Tips for Brewing Better-Tasting Coffee at Home
Millions of people are currently ordered to stay at home in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. For those whose normal routine includes a daily stop through a cafe drive-thru, pandemic-induced isolation can result in a ceaseless craving for gourmet coffee. Many find themselves unsatisfied with the coffee they brew at home.
If this describes your situation, consider the following tips for brewing better-tasting coffee at home:
Pour Over Method
Those who love the taste of hand-brewed coffee can have that at home. All you have to do is try the pour over coffee method, which means you’ll be pouring boiling water over your coffee grounds. Of course, the coffee grounds are going to have to be in a filter, which should sit comfortably over a mug. The key is to allow the coffee to form slowly as it drips through because the slower your drip the more flavor you’ll get from your coffee grounds.
About the Beans
There is no way around the fact that you need to make sure your coffee beans are of the highest quality if you want gourmet tasting coffee. Yes, some people just buy the coffee grounds and think that’s enough. The flavor from coffee beans you ground at home is going to be stronger than the coffee grounds you might purchase from a store. This does mean you’re going to be doing a little more work before you’re even ready to make your coffee, but the taste will make it worthwhile.
Grind What You Need
Don’t grind more coffee beans than you need to save time the next day. The flavor is preserved if you keep your coffee beans whole until you need them. This does mean you’re going to have to learn to measure your coffee beans. You need to make sure you are only grinding the exact amount needed to make your cup. You’ll need about seven grams of coffee beans to make one single cup of coffee. It may be necessary to invest in one of those kitchen scales until you’re able to reach that magic number without fail. And consider investing in the best grind coffee maker you can find.
Think About Storage
A lot of people make mistakes when storing their coffee beans that usually end up affecting the taste of the bean. One mistake is putting their coffee beans in the freezer, which you don’t want to do. Your beans can absorb the moisture around them, and that won’t be good for your morning cup of Joe. You also want to keep your coffee beans away from the sun, so it may be a good idea to store the beans in a ceramic container to keep the beans safe from spoilage. You invested a lot in your beans, so don’t let them go to waste.
Get to Seasoning
One thing that gourmet coffee makers tend to do is season their coffee drinks, which is something most homebrewers are afraid to do. Don’t be afraid to experiment a bit with your drink by adding a bit of seasoning. There are many options you can consider, like a touch of nutmeg or maybe a bit of spice like cloves or maybe some cinnamon. There’s so much to consider; just make sure you start small and gradually adjust until you’re happy with what you’ve created. Write down your blends so that you can recreate them every time.
Allow yourself time to get better at brewing your coffee at home, and do your best to order your ingredients online rather than going outside during this pandemic. Once you get good at this, you might skip going to the coffee house even after this pandemic clears.