Do you know how to brew a great cup of coffee? Do you understand how to make many different kinds of coffee drinks? How much do you know about where your coffee comes from? If you are interested in learning how to answer these questions, keep reading the following article to find out more.
If you are looking for a great way to turn basic, boring drip coffee into a special treat look no further than your own fridge and pantry. Hot chocolate mix or a scoop of vanilla ice cream can be great ways to sweeten up a cup of coffee and make it something special.
To add excitement to your daily cup of coffee or impress dinner guests, learn how to decorate your lattes. Carefully poured milk is all it takes to make an attractive swirl design while more proficient pourers may choose to add chocolate for a more flavorful decoration. When it comes to the more elaborate designs, practice makes perfect!
Iced coffee doesn’t taste so great when the ice cubes begin to melt, watering down the flavor. An excellent tip is to make ice cubes out of coffee or milk, and keeping them in the freezer in zippered bags. They will be handy anytime you want a cold drink on a hot day!
For the perfect cup of coffee use fresh roasted coffee beans. Buyers of whole coffee beans should find out when the beans were roasted by checking their expiration date. Also, best quality beans are bought from a coffee shop or specialty store.
If you grind your own coffee, be sure to only grind the amount you will be using that day. If you grind too much and just leave your coffee around, the elements will take the freshness and taste of it. Contrary to what many believe, storing coffee in the refrigerator does not leave it fresh.
One way to keep coffee fresh is by buying whole bean coffee and only grinding as much as you plan on drinking at the time. Most coffee loses its flavor because people make more than they plan on drinking. Light, humidity, air, and oxygen can quickly decrease the flavor and aroma of your coffee by damaging its oils.
If you are buying coffee from a drive-in window, always error on the side of caution to stay as protected as possible. Typically, when you are buying coffee in this form, it will be piping hot, as you will not want to burn your hands or other areas of your body.
Does your tap water tastes bad? It could influence the way your coffee tastes. If your tap water has an unpleasant taste, consider using bottled water to make coffee or get a filter installed on your tap. You will find that your coffee tastes much better if you use cleaner water.
Clean your coffee grinder regularly. Coffee grinds go stale quickly. As a result, it is necessary to clean your grinder often. If the grinder is not cleaned on a regular basis, old stale grinds will be mixed with your freshly ground coffee. It is best to clean the grinder thoroughly every few days.
Always drink coffee out of a mug that is designed for hot items. Never pour coffee into glass, as this can possibly break your glass and leave you with stains that you do not want. A mug is probably the best option that you can choose when deciding where you want to drink your coffee out of.
To gauge which roasts are right for your taste preferences, pay close attention to the color of the beans. Typically, the darker a bean is roasted the stronger its brewed taste will be. French roasted beans are dark but Italian roasted beans by far produce the darkest and strongest coffee.
If your kids have been bugging you for a sip of your coffee, but you do not feel that it is appropriate for them to have it, consider buying coffee flavored syrup for them to add to milk. This gives you the same great coffee flavor without worrying about caffeine.
The water you use in your coffee is as important as the beans. If you use a drip-brewer, then avoid putting hot water into the drip machine. Instead, start with cold water. Charcoal filters can dramatically improve the taste of local water, but avoid using softening filters on your coffee water. Softened water may not pull the oils from the beans properly.
If you like strong coffee, avoid using a coarse grind. This is one of the most common causes for people thinking their coffee is too weak. If you do not grind your own, you may discover that a darker roast will help you. Either way, you want to create coffee that you enjoy.
Coffee beans are actually a fruit of the coffea plant, a small evergreen bush. The berries are picked by hand, sorted and the outer cover is removed. Then the beans are washed and dried, either on drying tables or by pumping heated air through a container they are placed in.
Seal your coffee up to keep it fresh. Exposure to air can cause the beans to become unpalatable. It might have a lifeless and flat taste. An airtight container is the best place to store coffee to maintain freshness.
Try pre-wetting coffee filters. This helps heat glass and ceramic brewers, along with rinsing away extra flavors that dry paper filters may transfer into your cup. Start by opening up the filter, then placing it in your cone brewer with a pitcher or coffee mug underneath. Finish by pouring some near-boiling water through it in order to wet all of the sides.
A great cup of coffee makes a delicious way to start the day or give yourself a bit of a pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon. Once you know a bit more about the proper way to brew coffee, you can start to enjoy a truly amazing cup of coffee any time of day.
