Most adults enjoy a good cup of coffee every now and then, but constantly stopping by your local coffee shop can be quite expensive in the long term. Making your own coffee on the other hand, is not quite as easy as it sounds. Even choosing the right type can be difficult for many. The following article will help you determine what type of coffee you are most likely to enjoy.
Put your coffee in the fridge. After you have exposed roasted coffee beans or grinds to fresh air, the flavor can deteriorate quickly. Actually, a large amount of flavor is lost within seven to ten days. Keeping your coffee in the fridge after you have opened the can keeps it fresh longer.
If iced coffee appeals to you, think about making a pot of strong coffee in the evening and letting it chill overnight. Using this technique will allow coffee to cool before pouring it over ice. To properly sweeten your iced coffee, add sweetener before placing in the refrigerator. This way, you can enjoy a great cup of iced coffee the next morning.
If you really want to try your hand at making a great cup of fresh roasted coffee, try roasting the beans yourself. There are a variety of ways to roast your own beans if you have access to green coffee. You can even put them on a cookie sheet in your oven to roast them yourself.
When you are storing coffee, try not to store it in containers that are made out of glass. While there may seem to be airtight, the reality is that they are not, and a lot of air will be able to reach the coffee. This will negatively affect the taste.
To keep your coffee beans fresh, put them in the freezer. While many people refrigerate their coffee, doing so allows the beans to absorb odors from foods inside your fridge. A better solution is to freeze the beans. One easy approach is to divide the beans into several smaller packages so you can simply remove a package as needed.
Instead of drinking fruit drinks or sodas when you are preparing for your finals at school, try drinking a few cups of coffee. This will give you the amount of energy that you need to function well without the sugar, and is a great option to have for fall or winter nights when you are studying.
To get the ideal flavor from your coffee beans, the water needs to be just the right temperature. Boiling water is too hot and as a result will sap the more bitter oils from your beans. Alternately, water that is not hot enough will not brew all the flavor from your beans leaving you with a very bland coffee.
Now matter how badly you need a caffeine fix, don’t pour your coffee until it is fully brewed. While you can do this with some machines, the coffee quality will not be as good. Try getting one with a timer instead. If you do this, you can set your timer to finish brewing your coffee before you get out of bed.
If you are trying to cut down on your caffeine consumption, it is not necessary to go cold-turkey. You can slowly ween off of coffee by adding in decaffeinated beans with regular beans. If your beans are already ground, use half regular and half decaf.
Always drink coffee out of a mug that is designed for hot items. Never pour coffee into glass, as this can possibly break your glass and leave you with stains that you do not want. A mug is probably the best option that you can choose when deciding where you want to drink your coffee out of.
The water you use in your coffee is as important as the beans. If you use a drip-brewer, then avoid putting hot water into the drip machine. Instead, start with cold water. Charcoal filters can dramatically improve the taste of local water, but avoid using softening filters on your coffee water. Softened water may not pull the oils from the beans properly.
Even if you cannot afford designer coffee beans, you can get a more flavorful brew by choosing coffee beans or freshly ground coffee over packaged ground coffee. Because grinding the beans instantly releases their flavor, you want to brew ground beans as quickly as possible. Coffee that is already ground when you buy it is probably past its flavor prime.
You should use a little coffee when you are making steak because it helps the flavor and the texture. Not only will it make the meat more tender, but if you rub it in the outside of a steak and cook it, you will be treated to a slightly smoky flavor.
To allow for proper water penetration in your coffee grounds, be sure to indent them. Take your index finger and add a small dimple to the middle of your grounds. It should be about an inch and a half deep. That indent will allow the water to evenly penetrate the grounds that reside at the bottom of your cone.
Even if your coffee pot has a “pause and serves” type feature, avoid using it. Let the coffee brew completely before pouring yourself a cup. When you use this feature, the coffee pot needs to wait and let the water heat to the proper temperature before it can start dripping again.
If you are a fan of iced coffee, always brew your coffee strong. The reason for this is when you add ice to the coffee, it waters it down. This is the same for people who like coffee shakes. When you put the ice in the blender with the coffee, you are essentially diluting your brew. So always start strong with iced coffee.
Determining what types of coffee to purchase can be a pretty difficult decision. However, when you use the tips and tricks mentioned in the article above, you are well on your way towards making an informed decision that is sure to result in a wonderful cup of joe time and time again.
