If you enjoy coffee, then chances are you like to enjoy a good cup at any time of the day. About half of U.S population drinks coffee. But for some of us, it’s hard to imagine going through so much fuss to make a cup at home. Now that Nespresso machines and other capsule fed devices are so easy to buy, making coffee is simplified. But what about the good old days when you would make your coffee at home from fresh coffee beans? Goodness me, who would dare! Imagine the disaster that would be if you happened to make bad coffee…
Well, to be honest, it’s not hard to make bad coffee. There is a bit of skill that goes into making good coffee though. But not as hard as you think it would be. Do you want to make great coffee at home without making mistakes? Here are some methods you should try with tips on how to make coffee like a pro and also check out Convergent-Coffee – Espresso and Coffee Review.
Drip coffee maker
Here we are in 2020 and most people who have seen these types of coffee machines will wonder if these belong in a museum. Alright then, it’s not like the one your grandparents use to have but it does look primitive.
1960s Coffee Maker
Even the modern automatic drip versions have a left-over 1960s look to them. They aren’t especially hard to use, but the secret to getting good coffee out of them is the big secret. Here are some simple steps to make a great cup each time.
1) Start with fresh filtered water. Never use tap water since this has minerals and additives that don’t taste good when heated.
2) Always use unbleached coffee filters for your coffee grounds. White bleached filters use chemicals to make the paper whitened. You don’t want these left-over chemicals in your coffee since they affect the flavor.
3) Always use fresh coffee beans that you grind yourself. This way, any new brewed batch of coffee tastes better than pre-ground coffee grounds.
4) Don’t let your fresh coffee go to waste if you don’t drink it all. You can freeze left-over coffee in an ice-cube container and enjoy iced coffee that tastes fresh.
French Press
You might think this odd-looking coffee maker is going to be complicated, but it’s all about the technique that makes it work. It’s all about the downward push movement to separate the coffee grounds from the water. Oh, that’s all? But here are some things you should know before using a French Press. This is what makes a perfect rich cup even better.
1) French Press uses coarse ground coffee only. The grind needs to be even-sized granules but not as fine as sand. The granules should be like this so they don’t slip through the filter. Most people prefer Starbucks ground coffee as it makes coffee even more flavoursome.
2) Add the appropriate amount of ground coffee into the French press vessel first. Depending on how strong you like your coffee, will determine the number of tablespoons used. A 3-cup French press starts with 3-5 tablespoons.
3) Hot water is poured into the French press vessel over the coffee grounds and the top of the press must be attached. The water must be hot but not boiling. Commonly, 198 degrees Fahrenheit is the best temperature. The total time the coffee is allowed to sit is 4 minutes.
4) The plunger for the press is slowly pushed downward in a steady motion until it reaches the bottom and no longer moves. After this, the coffee can be poured.
Pour Over coffee maker
Coffee houses make a big deal out of these interesting dual-chamber coffee makers. The more fancy looking these tend to get, the more expensive the price goes up to. They all do the same thing, so any budget version works great. But here is how you can get the best results.
1) Add an unbleached filter to the top vessel. It needs to have a bit of hot water poured on it to wet-out the filter first.
2) Then add your coffee grounds into the filter and begin pouring your hot water over the grounds. The grounds will react and foam-up a little, so using a small spoon will settle it down. The remaining water is poured in a circular pattern over the grounds until you have enough to fill the bottom chamber.
3) The top filter vessel is taken off and then you can pour your coffee immediately.
Turkish Coffee
Have you ever tried Turkish coffee? If you like this delightful coffee drink, you can make an excellent cup at home. Don’t make the mistake of buying pre-ground Turkish coffee grounds. It can be done at home with a decent electric grinder. Here is how you get the best results.
1) Grind your favorite beans in an electric grinder until the coffee is a fine powder-like powdered sugar. You will also need a Cezve to boil the coffee. This is a special boiling pot used traditionally for Turkish coffee.
2) Add water to the Cezva (about 1.7 oz) and bring the water to a boil. Once it starts to boil, turn off the stove flame. A single teaspoon of powdered coffee (per cup) is added and stirred into the water. You need to remove any foam that comes to the top. This needs to be done twice, so after the second boil, remove the excess foam after it comes to a boil. Once it reaches a second boil it needs to be removed from the heat again.
3) Add sugar to taste although you can use ground cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom. Then pour the coffee in a little cup and enjoy it.
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