| There is good coffee and absolutely abysmal | | | | should use the strength meter on its highest |
| coffee. Both may start with the same elements, | | | | position possible to allow more water to penetrate |
| but one cup can taste completely different to | | | | the grounds evenly. |
| another. Freshness is the key to great tasting | | | | 6. Use unbleached coffee filters or ensure your |
| coffee. Here is the play by play smackdown of | | | | permanent filter is free from all coffee sludge. |
| how to create a fantastic tasting cup of coffee. | | | | When it comes to coffee, cleanliness is next to |
| 1. Use good beans. Go to a local coffee roaster | | | | Godliness. |
| and buy only enough coffee beans to last you a | | | | 7. Stir the pot. Once the coffee is brewed, stir |
| week. Buying fresh beans is one key to good | | | | the pot to infuse the taste. |
| taste. When you buy beans make sure the beans | | | | At bare minimum, these steps should always be |
| are all relatively the same size and same color for | | | | used when making coffee. Think about the |
| even grinding and flavor. If you buy beans from | | | | farmers in the field, if you skip a step are you |
| the supermarket at minimum, check to see if the | | | | doing their hard work justice? On a selfish note, |
| beans are Arabica. | | | | missing one of those steps will affect the taste of |
| 2. Use filtered water. Even if your coffee maker | | | | your coffee, even slightly. Other things to make a |
| has a charcoal filter it is best to start off with | | | | great cup of coffee are: |
| filtered water to ensure there are no impurities | | | | 1. Always ensure your equipment is clean. Old |
| like chlorine or minerals to alter the real taste. Use | | | | coffee sludge can really change the taste of |
| cold water. | | | | coffee. Polident can clean your equipment to |
| 3. For the best tasting coffee ensure you have a | | | | almost new. |
| coffee maker which can brew up to 95 to 98 | | | | 2. NEVER reuse coffee grinds. |
| degrees Celsius, just off the boil. This | | | | 3. NEVER grind beans just taken out of the |
| temperature is the optimal temperature to get | | | | freezer. Let them thaw first. |
| the best flavor out of the bean. | | | | 4. Always store coffee in air-tight containers |
| 4. The grind. Only grind as much coffee as you | | | | away from direct sunlight. |
| are going to need for that moment. The finer you | | | | 5. NEVER leave the coffee on a heater for longer |
| grind, the more flavor you will receive. The grind | | | | than an hour. It gets a burnt taste and smell. |
| has to be even to ensure even taste. If you are | | | | 6. Always warm your cup and never reheat |
| using a cheap coffee maker you should only use | | | | coffee. |
| a medium grind to avoid the over-extraction. | | | | The best coffee starts with fresh beans, clean |
| However, grind to your equipments | | | | equipment and clean water. Adhering to at least |
| recommendations. | | | | those three guidelines will give you great tasting |
| 5. Use two level tablespoons of coffee per cup. If | | | | coffee. Everything else is just gravy. |
| you are making more than 10-cups of coffee you | | | | |