Secrets and facts about brewing the perfect cup of coffee
Imagine the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee- just like in a coffee shop -spreading around the entire room. Whether at home or office, enjoying the taste of a specialty quality coffee is a thing of desire. What if we told you, you can make your coffee taste as good, from the comforts of your home or at the office every time?
There are 5 essential factors to a delicious brew and we are going to examine them one by one.
1. Quality Coffee Beans
Making a delicious cup of coffee, actually means perfectly roasted fresh beans. Just a month’s period after roasting, coffee quality begins to decline. The taste becomes hollow, less expressive & rancid. The coffee starts to lose the terroir's unique characteristics & turns flat. So then, you need to make sure you have the best coffee beans that have not far exceeded that length of time.
Having said that, using too fresh coffee is not recommended either, and each type of bean has its own settlements. If you prepare coffee using any filter method, you can use it in 3 to 5 days after roasting. However, if you are pooling espressos, you should allow the beans to rest for at least 7 to 10 days after roasting. This will help you to unwrap the full potential & get the best out of the types of coffee beans.
2. Water Quality
Do you realise that 98% of your cup of coffee is actually water? Water is a super important ingredient of our brew. It can help to enrich the fragrance of an average coffee or turn the best coffee in the world into a flat & dull cup.
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) recommends water with mineralization of 75 to 175 mg / l & pH value between 6.5 - 7.5. From our experience, tap water in UAE is nowhere near these numbers. And to consistently brew delicious coffee at home & office, we recommend you to install a water filtration system or use only bottled water for your brewing.
3. Grind Quality
I believe everybody would agree with me, that only freshly ground coffee from roasted beans offers the best results. Pre-ground coffee beans are aging rapidly & turn into very unpleasant cups within just a few days. Furthermore, It is hard to brew a great-tasting cup of coffee without using a quality grinder.
Roasted coffee beans should be ground to the same size for an even extraction. Lower-quality grinders may produce inconsistently ground coffee in a range of sizes, from very fine to chunky, that most probably will ruin your coffee ritual.
Generally, the right electric grinders with a grind adjustment are not very cheap. But there are several great manual grinders at a reasonable price on the market. Cheap electric coffee grinders sold in electronics stores will not do the job because they do not grind evenly.
In addition to uniformity, the grind size is also essential. However, it is different for each brewing method & has a significant impact on the final taste.
4. Weighing accuracy
To brew a consistently delicious cup, weigh the ground dose & water, when brewing filter coffee or espresso. An electronic scale will help you control the coffee & water ratio. Each brewing method needed in different types of roasted coffee beans differs fundamentally and the ratio accomplishes strength and flavour.
5. Storage method
Coffee is an organic product & fizzles out very quickly. So then, what is the solution? Do not buy more than you drink in a month & store your coffee correctly. The original coffee bag with a degassing valve and a zip-lock does the job very well. Keep your roasted coffee beans or your ground coffee away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
Lastly, what to remember to ensure the cup of coffee with freshness and rich flavor. There is a wide range of equipment and accessories to assist you in the ritual of the perfect fragrance and flavour.
Regardless of the way you prepare your coffee, make sure that:
- The coffee is fresh
- The water was balanced
- The grind quality is good
- And the proportions are precise
- The coffee is appropriately stored
Happy brewing.