Are dark roast, french roast, and medium blend foreign terms to you? Are you clueless about the advantages of dairy or non dairy creamers? If the answer is yes, then you may be a novice when it comes to coffee. Don’t let this discourage you, as the following article can teach you everything you need to know about coffee.
If you want great coffee at home you have a couple choices. You can invest in either an espresso machine, or one of the new single serve coffee makers. The espresso machine will require a bit of a learning curve as you learn to properly brew espresso and steam milk, but can be a great way to impress your friends.
For a quick and affordable brew of espresso, try using a Moka stovetop coffee pot. Mokas generally produce one or two cups of coffee in the amount of time it takes to boil that amount of water. The coffee is brewed by pressurized steam rising through a funnel of coffee grinds and then rising again into the top chamber where it is ready to be poured into a cup.
Coffee tastes much better if it is fresh brewed, and is actually lower in caffeine if consumed soon after it is made. Some people are particular about using only spring water or bottled water to make it, while others seem to think tap water works just fine for making good coffee.
Here is a great trick to try if you use softened or distilled water to brew your coffee. Just add a small pinch of salt to the pot after brewing. This may sound crazy, but the salt will add a lot of extra flavor to the coffee! Believe it or not!
Brewing your own coffee at home can add up to huge savings when you compare it to the costs of going to a coffee shop every day. Invest in a good no-spill travel mug so that you don’t regret your decision. Use that expensive coffee as a way to treat yourself when you achieve one of your goals.
Making a great cup of coffee really depends on your coffee maker. It does not have to be the most expensive model to produce a great cup of coffee, but it does have to brew the coffee properly. Look for a coffee maker who will extract all the best elements out of every single bean.
Always store your coffee beans or grinds in a dark, cool, airtight container. Even better, use a vacuum container. Storing your coffee in such a container helps keep your coffee smelling and tasting fresh for a long time. Store the container in the fridge or freezer to maximize freshness.
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.
New coffee makers should have a trial run before being used for coffee. What that means is using water and running it as if you were really making coffee. Dirt and bad smells that accumulate while the machine is on store shelves will be removed.
To get the best possible coffee, look for the ones that are made of 100% Arabica beans. These beans are of top quality and will give you the best taste after you are finished brewing. Furthermore, these beans preserve their freshness longer so that you can have great coffee for a very long time.
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!
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.
If you have trouble staying awake and have been buying those expensive energy drinks, you should start drinking coffee instead. Each energy drink contains about 100-150 milligrams of caffeine. You can get the same effect from drinking a cup of coffee or two, and you will not have to spend as much money.
Try a new variety or blend of coffee every week. This can be a great idea for a lot of reasons. You can try new tastes of course, and that helps you avoid getting bored with one flavor, but there is also an opportunity for you to buy a new favorite.
The water you are using when brewing your coffee maters. Does the water from your tap taste a little funny? If you use it in your coffee, your coffee will taste a bit off as well. If taste is an issue for you, try using filtered water to brew coffee.
Never get caught up in a coffee shop debate about whether or not baristas are tipped enough or should get tipped at all. Both sides are passionate about their arguments, and when everyone has a cup of coffee in their hands, a tense conversation can get anxious pretty quickly and out of hand.
If you are a fan of iced coffee, always brew your coffee strong. The reason for this is when you add ice to the coffee, it waters it down. This is the same for people who like coffee shakes. When you put the ice in the blender with the coffee, you are essentially diluting your brew. So always start strong with iced coffee.
If you know little to nothing about coffee, don’t let it stop you. Coffee may seem like something complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, making it is relatively simple. Just remember what you’ve learned from the above article and you’ll be making some of the best coffee around
