Principles of brewing a perfect cup of coffee
Brewing a great cup of coffee depends on several things, such as the quality of the coffee bean, the quality of the water being used, the type of brewing being done, and the grind of the coffee. Now you can easily take care of the quality of beans and water. Just use good quality beans and pure water. However, the relationship between the grind of the coffee and the type of brewing being done is more detailed and could use a little explanation.
We all know we make coffee by passing hot water over crushed coffee beans. However, to work well, we need to understand just how long the water should pass over the beans. This article aims to help you understand how to match your coffee's grind to the type of brewing you are doing to make the best coffee possible.
Generally speaking, the 'soaking' time relates directly to how coarse the coffee is ground. This means that smaller coffee grinds need less contact with the water, and coarser grinds need longer contact. Espresso coffee is only exposed to water for 20-40 seconds and, as a result, is made using extremely fine grind coffee. A French press coffee maker can take as much as 4 minutes and uses an extremely coarse grind. If coffee is left contacting water for too long for its grind size, unwanted extracts emerge and make the coffee taste bitter. Of course, if the grind is too large and the water passes very quickly (like using French press grind in an espresso maker), very little of the caffeine and flavors are extracted and will have poor taste.
Of course, filters play an essential role in managing the balance between over and under-brewing your coffee. Not only do they keep the grind out of your cup, but they also control how fast the water passes over the grinds. Paper filters are the most common, but many use metal varieties. Paper filters are good. However, they can absorb some of the coffee flavors, and some claim they can taste the paper in the final coffee. Metal filters are typically made from stainless steel or gold-plated mesh. They have a very fine weave and filter out the coffee grinds well. They also do not alter the taste of the coffee at all. Metal filters are also more environmentally friendly than the paper alternative.
Whichever you choose, be sure to buy decent quality. Cheap filters often clog or do not allow the coffee to brew properly. A proper quality metal filter will last years and save money.
Brewing a cup of coffee is not that hard. Brewing a great cup takes a little more understanding but isn't any more complicated. Start with fresh beans and good clean water, match your brewing style to the proper grind, and then mess around with the exact proportions, and pretty soon, you'll be brewing killer coffee every time.
Want to know all the secrets to make a perfect cup of coffee? Download the free eBook "How to Make a Perfect Cup of Coffee”!
