If you’re a big fan of coffee, then you know how crucial it is to drink one regardless of time. Drinking coffee in the morning is a great delight for the taste buds. More so, setting the mood before work or other activities is possible by having a perfect cup of coffee.
Yet, if you decide to buy a coffee and notice that the nearest shop is closed, it’s best to brew one yourself. Making your coffee can be a fun activity. You can also have more control over the type of taste that you want. Brewing it yourself can also help you save money.
That said, mistakes can occur if you’re unaware of the factors of brewing the perfect coffee. If that’s your case, worry no more, as this article will discuss some of those factors.
- Buy The Best Coffee Maker
A coffee maker is a countertop appliance that automatically brews hot coffee. It’s made of a carafe, hot plate, filter basket, water reservoir, and glass coffee pot. If you want a more convenient way to brew coffee without breaking the bank, choosing the best coffee maker under 50 dollars is vital. Likewise, here are three types of coffee maker configurations that you can consider before buying one:
- Espresso Machines: Espresso machines vary in quality. You can buy affordable models or opt for extremely high-end ones. These machines also come in various styles. You can choose pod machines to stovetop models or have ones that use ground beans. Ultimately, the ideal espresso machine should fit your needs.
- Electric Drip Coffee Makers: These are easy to use and allow you to select your desired beans. For one, you can opt to purchase pre-ground or grind your own.
- French Press Coffee Makers: You can make coffee manually through the French press. It’s composed of a plunger, a cylindrical carafe, and a built-in filter that brews the coffee. Ultimately, you should buy a French press to drink a flavorful and full-bodied coffee.
These are some examples of coffee makers that you can buy. When purchasing, ensure that you choose a high-quality one so you can use it for many years.
- Choose Your Brewing Method
There are various coffee brewing methods that you can choose from. You can opt for the French press that gives you a heavier body cup of coffee and also allows you to save time. There’s also the drip pour-over method, which emphasizes the coffee’s acidity and provides you with a cleaner cup. Lastly, you can also opt for the espresso brewing method, which results in a slight but intense coffee flavor.
Know that the best brewing method you can choose depends on your preferences and lifestyle. Yet, you can also take note of the following if you want to decide on the suitable brewing method for yourself:
- What type of coffee do you like drinking the most?
- When do you make your coffee?
- How much time do you give to brew your coffee?
Once you find answers to these questions, you can choose automatic or manual brewers that will fit your needs.
- Choose Quality Coffee Beans
The best coffee will need high-quality beans. However, you should buy the newest whole beans as they’ll lose their aroma and flavor once they’re ground and roasted. Roasted coffee beans inside packets may not be often fresh as they’re more likely stocked at the store for months.
And so, if you need to buy the newest and quality coffee beans, it’s best to visit the nearest local roasters who roast weekly. Yet, it’s ideal to wait for three to five days after the beans are roasted. For one, the coffee beans will release carbon dioxide, and you can expect better extraction while brewing after the gases are released.
- Obtain The Right Water Temperature And Quality
Your coffee’s flavor profile can be based on how much you agitate the beans. Coffee agitation involves the disruption of the coffee bed, either by putting water straight into it or by swirling or stirring the mixture.
Likewise, the water temperature also plays a crucial part in the coffee’s flavor. If you aim to pour water at a lower temperature (180 degrees Fahrenheit), you’ll extract less of the coffee bean’s recent flavor, which can result in a more bitter taste.
However, pouring water at a higher temperature (205 degrees Fahrenheit) can produce a coffee that’s notably extracted from the bean. This process is called hydrolysis, which consists of the breaking down of various coffee compounds.
Additionally, you should also consider the water’s quality. For one, the fewer the water minerals are, the more ideal it is. Likewise, avoid re-boiling water that’s already been heated. It’s easier to leave the water in a kettle and wait 30 seconds after you heat the water to be poured into your coffee. That said, you can also try to be more specific by assessing if the water is within the range of pH 7.
- Use A Scale
Using a scale to weigh quantities before brewing is a more straightforward way of enhancing your coffee’s quality. Read the three reasons below why a coffee scale is crucial in your ideal coffee experience:
- Precision: You can manage the amount of coffee and water used through a scale. Thus, you can avoid doubts about whether you scoop correctly.
- Bean Conservation: One reason you can save more coffee beans through a scale is that you can measure how much you’ll grind and brew. Thus, you can avoid using an unnecessary amount of coffee.
- Consistency: Because you’re using a scale to brew coffee, you can avoid worrying that your coffee will taste differently from the other day.
Using a scale in coffee brewing is a simple and affordable way to improve the quality of your coffee. Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or just enjoy a good cup, investing in a scale can help you achieve the perfect cup every time.
Final Thoughts
Drinking a cup of coffee can be a rewarding experience for people. It can also set the tone before you do other activities. There are two ways to get a coffee. You can buy one at the nearest coffee shop or brew one yourself. If you want to brew your coffee, know that you can save more money. It can also give you more freedom on preferred types of tastes.
Additionally, there are some factors to consider once you decide to brew your coffee, such as the ones above. Hopefully, you can use this article to guide brewing that coffee you’ll love.