Although choosing and buying the coffee beans is enjoyable, that is only half the fun of the entire coffee-making process.
The other half comes from the coffee brewing itself. Be careful, though, because even if you bought the finest coffee beans on the planet, if you brew them improperly then you will only end up ruining what could have been an excellent cup of joe.
The next part may sound complicated, almost like chemistry for some, but you need to understand that every step of the brewing process is important. Do not worry too much, though; the instructions here are simple enough that even novices can understand them.
The first thing that you need to understand is what is actually happening during the coffee brewing process, and it is quite simple really. You just expose the aggregate (in this case the ground up coffee beans) to hot water to extract the essential soluble inside of them (the flavors, essential oils, and some solids), and then filter the solution to remove most, if not all of the bad stuff.
1. Percolation vs. Maceration
There are basically two coffee brewing methods: percolation and maceration. Percolation means that you are allowing the hot water to flow freely through the coffee grinds. This is the process used by commercial drip coffee machines, espresso makers, and many more.
Maceration, on the other hand, is letting the coffee steep in the hot water for a couple of minutes, and then filtering out the unwanted particles. The French press is a fine example of coffee extraction using the maceration process.
You need to understand how each of these processes work to avoid what coffee connoisseurs call “over extraction,” which means you also extracted all of the bad flavors from your coffee beans. Learn how long the brewing process should be for each method.
2. The Perfect Grind
In most cases, finely grinding something (like spices) is better than coarse, but that is not always the case in coffee brewing. Most coffee experts advise against finely grinding coffee beans (unless you are making espresso) as it would only ruin what could have been a great cup of coffee.
This is why it is recommended that you get your hands on a burr coffee grinder with adjustable settings. Blade grinders, though they may seem useful, cannot really grind in a uniform and predictable manner. They sometimes leave some large noticeable chunks, while the rest of the beans have been ground into a fine powder.
In most, if not all cases, finely grinding coffee beans is a bad idea, and it usually leads to over extraction. For instance, if you are using a drip coffee maker, finely ground coffee beans will provide more surface area for the hot water to come in contact with, and this usually leads to it extracting most of the unwanted flavors. It gets worse when you use finely ground coffee beans in a French press.
Besides over extraction, you will also have to deal with the ground up coffee particles that got through the filter and into your drink.
Here is a quick guide for what kind of grind you need to use on your choice of coffee brewing process:
Coarse
The texture of the particles resemble rough kosher salt. There are distinct chunks of coffee visible in the grind. Brewing method: French Press, Plunger Pots, and Vacuum Coffee Pots.
Medium
This grind has a gritty and almost sand-like consistency. There are visible coffee flakes in the grind. Brewing method: Drip coffee makers that have flat-bottomed filters.
Fine
This is a smooth, fine grind; almost like table salt, maybe even finer.Brewing method: Drip Coffee Makers with a conical filter (most household coffee makers), Espresso Machines
The grind size can also influence the brewing time of your coffee. The finer the grind of your coffee, the faster the extraction time will be. If you are using a fine grind, you need to keep a close watch on your timer because over-extraction will sneak up on you quickly. On the other hand, coarser grinds are more forgiving, but not by that much, so you still have to be wary.
3. Water
You may have noticed that you need to be a stickler when choosing coffee beans, equipment, and the right grind size. However, when it comes to choosing the water you will be using, it is quite ironic that you can actually use tap water and in most cases, it is recommended.
Most people think that in order to make the perfect cup of coffee, they need to use perfectly clean, distilled water. However, according to coffee experts, distilled water will only ruin the taste of coffee.
Using distilled water, which has all of the mineral taste removed, actually produces coffee that tastes bland and flat. Unbeknownst to most people, the minerals found in the water actually help enhance the flavor profile of coffee.
So, how do you choose the kind of water to use in your coffee? If you like the taste of the water coming out of your tap then use it. Just make sure to use a simple water filter to take away most of the chlorine and other particulates that can negatively affect the taste of the final product. You can also use regular bottled water (not that fancy stuff) if you are not sure about your tap water.
4. Water Temperature
Although it is not important where you get the water for your coffee, it is still important that you keep a close eye on its temperature. Ideally, the water you use for coffee brewing should be within 195 and 205 degrees F. The closer you can get to 205 degrees, the better. It is unadvisable to use boiling water (212 degrees F) as it may burn the coffee (yes, hot water can still burn).
A good rule of thumb is to bring the water to a boil, remove the kettle from the heat, and wait 30 seconds to a minute before pouring it over the coffee grinds. Again, you do not have to worry about water temperature when using automatic drip machines. Keeping an eye on water temperature is geared more towards those who plan to use French presses and other manual coffee brewing methods.
5. Water-Coffee Ratio
This is why you really need to have an accurate kitchen scale. If you want a perfect cup of coffee every time you brew, then it is essential that you weigh the amount of beans before you grind them.
Here is the standard coffee-water ratio used by most serious coffee drinkers:
For one standard cup of coffee, you will need 6 teaspoons (10.6 grams, 0.38 ounces) of coffee, and ¾ of a cup (6 fl. oz.) of water.
Although this is the standard coffee-water ratio used by most connoisseurs, it is highly recommended that you tweak the amounts to suit your personal taste.
6. Brewing Time
Do you remember earlier when you learned not to let the water steep in the coffee for too long? Well, now you will learn how to time the brewing process properly to avoid over extraction.
The important thing that you need to take note of is that in most cases, 90 percent of the desired solubles and flavors are extracted from the coffee during the initial brewing process. In other words, you are already extracting most of the flavors and other good stuff from the coffee almost immediately, so you do not have to wait too long, and it is advised that you don’t.
Here’s a good example, for a French Press, the ideal extraction time is around 6 to 8 minutes. This means you just let the coffee grinds steep in the hot water for no more than three minutes, and then you slowly push the plunger down. You don’t have to worry too much about timing when using a drip coffee machine as it would do all the work for you, but it is important that you do not let the coffee sit too long on the hot plate, as it will ruin the flavor. Drink the coffee as soon as possible.
You should not let the coffee brew for too long because it will extract the tannic acid from the coffee beans. Besides staining your teeth in an unflattering shade of brown, tannic acid can cause heartburn, indigestion, and it can cause serious stomach ulcers. So you are not just making your coffee bitter when you brew it too long, you also risk your health.
7. Serving the Coffee Properly
While it is perfectly acceptable to use whatever coffee cups or mugs you have at home, if you want to savor the experience of drinking the perfect coffee, you need to serve it in the appropriate cup. For instance, for a cappuccino you need to use a traditional 6 oz. cappuccino cup. This is the perfect size cup for cappuccino because it can fit all of the ingredients for a traditional cappuccino (2 oz. espresso, 2 oz. of steamed milk, and 2 oz. of milk foam on top).
For espressos, the smaller 2 to 3 oz. demitasse is preferred because that is the amount of a single serving (around two shots) of espresso. Besides espressos, you can also serve macchiato in a demitasse.
8. Storing Coffee
Of course, even if you only buy enough coffee to last you a week, you still need to store it properly if you want the last cup of the batch to be as delicious as the first was. You need to place your unused coffee beans inside a dark, airtight container and store them in a cool, dry place. Mason jars will not do great as coffee containers because they let in too much light. If you can find them, the perfect containers for coffee are those plastic bags that have CO2 valves. This means they let CO2 escape, but they do not let oxygen come inside.
Okay, now you have gained an approximate knowledge on how to brew a great cup of coffee. Do not get too confident though. You are still far from being at the level of professional baristas; but with enough practice, you will eventually get there.