whatever you can do to avoid the following can only help you achieve a really good cup of coffee. The six enemies of coffee are:

air
heat
light
moisture
odors
time

Yeah, it’s so good it’s worthy of its own section.
Let’s first clear a lot of confusion by defining that roasted package of “espresso coffee”:

Simply put, a package of espresso is green coffee beans expressly (espressly?) selected and roasted to taste best when extracted from a specific type of espresso machine.