When you buy coffee from the local coffee bar, they make it seem so easy to brew the perfect cup! In your own home, however, this isn’t quite so true. Continue reading to learn how to make the best tasting coffee, and you’ll never have to pay big bucks to a coffee shop again.
To make a good coffee, always start with fresh beans. They should look kind of oily, and they should be potent. Try to avoid very dry beans, any grocery store beans, and any beans that have been exposed to air for a long time. Your best bet is to either roast beans yourself or buy them from a local roaster.
If you must add something creamy to your coffee, consider using real milk instead of whitener. Whitener is a frightening blend of ingredients you can’t pronounce, while milk of any sort – be it cream, homo, 2% or skim – provides protein, vitamin B12 and other great nutrients your body needs.
You can re-use your coffee grounds for many items. Coffee grounds are great for getting rid of smells like garlic and onion on your hands. You can also use them on dishes that refuse to get clean with regular washing. Coffee grounds can even be used in the garden to take care of pests that threaten your plants.
Good coffee requires good water. You may want to use bottled water; even though you may think bottled water is a waste of money, it will make your coffee taste better. Filtered water is a good second choice. While it is not quite the same as bottled, your drink will also taste better than if the water came from the tap.
When you brew your coffee at home, do not throw out the used grounds. These coffee grounds might not be good for another cup of coffee, but they are excellent for many other purposes. They are great for composting, exfoliating, cleaning, and quite a few other uses. Don’t throw them away!
If you really want the freshest coffee with a gourmet taste, avoid pre-packaged coffee that sits on the grocer’s shelves. Purchase your coffee beans directly from the roaster through their website. Most roaster’s will have the coffee on your doorstep in just a couple days. This enables you to enjoy the beans when they are at their most flavorful.
Did you know that drinking a cup of coffee will improve your exercise? Studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee will give you a great boost when consumed prior to your exercise routine. This little lift may be just what you need to get through your exercise and preform the way you want.
Never drink coffee in the eight hours prior to going to bed. The half-life of caffeine can range from 30 minutes to 8 hours, so this is the only sure fire way of having it out of your system when it is time to rest. Otherwise, you are going to need even more caffeine the next day. A coffee habit can be a little healthy, but caffeine dependency is bad news.
Some coffee lovers swear by chocolate as an unexpectedly delicious add-in for hot coffee. You will get more energy and a great taste. Try dark chocolate coffee for a boost of energy in the morning.
A big mistake that many people make when brewing coffee is not using the proper amount of coffee. The proper ratio of ground coffee to water is six ounces of water for every two tablespoons of coffee. Any less coffee and you will have a weak and unsatisfying brew that tastes more like water than coffee.
If you are planning to grind your own coffee beans, you should know that the type of grinder you choose can make a big difference in taste. Experts recommend using one that features flat grinding burrs. Blade grinders can actually generate enough heat to burn or scald the coffee beans and ruin the flavor.
The best tasting coffee comes from the best water. If the water from your tap tastes awful before you make your brew, it is still going to be unpleasant after making your brew. Use bottled water if you have to or purchase a simple filtering system to improve the taste of your water.
If you tend to eat cookies with your coffee in the morning or night, try dipping one into the other. Cookies taste great when combined with coffee, and can give you the injection of flavor that you desire. Make sure that when you dip, you have a napkin or towel nearby to avoid a mess.
If you are wanting a safe way to break from your favorite everyday coffee and try something new, try to narrow down what it is you like best about your tried and true brew. Pay attention to where your beans are brewed as well as to whether you are using a light or dark roast.
Many people feel like there is something wrong with giving children coffee every now and then, but it is okay as long as the coffee has no caffeine in it. The caffeine content is the main reason that coffee is not considered to be a suitable beverage for children to drink.
After cleaning your coffee grinder, grind a bit of coffee and then dump it. Since it is difficult to completely clean a coffee grinder, you can do this to get rid of any remaining old, stale grinds. Doing this should not be a substitute for a proper cleaning, however.
Buy new coffee beans every two weeks. Once you open coffee beans, they usually don’t have a set expiration date. You can seal them in airtight containers to keep them fresh longer. You will, however, likely find that the quality of the taste starts to fade a bit after two weeks.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or even a trained barista to make a killer cup of coffee. All you need is the willingness to try different things. Be sure to use the advice whenever you make your next pot of coffee.
