If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of those folks who can’t stop your face from cringing every time you take a sip of the coffee you brewed from your own hands. Although not everyone gets into such a rut, we took the liberty of preparing this written guide for those who do.
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With the tips we’ve listed here, the quality of your brewed cup could even rival that of professional baristas in your area. Here’s what you should do:
1. Clean up Your Coffee Machine
If you operate a coffee machine without cleaning it, it will eventually be spoiled by stale water and old coffee grounds that will ruin the taste of your coffee. Although it’s not important to clean your coffee maker after every brew, you should be in the habit of cleaning it regularly.
2. Buy Whole Bean Coffee
The best-tasting coffee is one that’s prepared from the best beans available. If, for instance, you’re unable to find a local coffee roaster in your area, you should purchase whole coffee bean to still be able to whip up from high-quality coffee from the comfort of your own home. The reason why we recommend this bean over ground coffee is that it’s fresher and more flavorful.
3. Know Other Coffee Beans
Knowing the origin of your coffee beans is just as important as every other step we’ve mentioned in this list. This part comes in handy, especially when it comes to determining the beans’ acidity, flavor and strength. For example, coffee beans from Africa are acidic and dark, whereas those from South America are less acidic and medium in the roast.
4. Do a Test Run With Your Coffee Maker
Sometimes coffee makers won’t be able to heat the water properly when you turn them on for the first time. This is usually the case with traditional drip coffee makers where the water doesn’t get hot enough until the second or the third brew. That’s why you should consider running plain water through the coffee maker first to improve the temperature. Not only will this properly heat your brew the way it should, but it will also flush out any old remaining coffee grounds in the brewer.
5.Use a Scale
Accurately measuring your coffee is another way to improve its taste, but it involves doing so not with a spoon, but with a scale. It’s always a good idea to know how coffee you need to use to make the perfect cup. For just the right brew, it’s important to measure about 90 grams of whole bean coffee onto a small, affordable scale before grinding and brewing.
6. Use Cold Water
This may sound counter-intuitive, but believe it or not, it is cold water that begets better-tasting coffee. So it’s wise to use water that has been refrigerated or at the very least water that is cool. It’s also worth noting that you should never use warm or hot water to brew your coffee. Instead, you should let the coffee maker warm up to the temperature that’s right for you.
7. Use Filtered Water
Don’t brew coffee with water straight from the tap as it’s filled with chemicals that can affect its taste, such as fluoride and chlorine. Instead, you should use only filtered water or at the very least, buy a filter for your tap to prevent those chemicals from contaminating your coffee.
8. Keep Coffee in a Ceramic Canister
Once you’ve opened your coffee, you have to store it in a canister that keeps it out of reach from sunlight. You should store coffee in a glass or a dark-colored ceramic container to keep it fresh. At the same time, you shouldn’t try to freeze your coffee as it will absorb moisture that can affect its taste as a result.
