Disclaimer: This blog is not about instant coffee ⛔️ • Beginner level
If you are a beginner and new to the world of brewing coffee, this blog will help you brew the best possible coffee you can at home.
-
Firstly, throw away the instant coffee lying around- It tastes bad, is not fresh, contains pre brewed coffee and is more expensive 👎🏻.
Lets get started 😃 >>>
1. Be patient ⏰ -
The entire process from boiling the water, to making the coffee takes about 6 minutes. Take that much time, it will only make your coffee cup 'brighter'. If you hurry, chances are that the coffee can taste "watery" / "bitter" or "sour".
As Aristotle said, "Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."
2. Buy freshly roasted whole beans -
You should always try to buy freshly roasted whole beans, instead of mass roasted, ground beans.
You see, roasted coffee beans have a shallow shelf life. It loses its aroma and flavours very quickly. And much quicker if they are ground, into powder.
The mass roasted, ground coffee, from a supermarket, has been sitting on the shelf for months. These coffees will not give you the best flavour notes or aroma. Also, they have been grounded for espresso and not manual methods such as AeroPress, or Pour Over.
Instead of buying coffee in large quantities, and letting them lose their flavours, buy freshly roasted coffee, in smaller portions more often.
3. Chose your preferred roast profile 🟠 🟤 ⚫️-
Coffee has three basic roasts: Light, Medium, and Dark. All of them have different characteristics and flavours.
A light roast would be milder, and bring out the origin flavours of the coffee, such as fruity or flowery. These coffees are best for manual brewing methods.
A dark roast would be much stronger, and are good for espresso based drinks, where you would add milk and/or sugar to it
4. Store your beans properly 📦 -
Like we mentioned earlier, coffee beans stays fresh for a short period and even shorter if it is ground. If you plan to finish the coffee in two weeks it's alright to keep the coffee stored in the original packaging. But if you are planning to keep it for a longer period, then it would be best to store it in an air tight container in a dry place. Try not to freeze the coffee.
5. Freshly Grind 💯-
A coffee grinder is the best investment one can make for coffee. When you grind the coffee just before brewing, you can taste the subtlest of flavours. There is a vast difference between freshly ground, and pre-ground coffee, you can smell and taste the difference. After 2 weeks the coffee will start losing its aroma.
If you do not own a grinder, We have an idea for you as well! Buy ground coffee that lasts you for two weeks. Instead of buying the coffee in bulk for a long time, figure out how many cups of coffee you would drink in two or three weeks and purchase only that much.
6. Grind size matters -
Grind size, from fine to coarse, is different for different brewing equipments. Espresso or Moka Pot needs a fine grind, and French press or a cold Brew requires a coarse grind. If you grind the beans into a wrong size, it can make your coffee under or over-extracted, i.e. weak or bitter. But don't worry if you don't have a grinder we will grind the beans into the perfect size for your equipment.
7. Good water quality💧-
Tap water has many chemicals which can alter the taste of the coffee you brew, so use filtered water (*You do not need to buy bottled water). And another sub tip- do not use very boiling water for brewing, it will 'burn' the coffee ( make your coffee taste bitter). Take the water from the heat just as it starts bubbling and let it settle for a few seconds before brewing.
8. Be curious 🤔 -
With coffee, you can get different flavours and notes by just changing the way you brew a tiny bit. Try experimenting with grind sizes, water temperature, bloom time and any other variables.
If you tried any of these tips, let us know if and how it helped you!
*There are multiple linked words on this page, that will either take you to a brewing guide, another blog or the coffee dictionary.
Take care,Tulum Coffee