Walking into a specialty coffee shop these days can be intimidating, to say the least. It takes a whole new vocabulary just to order a cup of coffee, with lingo that includes words like “double, skinny, no whip, 3/4 shot decaf” and more. Though it can seem excessive to a newcomer, you may find that you actually enjoy the options that you have now. Read on for some ways to decipher the meaning of these things.
Be mindful of just what water you put into your coffee maker. If your water tastes bad, the coffee isn’t going to be good. Use water that has minerals in it. Minerals are important in ensuring that your coffee tastes balanced and not bitter.
If you loved your coffee on ice, try cold-brewing your own coffee concentrated. There are many recipes available online; Most entail mixing a few cups of water into several ounces of ground coffee, allowing the mixture to sit overnight. When the grounds are strained out, you are left with a smooth, rich concentrate that can be diluted with milk or water and ice.
Remember that coffee is a very absorbent food. So, proper storage is essential. Keep your unused coffee in a place that is dry and cool where it is protected from both sunlight and heat. However, do not store it in your fridge or freezer. Also make sure the container is opaque and air-tight, to prevent coffee from absorbing flavor and aromas from other foods.
Ensure you are using pure, fresh, and clean water to brew your coffee. Your coffee is only as tasty as the water it’s made with. Therefore, you should probably taste the water prior to brewing your coffee.
If you want to help the Earth out a little in your coffee habit, then buy filters that are reusable. These will spare you from wasting a lot of paper filters in the future. This is green for the planet, and saves the green in your wallet. Many reusable filter enthusiasts also think their coffee tastes better this way.
It is important to pay attention to how much water you need for your specific coffee maker. If you skimp on water, your coffee will end up being too strong. Conversely, too much water and you’ll have weak tasting coffee. You should usually use two cups of water for each scoop of coffee grounds.
If you are planning to store coffee beans, keep them in a place that is close to room temperature. This will help to extend the longevity of the beans, so that no flavor is lost providing great-tasting coffee for a very long time. Storing coffee beans in temperatures too hot or cold can cause them to go stale faster.
When grinding your coffee at the store, use a medium grind if you plan to drip brewed coffee. A medium grind is similar to the consistency of granulated sugar. This grind is perfect for a drip brew that takes about 6 minutes. If it takes longer, use a coarser grind.
There is a lot of different choices in coffee makers. Most people have the standard drip brew machine that makes about 12 cups at a time. Some of the latest models of coffee makers use individual pods, and make only one cup. These machines work very fast, and are great for people in a hurry.
To get the strongest cup of coffee, only grind your beans immediately before you brew them. While grinding is fun and fills your kitchen with the enticing aroma of fresh coffee, it also immediately releases the flavor of your beans, limiting their shelf life. To get the freshest brew every time, invest in a coffee machine that both grinds and brews.
Do not buy purchase coffee that has packaged beans and is pre-flavored. These coffees are made using oil that is hard to clean out of a coffee pot. They will also affect future pots of coffee that you make, giving each subsequent cup a funny taste. Furthermore, the flavors these coffees are made with tend not to taste good anyway.
If you like the taste of coffee, but you avoid it due to it giving you the jitters, you should switch to a brand of coffee that does not contain caffeine. You will be able to drink as much coffee as you want without worrying about getting a huge caffeine rush.
In order to brew the very best cup of coffee possible at home, try to purchase a coffee maker that has an integrated charcoal filtration mechanism. By ensuring that the water used to make each cup is as pure and clean as it can be, you can rest assured that you are extracting the best possible flavor from your beans or ground coffee.
Look up coffee recipes online and you will find that you can make most fancy beverages you can find in coffee shops. And the best part is, all the ingredients you need are easy to find and cheaper than anything you will find in coffee shops. You should always keep some milk, different kinds of nuts, caramel and chocolate syrup so you can make your favorite beverages.
You can use old coffee grinds to stave off ants around your homes. Yes, it’s just one of the many benefits of coffee. Ants hate the smell of coffee, and so it acts as a repellant. Coffee grinds also make great compost. If you can save them for this purpose, it will benefit you.
Only grind your coffee when you plan to use it. Coffee will quickly lose it’s flavor after it’s ground. Make sure that your grinder has a strong blade. Not only will you get a better yield, you will also get grinds that are less powdery (powdered grinds can taste unsavory or bitter).
Now that you have had a full immersion into the world of ordering specialty coffee drinks, you are ready to dive right in and order up the perfect coffee exactly the way you like it. Be bold and experiment, then sit back with a newspaper and enjoy the world’s favorite beverage.
