Brewing a Perfect Cup of Coffee

Brewing a great cup of coffee depends on a number of things such as the quality of the coffee bean, the quality of the water being used, the type of brewing you are doing in order to make the best coffee possible.

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 flavours extracted and will have poor flavour. If coffee is left contacting water for too long for its grind size, unwanted extracts emerge and make the coffee taste bitter. A French press coffee maker can take as much as 4 minutes and uses an extremely coarse grind. Espresso coffee is only exposed to water for 20-40 seconds and as a result is made using extremely fine grind coffee. This means that smaller coffee grinds need less contact with the water, and coarser grinds need longer contact. Generally speaking, the 'soaking' time relates directly to how coarse the coffee is ground.

Metal filters are also more environmentally friendly than the paper alternative. They also do not alter the taste of the coffee flavour, and some people claim they can taste the paper in the final coffee. They have very fine weave and filter out the coffee grinds very well. Metal filters are normally made from stainless steel or gold plated mesh. However they can absorb some of the coffee flavour, and some people claim they can taste the paper in the final coffee. Paper filters are quite good. Paper filters are the most common, but many people are also using metal varieties. Paper filters are the most common, but many people are also using metal varieties. Not only do they keep the grind out of your cup, but they also control how fast the water passes over the grinds. Of course filters play an important role in managing the balance between over and under brewing your coffee.

A decent quality metal filter will last years and save money in the end. Cheap filters often clog or not allow the coffee to brew properly. Whichever you choose, be sure to buy decent quality.

Start with fresh beans and good clean water and then match your brewing style to the proper grind and then mess around with the exact proportions and pretty soon your be brewing killer coffee every time. Brewing a great cup takes a little more understanding, but isn't any harder. Brewing a cup of coffee is not that hard.

The Best Ways To Keep Coffee Hot In A Coffee Maker

Knowing a little more about coffee will help you understand how to keep it hot and tasting great. Are there things I should never do to keep my coffee warm? What happens to coffee as we keep it warm? How you keep your coffee hot depends a little on where you are and what you're doing. There is nothing worse than a tepid mouthful of stale coffee. Keeping our brew fresh and hot is a big deal for some of us coffee drinkers.

This little set of points should help you out in most situations.

- You get the best flavour from coffee that is kept at least 170F. They continue to brew and can produce very bitter coffee - Try to not use direct heat from an element or hotplate if possible - A sealed or closed container slows the loss of essential aromas that influence coffee flavour. - Use a thermal cup or mug for commuting or to keep it hot for short periods of time - Glass and stainless steel thermos style bottles barely effect coffee taste at all - French Press brewers (like Bodum) are not good for keeping coffee hot.

There are a number of taste related components in a cup of coffee is a freshly brewed cup of coffee.