Americans drink a lot of coffee, to the tune of more than 300 million cups per day. That’s right, per day! And while many of us love to stop and grab a cup at our favorite coffeehouse, these tough economic times aren’t affording us the ability to do that as often as we’d probably like. Thus, many of us are relegated to brewing our own cup of joe at home, with most of us relying on the standard drip automatic coffee machine.
Yet, no matter how hard we try, we never can seem to replicate the same quality of coffee using our drip machines as what we’re able to get at the coffeehouse. Aside from the fact that coffeehouses are using large, industrial quality equipment, there are 5 basic elements to brewing a great cup of coffee at home.
- Freshness of the coffee - This not only refers to when the beans are ground (immediately before brewing is always preferable, so if you’re buying pre-ground coffee, stop it right now!), but also to when the beans were roasted. If you purchase your coffee at the grocery store, chances are it was roasted at least a couple weeks (or even worse, months) ago. Shop around your local area and look for a roaster who will roast your beans to order. You’ll be amazed at the difference in flavor.
- Ratio of coffee to water - If your coffee is too weak or has too much bitterness to it, the problem may be that you’re not using enough coffee. As a general rule of thumb, you want 1 scoop of coffee beans for every 2 cups of water. (Example: If you’re brewing 8 cups in your machine, you’ll want to use 4 scoops of coffee beans).
- Use good-tasting water - What water do you use when you simply want a glass of water? If you have a reverse-osmosis filter in your home, or you use a special pitcher filter for your drinking water, then don’t brew your coffee with water directly from the tap! Better tasting water will always equal better tasting coffee.
- Heat of the water - This factor you may not have much control over, because it depends largely on your machine. But the ideal rule of thumb is that the water should be between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit when it comes into contact with the coffee grounds.
- Brew time - This one you may have more control over, as some machines allow you to set the length of brew. For most automatic drip machines, the ideal brew time is 6 minutes. That is, the water and grounds should only be exposed to each other for 6 minutes. Any longer than this, and your coffee will be bitter. Any less than this, and your coffee will be weak.
Think we’re being a bit fussy? Yes, probably. But for those of you who’ve always wondered why your coffee at home doesn’t taste as good as the coffee shop’s, this is the answer you’ve been looking for. The good news is that most of these 5 critical factors are easily controlled by you, so with a little effort, you’ll have your morning coffee improved in no time!
Did you know that Home Products ‘N’ More sells freshly roasted coffee beans? Visit us for a selection of gourmet roasted coffee, always roasted to your specifications at the time you place your order.
