Brewing a Perfect Cup of Coffee
There is truly no perfect recipe for a perfect coffee as coffee itself is remarkably diverse subject and its purely personal how one would like to enjoy their cup. Coffee can be brewed in different ways depending on the persons interest. However, each type of brew yields in distinctive form of coffee.
Brewing coffee is an artistic job and one can master the art by following a few guidelines. The important factors to be considered while brewing the coffee are.
The Brewing Apparatus:
There are many different tools available in the industry today for perfectly brewing coffee depending on one’s preference.
- Electronic drip coffee makers
- Espresso machines
- French press
- Aero press
- Pour over method using filters
Are a few famous methods to name.
It is important that one needs to maintain the brewing apparatus neat and clean and ensure that no grounds from the earlier use are left in the apparatus.
The Beans:
Aromatic and best coffee is a result of using the best possible beans. Each brewing technique requires a particular type of beans, roast, and grind.
The choice of beans that are used can be either Arabicas, Robusta or a blend of them. The choice of the beans determines the aroma, texture, and richness of the final drink.
The place of origin and type of the beans, the roast level and the grind size can be customized according to personal taste.
It is equally important that one uses the freshly roasted coffee beans for a great cup of coffee
The Grind:
The grind level depends entirely on the brewing apparatus that one intends to use. While cold brewing techniques prefer a coarse grind, French or aero press prefers a medium grind. The greater the grind size, the greater will be the time required for brewing. Hence quick brewing techniques such as espresso and Turkish coffee requires an exceptionally fine grind in order to efficiently extract the maximum flavor in a short time.
Coffee to Water ratio:
The golden thumb rule for a god quality brew is a tablespoon of coffee powder to 100 ml water. However, this can be customized according to one’s requirements. It’s important to use boiling water at close to 95 degree Celsius for brewing.
The brewing time is also especially important as one cannot allow the drink to be over brewed or under brewed. The following are the ideal brewing times for various brewing methods.
- Drip system: 5 min
- French press: 3 to 4 minutes
- Espresso: 20 to 30 seconds
Freshly prepared coffee starts to lose its taste and charm when allowed to sit for a while, so every cup of coffee is best had immediately after its brewed.
