Making Coffee: Some Random Tips
What makes the best-tasting coffee?
Are tips on making delicious coffee any good?
The best coffee, the one people swear is so good it is to die for is never good enough for everybody. Simply said, the idea of good or best is always relative and different from person to person. The nice part is you can discover it yourself.
A true lover of good coffee knows that the number of tips in making the best-tasting coffee is almost equal to the number of coffee varieties around the world. Thankfully, there are some universal guidelines that are generally accepted the world over.
The following is a sampler, and is by no means complete.
Roasting your own
If you have the equipment, it is best to roast your own coffee beans. Freshly-roasted beans are best. You can keep them for a week and they still stay relatively fresh.
After roasting to your desired quality, cool the beans in a colander, stirring it from time to time. After 8 to 12 hours when the beans have emitted the carbon dioxide away, store them in airtight jars and keep them inside cabinets away from light.
The kind of roast you do should match your coffee preference. Europeans like dark roasts for stronger, intense flavors. Americans prefer medium roasts. Others choose light roasts. They say the darker the roast the more flavor is lost.
Start with a medium roast and adjust your preferences from there.
Grinding
The ideal grinding practice is to grind your coffee just before you brew.
Grinding increases exposure of the grain’s surface to the water. This way, more of the flavor and oils can be extracted. Match your grinder to your brewing method.
Espresso needs a very even, fine grind. Drip types depend on your choice. French Press needs a coarser grind.
Use a good grinder fit for your preference. There are several good models and types on the market. Some whirly blade types are cheap, last longer, and are right for paper type filters.
Brewing
First, always start out with clean equipment. Second, spring-quality water is a must. No ifs or buts about this.
Experts say the ideal brewing temperature is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Drip brewers have their own thermostats. For those using French Press, bring the water to a boil first and rest it for a couple of minutes before pouring it over the coffee grounds.
Don’t cook your coffee. If it’s too hot, or left on hot plates for too long, volatile oils will evaporate and ruin the taste.
Use the brewing method you discover that is best for you, and stick with it.
The Italians say that making a good espresso depends on the 4 “M”s: Macinazione (the correct grinding of coffee blend), Miscela (the right coffee blend), Macchina (the espresso machine used) and of course, Mano (the barista who prepares it).
Some coffee choices
Central American coffees are sharp and sweet and have more aromatics.
If it is more body and sweetness you want without the sharpness, try the Indonesian variety like a Sulawesi or a Sumatran.
If you want an earthy aggressive bite, try a dry-processed Ethiopian. Harar is aromatic and fruity. Sidamo is pungent.
Do you want spicy pungency? Try Yemeni coffee.
Do you want extreme bite? Try an Aged coffee, a Monsooned or a Robusta. Aged and Monsooned coffees have certain tastes that you will love or perhaps hate.
Last words
The Italians drink their espresso with sugar. Most Germans, Belgians, and Swiss people love to mix equal parts of chocolate into their coffee. Mexicans add theirs with cinnamon. Ethiopians uses a pinch of salt while Moroccans drink theirs with peppercorns. The Egyptians love them pure and strong, without anything on it.
We are not even talking yet of the many flavors one can put into one’s coffee.
Whatever way you want your coffee, the only guide is your taste. And when you find the coffee taste that you want, you’re in luck. It is one of the world’s most exquisite pleasures to savor.
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