Coffee Tao

One of the most common questions I get asked as a “coffee guy” is, “how can I get my coffee at home to taste as good as it does at the coffee shop?” A lot of people just assume that the shop is using better beans, which is often true; but buy some of their prepackaged beans, take them home and brew a pot, and for many people it still just doesn’t seem “quite right”.

There are many factors that go into making a great cup of coffee besides the beans. Here are five tips that will improve your next pot (and every pot after that), no matter what kind of beans you’re using.

• Buy whole bean, not ground. Ground coffee loses its flavor in less than 48 hours. Buy whole bean coffee and a good coffee grinder, and only grind as much as you need for the pot.
• Switch out your filter. Still using a paper filter? Paper filters hold back a higher percentage of colloids, which are oils that give coffee its flavor. Try switching to gold coffee filters–they’ll let more colloids through without tainting the taste of the brew.
• Clean up your water. Coffee is 99% water, so the quality of the water you use makes a huge difference in the quality of the coffee you brew. I don’t have a water filtration system installed on my kitchen sink, so I use a water-filtering pitcher. You can also use individual charcoal filters that can be dropped right into the water reservoir of your coffeemaker. No matter what kind of filtration you use, make sure you replace it regularly in order to keep your water clean.
• Use the right measurement. A great cup of coffee can be a terrible cup of coffee if you use too much or too little grounds, but sometimes changing the amount of coffee you use will actually get better results. The typical measurement is to use one tablespoon of coffee grounds for every six ounces of water–I always measure a tablespoon and a half, and use a smaller mug. The result is a richer brew that doesn’t upset my stomach. If you think your coffee is too rich, try scaling back to one tablespoon for every 8-12 ounces of water.
• Keep your beans in the dark. The way you store your beans affects how long they’ll retain their flavor. Never, ever refrigerate or freeze your beans! It’s a long-enduring myth that freezing your beans will preserve them; they’ll actually stale faster. You should always store coffee beans in an airtight container, set in a cool, dry place out of direct light. Fresh whole bean coffee stored in this manner should last about three weeks and still make a great cup.