How to Brew the Best Coffee
How to Brew the Best Coffee
There are many components that contribute to brewing the best coffee:
Water
Coffee Quality & Freshness
Coffee Grind Size
Time
Temperature
Hygiene & Maintenance
Water
In addition to the actual coffee beans, water is the most important element of the brewing process. Always use
fresh, cold water that is preferably filtered. It is necessary for the water to be as fresh and pure as possible
because water makes up over 98% of your final cup of coffee. Excessive chlorine and lime will adversely affect the
taste of the coffee. Filtered water typically holds the ideal mineral content and will help give your coffee a fresh
taste.
Coffee Quality & Freshness
You do not have to spend a lot of money to get a high-quality coffee. What is most important is to find a coffee
that you like and always ensure that you keep it at its’ freshest. Once you open a bag of coffee beans you should
store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place that is free of odors and consume them within one week.
Never store coffee in the refrigerator or freezer as moisture can damage the flavor.
Coffee Grind Size
Ideally it is best to grind fresh whole bean coffee right before brewing. For drip coffee makers the grind should be
medium or similar to the texture of sand. If you find your brewed coffee tastes bitter, it may be over extracted or
ground too fine. Alternatively, if your coffee tastes flat, it may be under extracted or ground too coarse.
Time
The amount of time the water is in contact with the ground coffee greatly affects the taste of your coffee. All
Capresso coffee makers brew in less than 1 minute per cup. Coffee brewed for longer than 1 minute per cup has a
tendency to taste bitter. You can also experiment with the coffee grind size to help speed up or slow down
brewing. Using a finer grind will yield in a faster brew while using coarser grinds will help slow down the brewing
process.
Temperature
Water temperature during brewing will affect your coffee’s flavor and extraction. The ideal water temperature
during brewing is between 195°F - 205°F. Once the coffee is brewed into the carafe the holding temperature is
around 180°F. The serving temperature of coffee is between 155°F - 175°F depending on personal taste.
Hygiene & Maintenance
It is important to maintain the cleanliness of your coffee maker and coffee equipment. Descale your coffee maker
every 2 -3 months if you have hard water or every 6 months if you have soft water. Using a charcoal water filter
or bottled water will help reduce the need to descale as often. Ensure the spray head, gold tone filter, filter basket
and water reservoir are also clean and free of lime scale.
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whrabbit 6703006
Dec 08, 2014
seems like everyone forgets to clean the machine, they only remember the basket carafe
Member 2596266
Dec 05, 2014
My problem would be how to grind the beans in the morning without waking my child.
rosannepm
Dec 04, 2014
Or you can just buy a Keurig and their pods. The best cup of coffee I've ever had
buddygarrett53 748 3433
Dec 04, 2014
The tips were great. I always assumed a bad cup of coffee was just that.
brmetcalf 3461689
Dec 04, 2014
Thanks for all the good coffee making tips. They will help me make a better cup of coffee.
brmetcalf 3461689
Dec 04, 2014
Thanks for all the good coffee making tips. I sure can use them!
Yuuko
Dec 04, 2014
This is pretty interesting and helpful! How can you tell if you ground it too course? Can you tell from just looking?
dawntuu 6592337
Dec 04, 2014
Great tips! Maybe now I can make better coffee. I love coffee but am not very good at making it. Maybe now I will be able to get it to turn out to be better and consistent in taste.
barb107
Dec 04, 2014
Coffee is my most loved beverage. I can hardly wait for the first cup of the day.
sgbrock 1382862
Dec 04, 2014
My favorite beverage in the winter is hot chocolate, but I always drink coffee, and all of these coffee tips are worthy!
glassfloat7 046928 6
Dec 04, 2014
Hmmm, maybe this will help if I try to make coffee for my husband! I don't drink it, so it's hard to tell when it's done properly!
catmccloud 6691875
Dec 04, 2014
Excellent Article! I add a pinch of salt to my coffee grounds because a friend told me long ago that it cuts bitterness. I will have to see if filtered water improves the flavor of my coffee.
Member 2877858
Dec 04, 2014
You would never think that the temperature would make that big a difference in the quality of the coffee!
mommadear69 146402 7
Dec 04, 2014
wow this would be so nice to win , i love hot chocolate in the winter , after im out hunting in the cold its either coffee or hot chocolate/
princessanyaibe 06 03519
Dec 04, 2014
Man, I like coffee. I can't always get to it whenever I want, but when I DO get to have some, it just feels wholesome to have (to me). ore for satisfaction than to "wake up". )
kimblekathy 328478 6
Dec 04, 2014
I am totally addicted to coffee. This is some helpful tips. I was taught to always add a pinch of salt to your grounds.
katemiyamckay 7616 074
Dec 04, 2014
People might find this level of detail a bit much. They also wonder why coffee at work tastes like sludge.
mysticalguacamole 2938332
Dec 04, 2014
i knew most of this already but i really need to descale more often.
Traveler07
Dec 04, 2014
Well I learned something new today regarding the water being cold and preferably filtered. Makes sense as I don't drink the tab water anyway as I buy bottled or use a PUR filter.
rickpeggysmith 779 5073
Dec 04, 2014
Very interesting. Didn't know about the water being cold.
notkristina 615257 7
Dec 04, 2014
It all makes perfect sense, but somehow I still suck at coffee.
apoalillo 3515644
Dec 04, 2014
The K pod brewers have made me a bit lazy on these points but I know how essential it is to have a clean pot and good water. Thanks for the reminders.
Member 9093023
Dec 04, 2014
I never knew to use cold water for my coffee but I have already used filtered water. Thank you so much for great advice.
grandmasharon123 1 439973
Dec 04, 2014
Was not aware how to correctly brew really wonderful coffee. Would love to try this
kbain 0080271
Dec 04, 2014
I've never knew how to make coffee. Thanks for all the good advice .
middlekiddle 75886 71
Dec 04, 2014
Great tips, and I always need a reminder to clean the coffee maker!
doublejranchcabin 1789426
Dec 04, 2014
I do most of this already. It's the cleaning of the pot which is hardest. Thank you for all the tips.
littleredlvsbrad
Dec 04, 2014
Love the tips! I already do most of these things, but I have learned something new!! Thank You!!
kathypease 3125496
Dec 04, 2014
Thanks for the tips..I can't fuction without my morning coffee
jmikebalou 3061110
Dec 04, 2014
Sounds like great advice. I always use filtered water for everything. Who wants all that chlorine?
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