If you are a coffee drinker, you may have noticed that the coffee you brew at your home never tastes as good as what you can get in restaurants or at Starbucks. This simple fact sometimes prevents people from brewing their own coffee at home, but going out of the house every day for your morning brew is both inconvenient and very costly. If you simply follow the tips outlined below, you can brew your own great tasting coffee at home and save yourself a lot of money.
Use Fresh Coffee Beans
Fresh beans are essential to making a great cup of joe. Ideally, you should grind your own whole beans every time you brew a pot because coffee loses its flavor as soon as the beans are ground. Just think of the month old can of pre-ground Folgers or Maxwell House you have in the pantry. It smells amazing when you first open it, but it is all down hill from there.
Use High Quality Water
Whatever contaminates, particles, or flavor agents are in your water will end up in your coffee. If you don't like the taste of your tap water, why would you expect to like the taste of the coffee that your tap water produces? If you could afford to use bottled spring water every day, that would be great, but it wouldn't be any cheaper than going to Starbucks. Instead, you should filter your water with a simple home water pitcher. Several brands of these filter pitchers are on the market for a good price. Brita, and Pur are two popular manufacturers of water filters that you can try.
Brew at the Correct Temperature
Coffee beans give up their best flavors just below the boiling point of water. If your coffee maker doesn't get the water hot enough, you won't be able to extract the best flavor from your beans. Instead, you will get dull, bitter flavors that you won't enjoy. To make sure you are brewing at the right temperature, make sure you have a good quality coffee maker. Higher end makers will come with a temperature setting feature. If your maker has this, be sure it is set at or around 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you follow these steps you will be making great coffee at home in no time, and yo will be saving yourself a few dollars every day.
