5 Steps to Better Coffee Right Now
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
- 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
- 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.
7 comments
Mmmm. Coffee.
Have you tried, and if so what do you think of, the Capresso CoffeeTeam? Mi esposa bought me one of these for Valentine’s Day two years ago and it’s cut way down on my Starby’s runs — because it lets me wake up to coffee that it ground immediately before brewing, at a preset time.
SL–
Capresso’s consumer stuff tends to vary widely in quality, but the CoffeeTEAM may be the best product they make. Steel conical slow burrs (rare on a home unit), gold coffee filter, water filter, grinding timer–and the fact that you’re still using it daily after two years speaks volumes. I don’t own one, but I definitely would.
-a
What about the brewing method? Drip, press, etc. And is there a good, affordable option with some sort of milk steaming capability?
Annette–
These tips assume you have a drip coffeemaker, and are geared towards getting better results no matter what your model is or what beans you’re using. That said, except for the gold filter most of these will apply to any brew method.
As for steamed milk, the cheapest way that’ll still yield decent results is to simply microwave your milk and froth it with a portable milk frother
.
For models of brewers with built-in steaming options, keep your eyes peeled for equipment reviews which will be showing up very soon.
-a
[...] said before that you should never, ever refrigerate or freeze your coffee beans during storage, but Coffee [...]
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HOW CAN I KEEP THE OILS FROM THE COFFEE TO STAY OFF OF THE COFFEE AFTER IT SITS FOR ABOUT 5-10 MIN IT SET ON THE TOP OF MY COFFEE CUP AND IN MY COFFEE POT. PLAESE ANSWER ASAP MY E-MAIL IS jimwinkle@clearwire.net if any one knows the answer let me know thank you
[...] Starting with my next post, I’ll go into how to shop for a good home espresso machine, how to tell a good grinder from a bad one, the basics of shopping for and blending coffees for home use, and quick tips to improve the shots you pull. This will all be assuming that you’re making espresso and espresso-based drinks at home; if you want tips for regular brewed coffee, check out my post “5 Steps to Better Coffee Right Now“. [...]
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