How to Brew a More Flavorful Cup of Coffee

For many of us, coffee is a staple of everyday life. It’s the preferred wake up taste in America and many other countries. Unfortunately, indulging in already-made coffee from the leading retailers, especially if it becomes a daily habit, can add up to a big added expense over time. We can treat ourselves to the same flavor and strength that we enjoy in coffee from our favorite cafés by following a few good rules of thumb when brewing our own – and save money in the process.

A big part of coffee brewing is a matter of personal taste. Coffee trees grow in various regions on or near the equator, including Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Columbia, and the particular soil and climatic conditions that prevail in each of these regions will affect the distinctive flavor of the beans they produce. You might have to experiment a little before you settle on the kind you like best. However, there are other factors that can separate a great-tasting cup of coffee from an average one, regardless of the origins of its beans. These factors are freshness, water quality, type of grind, and right proportion of coffee to water.

Coffee beans lose freshness and flavor at every stage of their transition from tree to drinking mug. Thus, the most ideal cup of coffee in the world would be one that you created by picking and roasting the beans yourself, then grinding and brewing them right there on the spot. Since this isn’t feasible for most of us (and the scents produced by roasting beans can be overpowering), the key to freshness is to preserve as much of the original bean’s freshness as possible at each stage. This means that it’s preferable to buy whole beans and grind them at home, right before you brew a cup. Keep the rest stored in the freezer, not the refrigerator (where it will likely absorb other smells). And enjoy that cup of coffee freshly brewed.

Because coffee consists mostly of water, the water you use should ideally be flavorful and filtered. You also need to get it hot enough before brewing – right around two-hundred degrees Fahrenheit – to really extract the coffee oils, which carry the inherent flavor, from your grounds. Overheating your coffee will scald it and lend it a burnt, unappealing taste. Make sure, then, that any automatic brewer that you buy will heat to within the recommended temperature zone (195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit). The ideal way to grind your coffee depends upon your means of brewing it. Generally, the quicker the brewing method the finer the coffee should be ground. This means very fine for espresso brewing, and coarse for French presses (where coffee will be sitting for four minutes or longer).

Finally, the best ratio for brewing is two tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. This recipe will work well regardless of what brewing method you use, and allow your water to absorb optimum flavor from your grounds without ending up either weak or bitter.