Do you routinely enjoy a cup of coffee? You might be absolutely overwhelmed with all the ideas and choices that are out there in the wide world of coffee. Keep reading into this article, though, as there are ideas here that can simplify and enhance your coffee habit in life.
To make a good coffee, always start with fresh beans. They should look kind of oily, and they should be potent. Try to avoid very dry beans, any grocery store beans, and any beans that have been exposed to air for a long time. Your best bet is to either roast beans yourself or buy them from a local roaster.
No matter how attached you are to your favorite blend, don’t be afraid to try a new variety. You don’t need to invest in a large bag to try out something new. Almost all brands will offer a single pot or sampler size to allow you to try out new flavors.
Do not use tap water when you are making coffee unless your faucet is fitted with a device that will filter out all of the impurities. There are many people that have no problem with tap water, but the reality is that tap water that tastes bad will make your coffee taste just as bad.
The human body needs at least four hours to eliminate caffeine. You should keep this in mind if you want to drink a cup of coffee before going to bed. It is best to drink a decaffeinated beverage if you need to go to sleep within the next few hours.
If regular coffee no longer provides you enough caffeine, consider brewing espresso. This does mean you will need a different piece of equipment, as your regular coffee maker likely cannot do it. Espresso machines are typically expensive though, and the intensity of the caffeine levels is too much for some. Try espresso a few times somewhere else before making this commitment for your home.
If you are living alone, or are the only one in your family who drinks coffee, consider purchasing a single-serve coffee maker. Companies such as Keurig have created coffee makers that use a coffee pod, a single serving of coffee grounds in a small container that fits inside the machine. This type of coffee maker is also useful if you like to drink a different flavor of coffee each day.
Coffee starts to lose flavor about six hours after it is initially roasted. This is why you should do everything you can to keep your coffee from getting a lot of air. When you store your coffee, use an airtight container so you can keep the quality of each cup at a high level.
Make sure that you refrain from combining coffee beans from different brands. Not only will the flavor be different, but you will also be combining two sets of coffees that have different expiration dates and levels of freshness. Stick with the same brand and the same bag of coffee beans each time.
For great coffee at home, it is essential to make sure your coffee maker has been thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. By running hot water cycles every so often and using a bit of lemon juice routinely to remove deposits, it is possible to have a fresh, tasty pot of coffee every single time.
Are you a fan of artificial sweeteners in coffee? Such substances often change the taste of coffee and render it rather bland. Instead, drink the coffee black without any sweeteners, or add raw sugar if you want a sweet taste. Alternatively, you may want to try using just half a pack of sweetener.
When buying coffee, never buy in bulk. Buy enough coffee for the week and store at room temperature. Heat and light destroy the flavor of your coffee. If you have to, you can store your beans in an airtight container in the freezer, and they will last up to a month.
When brewing coffee that will end up iced, make it extra-strong. Use up to two tablespoons of ground coffee for every four ounces of water. This ensures that your coffee will not taste diluted or watered-down once you pour it over the ice. Never pour hot coffee into a cold glass, however; allow it to cool first.
Although it can be difficult to create drip coffee, you can make it better. One limitation of drip coffee models is that they can take a while to heat up. However, you can remedy this problem with a couple of easy steps. First, run a single pot of water through the machine in order to heat it up. Once this is done, pour the water in for brewing. That’s it. You can save a lot of time and money doing this instead of going to a nearby coffee shop.
Did you know you could get addicted to caffeine? If you suffer from headaches or get irritated when you go a whole day without drinking coffee, you might be addicted. Try getting rid of your addiction by reducing the quantity of coffee you drink or by choosing a weaker blend.
Your French press can be refrigerated if you enjoy iced coffee. This will cool it down significantly before morning. By doing this and using fresh, cold water, your coffee will taste great.
Do you love espressos and cappuccinos but do not have the time to make these beverages? You should invest in an espresso or cappuccino machine that takes small cups of concentrated coffee. Try different brands and flavors of cups until you find one you love. This is the quickest and cheapest way to get quality espressos or cappuccinos.
With luck, this article has presented you with some coffee knowledge that you did not have before. The whole point of drinking coffee is to get through your day easier, right? So, hopefully this article has had a gem or two that make your coffee habit easier to manage in life.