Showing posts with label exposed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exposed. Show all posts

Sunday, January 4, 2009

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.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Why Is Coffee Not My Cup Of Tea? Is It Stale?

In many cases it is due to over stocking. How does coffee get to the point of being stale? Stale coffee can leave a bad taste in your mouth, but if you buy coffee that is guaranteed fresh when you brew it then it will taste smooth and refreshing. Stale coffee itself is horrible to drink. After some research it a cured to me that the problem is lack of freshness, and coffee that was brewed hours ago. So what is giving coffee such a bad rap? In fact, fresh coffee is smooth and tasty even undoctored. Fresh coffee is never bitter. Most everyone that I have talked to that does not like coffee said that it is the bitter taste they don't like.

Another problem is over stocking. This is the main reason coffee gets to the point of being stale. Poor packaging is when the product is not properly sealed from the manufacture, or the seal is broken then the coffee is exposed to the air, which dries out the coffee.

What about coffee that was brewed 4 hours ago? If you were to brew a cup of coffee will be horrible. I have worked for a grocery store before and I have seen products stay on the shelves for months. Do you see the problem now? It can vary, but the average length is about 6 months. How long can coffee remain fresh in a vacuum-sealed container? The problem is they can sit on that coffee for month, or even years until it is sold. Many distributors of coffee buy by volume to get the coffee at a cheaper price. When a store over stocks there products the product sits longer on the shelf or in the back and over time the freshness fades away.

How fresh is your coffee? My wife hates coffee because of her first bad experience, and after I roasted her a fresh batch she admitted that it was really good and not bitter. If it is not fresh don't drink it. The coffee can have a burnt taste that is also bitter. In many cases the coffee appears thicker because the water is vaporized over time.

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