Tips for Making Great Coffee

Coffee is one of the World's favorite beverages. There's nothing like a good cup of coffee and there's nothing worse than a bad cup of coffee. Here are some tips to help you make great coffee every time.

Tip 1: Grind it yourself. Freshly ground beans are fresher and more flavorful than any ground coffee that you could buy in the store, even the expensive stuff. Fresh grinding means great taste and full bodied aroma every time.

Tip 2: Start with quality beans. Don't just buy anything. Even un-ground coffee beans vary in quality. The quality has to do with where they were situated in the roaster at the time of roasting. No roaster heats absolutely evenly; therefore, some beans will be roasted more than others and some may be over roasted. The ones that don't "cook" properly are packaged and sold as cheaper brands.

Tip 3: Use quality equipment. A high quality coffee machine will make better coffee than the cheap eight dollar coffee maker for sale at the local discount store. The main difference is in how well the brewing basket seals and the way the hot water is sprayed into the coffee. Good quality coffee makers have a shower head above the brew basket, not just a hole or a few holes to let the water through.



Tip 4: Store your coffee in a quality container. The best container is ceramic with a tight fitting lid. Oxygen can cause coffee to oxidize and loose flavor. So plastic isn't a good idea as it is not an oxygen barrier.

Tip 5: Go for high quality water. Municipal water supplies usually aren't all that tasty. The water may be treated with chlorine and other chemicals. Bottled water is better and low mineral content (distilled) water is better still. Minerals can change the flavor of your coffee and plug up your coffee maker.

Tip 6: Keep your coffee maker clean. If you make coffee every day, then you should clean your coffee maker at least once every two weeks, once a week is even better. Use vinegar and distilled water to clean. If you don't neglect your machine, a once a week cleaning will be quite sufficient. Make sure that you rinse your coffee maker several times with distilled water after running the vinegar through, to remove the taste.

Fresh ground coffee and a clean, quality machine are the keys to a great cup.

Remember: "Only one thing is certain about coffee... Wherever it is grown, sold, brewed, and consumed, there will be lively controversy, strong opinions, and good conversation." ~ Mark Pendergrast

For information and resources regarding coffee drinking and the appliances that make the experience oh, so yummy, please visit Click on Coffee. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kriss_L_Brooks Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7425589