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.

espresso makers 101 a guide to espresso makers and machines

As the water is heated, it forces steam up through a tube to the second chamber, then the top, making espresso that is ready to serve. There are three chambers, the top holding the ground coffee, the middle being a filter basket and the bottom holds the water. The first, and most common one to find in homes in Spain, Portugal and Italy, is the stovetop espresso maker. Believe it or not, there are eight different types of espresso makers. Ornate and exquisite, they can be made out of brass, copper, chrome or silver. This type of espresso maker comes in high end designs that can cost several hundreds of dollars. A steam espresso maker is another beast entirely. Before, the crema was thought of as an unwanted waste product. Also, the piston-driven espresso maker is what made the crema a desirable trait in a cup of the drink. The piston-driven espresso machine gave birth to its pump-driven counterpart. Small, simple and ideal for home use, it is also the most popular machine found in American coffee shops. A motor-driven pump does the work that manual force used to, making this version very easy to operate. There are also semi automatic and automatic espresso machines, the former is automatic in the way that the water is delivered from a pump instead of manual force. The latter allows the user to send a programmed amount of water through the flow meter. The antithesis of the Presso manually operated coffee press, these are more expensive but completely fool proof. Fully self contained, all you have to do is fill the water reservoir and bean hopper. From grinding to tamping and extracting, getting a perfect cup of espresso has never been easier. Super automatic espresso machines are even easier to operate, since they literally do all of the work for you.

As the water is heated, it forces steam up through a tube to the second chamber, then the top, making espresso that is ready to serve. There are three chambers, the top holding the ground coffee, the middle being a filter basket and the bottom holds the water. The first, and most common one to find in homes in Spain, Portugal and Italy, is the stovetop espresso maker. Believe it or not, there are eight different types of espresso makers.Ornate and exquisite, they can be made out of brass, copper, chrome or silver. This type of espresso maker comes in high end designs that can cost several hundreds of dollars. A piston-driven espresso maker is another beast entirely. A piston-driven espresso maker is very similar to a stovetop one, and produces a cup of espresso that is nearly identical. A piston-driven espresso maker is very similar to a stovetop one, and produces a cup of espresso that is nearly identical. A steam espresso maker is very similar to a stovetop one, and produces a cup of espresso that is nearly identical.Before, the crema was thought of as an unwanted waste product. Also, the piston-driven espresso maker is what made the crema a desirable trait in a cup of the drink.The antithesis of the Presso manually operated coffee press, these are more expensive but completely fool proof. Fully self contained, all you have to do is fill the water reservoir and bean hopper. From grinding to tamping and extracting, getting a perfect cup of espresso has never been easier. Super automatic espresso machines are even easier to operate, since they literally do all of the work for you.

4 different coffee brewing methods

Here we explore the four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods: Espresso, French Press, Drip Filtration and Mokta or Stovetop method. Coffee Brewing Methods range from popular Espresso or French Press methods to lesser used methods like Turkish. Espresso The water then finds a path through the coffee grind it is referred to as the 'shot being pulled' through the group. The pressurized infusion process ensures that the water stays in contact with the coffee grounds long enough to draw out much of the coffee ground flavor. Super hot, pressurized water is forced through fine ground, tightly packed coffee. Probably the most popular of the Coffee Brewing Methods in recent times is making an Espresso using a machine. Using a course grind will still produce a good coffee, but it will taste more like a coffee produced using a Drip Filter coffee brewing method rather than true Espresso coffee. And if you didn't catch it when I started talking about Espresso, use a fine grind. Oils break down with time, and so a rich crema will be produced using fresh beans. This is produced by the pressurizing process and the oils of the coffee bean. Crema is the hazelnut foam that sits on the surface of the coffee. The sign of a good espresso, using fresh coffee beans, is the richness of the crema. French Press One of the simplest of all Coffee Brewing Methods is the French Press or Plunger. This is probably the easiest way to make great coffee! The French Press works by directly mixing ground coffee with near boiling water. The coffee flavors get drawn out into the water and then the press or plunger is depressed, separating the exhausted coffee grind from the brew. While the process has a similar taste to the Drip Filtration style, the French Press can extract more flavor from the coffee grind by extending the brewing time. Manual infusion requires you to get your timing right. If you let the brewing process run too long you may end up with a bitter coffee. Conversely, if you brew too quickly you will have a weak tasting coffee. One more point, use a course grind. You don't want fine ground coffee escaping through the metal filter and into the brew. A dusty cup of coffee is not an experience worth having. Drip Filtration
Let's start with the Drip Filtration style. Drip Filtration is probably the most popular method of all. The Drip Filtration machine works by spraying hot water across ground coffee that is held in a conical shaped filter. The hot water then slowly moves through the ground coffee. Once the water reaches the bottom of the conical filter, it drips into a container beneath it. The most widely used conical filters are made of paper, while expensive stainless steel or gold conical filters are also available. When buying paper filters, be sure to use oxygen bleached paper. Chemically treated papers may affect the taste of your coffee. Another point to be aware of with paper filters is that you may also have some of the flavorful coffee oils trapped by the paper filter. It is the oils that produce the rich crema when you make an espresso. The grind is also important with Drip Filtration. If the grind is too fine, you may clog the pores of your filter. You can avoid this by using a course grind (read about grinding here). Finally, if you do not expect to drink the full pot of coffee, either by yourself (all that caffeine....) or with friends, beware the constantly heated coffee. It loses its flavor and may even become bitter. And the golden rule....never reheat coffee.
Mokta Pot/Stovetop The Moka Pot style is also known as a Stovetop coffee pot. Moka pot's come in several sizes including 2, 4 or 6 cup capacities. The Moka Pot a simple 3 piece pot. The water reservoir is at the base, with a coffee basket in the middle and the brewed coffee ends up in the top.
The coffee brewing method is very simple. The pot is placed on a stove top which heats the water in the lower reservoir. As the water reaches boiling point, the steam rises and the water starts to push upward through the coffee grounds. This continues to travel up the central funnel and seeps into the top chamber where it comes to rest. The process finishes when the coffee stops moving into the top chamber. This should only take a few minutes to brew depending on the cup size of the Moka pot.

The grind should be a fine grind, similar or finer to that used in an Espresso machine. If you want to fill the coffee basket the way traditional Italian drinkers do, then heap the coffee grounds high in the coffee basket and screw the two pieces together. Don't worry about compacting the coffee. When the top half of the pot is screwed on, the grounds will be compacted by the filter screen. You should end up with a dry, compacted puck of coffee grounds at the end of brewing.

So there you have it. The four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods.

Here we explore the four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods: Espresso, French Press, Drip Filtration and Mokta or Stovetop method. Coffee Brewing Methods range from popular Espresso or French Press methods to lesser used methods like Turkish.EspressoWhen the water finds a path through the coffee grind it is referred to as the 'shot being pulled' through the group. And the coffee commences to pour into your cup. The water then finds a path through the coffee grounds. The pressurized infusion process ensures that the water stays in contact with the coffee grounds long enough to draw out much of the coffee ground flavor. Super hot, pressurized water is forced through fine ground, tightly packed coffee. Probably the most popular of the Coffee Brewing Methods in recent times is making an Espresso using a machine.Using a course grind will still produce a good coffee, but it will taste more like a coffee produced using a Drip Filter coffee brewing method rather than true Espresso coffee. And if you didn't catch it when I started talking about Espresso, use a fine grind. Oils break down with time, and so a rich crema will be produced using fresh beans. This is produced by the pressurizing process and the oils of the coffee bean. Crema is the hazelnut foam that sits on the surface of the coffee. The sign of a good espresso, using fresh coffee beans, is the richness of the crema. French Press Drip Filtration



Mokta Pot/Stovetop

tips for choosing a coffee maker

You may be having a coffee maker at home, but you may still want to know the different types of coffee makers in the market and choosing the one that suits you is made easy with this article. You need to answer the above questions before going to find a new Or, are you looking for a cheap coffee maker which makes coffee as quickly as possible? Do you want foam or options for espresso and cappuccino? Do you want a coffee maker having a built in grinder so that you can grind your own beans? It could be because you are a coffee addict and you need 10 cups every day or you may want to go for a smaller, single serve coffee maker? You need to answer the above questions before going to find a new coffee maker you should be clear with the reasons to purchase it. Or, are you looking for a cheap coffee maker which makes coffee as quickly as possible? Do you want foam or options for espresso and cappuccino? Do you want a coffee maker having a built in grinder so that you can grind your own beans? It could be because you are a coffee addict and you need 10 cups every day or you may want to go for a smaller, single serve coffee maker? Before going for a new coffee maker you should be clear with the reasons to purchase it. This can prepare just one or more cups at a time. It is a user friendly coffee maker and hence it is very familiar in the market. Here you need to put water either in the back or side of the coffee maker, put in a filter, fill it with coffee and then press the start button. The only thing you need to think about is the type of coffee maker is the “Automatic Dripâ€?. This can prepare just one or more cups at a time. It is a user friendly coffee maker and hence it is very familiar in the market. The only thing you need to put water either in the back or side of the coffee maker, put in a filter, fill it with coffee and then press the start button. This can prepare just one or more cups at a time. It is a user friendly coffee maker and hence it is very familiar in the market. Here you need to put water either in the back or side of the coffee maker, put in a filter, fill it with coffee and then press the start button. Obviously, the most familiar type of coffee maker is the “Automatic Dripâ€?. “Manual Drip” is the second most standard type of coffee maker. This is similar to automatic drip but here you need to heat up and pour the water manually, into the holder where the coffee filter is filled with coffee sits. Once it is drained into the pot your job is done and these can also make either single cup or up to 12 cups but aren’t usually used commercially. People who are into fishing, hunting and camping, choose this as it is convenient to carry along and you can heat the water according to your needs. If you want a cup of coffee at any moment you can use a stove, the campfire or even a hot car engine. For people who know exactly what they like, Espresso and Cappuccino machines are more effective. They are very expensive when compared to other normal coffee makers. Depending upon the type of machine, coffee makers utilize pressure, foam, froth and milk to prepare coffee. Nowadays, these types of machines are fast moving and are more affordable than ever before. If you look around, you will find the outmoded percolators, vacuum brewers, French presses and many more are available, both on-line as well as with the local dealer. Apart from these, there are numerous types of coffee makers which may attract you.

You may be having a coffee maker at home, but you may still want to know the different types of coffee makers in the market and choosing the one that suits you is made easy with this article.Before going for a new coffee maker.You can get quality coffee beans grounded from the store and add some flavors you like such as hazelnut, vanilla and cinnamon. Obviously, the most familiar type of coffee you want to put into it.If you look around, you will find the outmoded percolators, vacuum brewers, French presses and many more are available, both on-line as well as with the local dealer. Apart from these, there are numerous types of coffee makers which may attract you.