If you are like many people, you just can’t get going in the morning without a good cup of coffee. Even if you drink coffee regularly, there are probably still things that you do not know about your favorite drink. To learn more about coffee, keep reading the following article.
If you want great coffee at home you have a couple choices. You can invest in either an espresso machine, or one of the new single serve coffee makers. The espresso machine will require a bit of a learning curve as you learn to properly brew espresso and steam milk, but can be a great way to impress your friends.
Will you serve coffee to visitors? Think about decorating your lattes. Impress and wow your guests by making flower shapes in their latte. Use milk and melted chocolate to practice when you make your own.
Buy your coffee directly from the roaster. You can do this easily online these days. A lot of places are willing to ship directly to you. Your coffee will arrive within a couple of days. This is the way to get the freshest roast coffee to drink every morning with breakfast.
Keep your automatic coffee maker clean with white vinegar. Run a brewing cycle with one part water to one part white vinegar. After allowing the carafe to soak in the vinegar for a while, run a cycle with plain water to rinse the machine. Clean your coffee maker once every week or two to remove rancid coffee oils, mold and other contaminants.
Make sure you are patient whenever you are creating lattes. The best lattes are those that are created with due care. Be careful when pouring the milk, and use extreme caution when creating the design. Don’t just rush into it, and if you need some ideas on designs, check out Flickr.
When you get some coffee beans, put most of them away in an airtight container. Place the container in your freezer if you do not have a cool place to keep it. You should grind small quantities of beans, for instance enough to last you for a week. Experience with different grinding techniques if you want different flavors.
If you are used to an independent coffee house, then be careful when ordering in Starbucks. They have a very different language for their products, as part of their distinct branding. The Caramel Macchiato you love back home is not going to taste at all the same in a Starbucks while on the road.
The water to coffee ratio when brewing a pot of coffee is very important. There is a difference between a cup of coffee and an actual measuring cup. A measuring cup is eight ounces and a typical coffee cup is about six ounces. For a coffee cup size, use 2 tablespoons of your ground beans. If you use a measuring cup, it could end up making your coffee too watery.
Avoid using pre-flavored and packaged coffee beans. These beans are sprayed with extra oils that are very difficult to clean out of grinders and coffee machines. That oil stays in the machines and mixes with later batches causing strange-tasting coffee. They also tend to make the coffee smell better than it tastes.
Fair trade coffee is a great way to support developing countries. This is expensive but has a much higher quality for you to serve to your family. In addition to a great cup of coffee, you will be supporting small farmer cooperatives in developing countries.
Once you have opened your coffee, it is important that you store it properly. Conditions that are too hot or too cold could take away its flavor. Store coffee in a container that can be sealed tightly and keep it in a room that has room temperature. Keep it away from the stove!
If you do not grind your own coffee, you should consider doing so. The best and most flavorful cup of coffee will come from freshly ground beans. Coffee grinders are not very expensive and this extra step only takes a minute. You will notice the difference in taste from your very first cup.
Eliminate the expense of coffee shop lattes by making your own at home. With practice you can even teach yourself to create the fancy designs produced by the baristas at your favorite local coffee shop. All you need to perfect your design is patience and practice. Pour the milk into the cup slowly and finish with melted chocolate.
Try adding coffee to your meat recipes. While coffee is usually used for its “coffee flavor” in dessert dishes, it can make meat dishes taste better. The flavor of the coffee will not overpower meat like it does with sweet items, but it will boost the natural flavors of the meat.
Try a new variety or blend of coffee every week. This can be a great idea for a lot of reasons. You can try new tastes of course, and that helps you avoid getting bored with one flavor, but there is also an opportunity for you to buy a new favorite.
If you want to retain the fresh flavor of coffee you just brewed, remove it from the burner in less than ten minutes. If it stays on longer than that, the coffee will not taste right. Use a thermos instead to keep it warm.
Vary your coffee choice. Try out different blends when you go to the store. If you like flavored coffee, try different flavors with different blends.
Be moderate in your coffee intake. Too much coffee can actually dehydrate you. Two servings of water are needed to balance the effects of one cup of coffee. A single cup of coffee is fine but when you drink more than that, watch for dehydration.
Now that you have read this article, you should have learned something new about coffee. The more you know about coffee, the more enjoyment you will get from each delicious cup of hot java. Keep the information from this article in mind the next time you fire up your coffee pot.