Brewing a cup of coffee seems simple, but how often does your coffee look like the one at your local coffee shop? (Ever?)
The good news is that making good coffee is more about technique than investing in gadgets. You can also make a great cup of coffee at home if you avoid these common mistakes below.
The water is not hot enough.
Many home coffee makers need to reach the ideal temperature for perfect coffee, which is between 90 and 95 degrees Celsius.
Instead, use a French press or the ceramic filter method, where water from a kettle is poured directly over ground coffee beans, which are soaked for 3-4 minutes.
Using beans that were ground a long time ago
Never buy ground coffee beans. Once the beans are ground, they begin to release their aromas. The longer you wait to make your coffee, the more its flavour will fade.
So buy whole coffee beans and grind them at home. Invest in a low-cost home coffee grinder. Use it while the water is heating up.
Serving the coffee in a cold cup
Think about it: pouring hot liquid into a lower-temperature container won't stay hot for long, right?
Extend the enjoyment of your coffee by preheating your cup. It's also good to run hot water into your French press before adding the beans.
Milk and sugar
How everyone drinks their coffee is their personal choice, but we always recommend getting as much flavour as possible from each sip.
For example, raw sugar tastes better than white sugar. As for milk, it is better to prefer whole milk or the one with reduced fat. Skim milk can weaken a coffee.
The coffee-to-water ratio is wrong
How often have you failed to make a coffee that seemed light? You could put in more water or not enough coffee.
Start with two heaping tablespoons of coffee per cup and then adjust subsequent brews – if needed.
You are storing your coffee in the wrong place
Finding a place away from moisture to store your coffee is good. This means using a container with an airtight lid and keeping it in the back of your pantry.
Do not put it in the fridge: it has a lot of moisture.
READ MORE: White or red wine – What do Greeks prefer?
