Coffee Hacks That Will Change The Way You Brew Coffee At Home

Coffee has become one of the popular drinks among other drinks and is ranked as the second-most traded product globally. The two main reasons are because of its caffeine as well as its aroma that you cannot deny but would love to take a sip. If you are a coffee lover, you will feel great once you finish reading this article. As within this article, there are effective and easy methods that will stop you from going to buy coffee from the coffee shops and instead help make home-made coffee taste even better. This both saves you time and money.

These 10 simple tips below will help you to make a tasteful coffee at home. Without further ado, let’s dig in one each of them.

Know The Type of Coffee Bean

Wisely choose the certain type of coffee bean to suit your taste

First and foremost, if you are a coffee drinker, you definitely have some knowledge about a few types of coffee bean. This is important as different types of coffee beans also produce different tastes of coffee. So, you must have your favorite coffee taste every time you make or order a cup of coffee. Those tastes can be sweet, bitter, soft, or strong, so on and so forth in accordance with the coffee beans you buy. 

Have you ever wondered about the sweet and soft coffee taste that it tastes the way it does? Certainly, it is because it comes from the Arabica which is the common as well as popular type of coffee bean. Brazil, for instance, is the world’s leading exporter of Arabica beans. These beans are usually farmed where rain is abundant. As a result, Arabica beans can give off the sweet and softer taste. However, it is also known as a sensitive type of coffee bean. This means if it is served cold, then its taste will change a bit or you add milk or cream to it. This Arabica coffee bean is popular for those who prefer sweet taste and softer coffee taste. Non-coffee drinkers might also think this taste is quite addictive.

Second type of coffee bean is brought for strong coffee drinkers because of its strong and harsh flavor. It is called Robusta coffee bean and is ranked as second on the list after Arabica. Despite being a less popular type of coffee, it is still famous in the Middle East, Africa and Europe where the residents there are strong coffee drinkers. Moreover, this kind of coffee bean has an extreme high level of caffeine. For this reason, it is absolutely perfect for those people who usually work late at night or just simply need caffeine that boosts their energy throughout the day. In case the Robusta coffee bean gives off the taste that is too strong or harsh, you can simply cut the flavor with sugar and cream.

The third type of coffee bean is Liberica that is a rare type of coffee. It is rare because it is very scare for farmers to harvest or collect them on a large scale as it grows in a very specific climate. This coffee bean has an aroma of fruit and flowers and produces woody taste. There is one interesting fact about this coffee bean as it was once a successful substitute to Arabica coffee due to the similar taste and nice aroma which captivates the coffee drinkers like Arabica coffee bean does. Last but not least, Excelsa is regarded as a family member of Liberica bean. However, it is very distinct from Liberica for a number of reasons. You can find Excelsa only in Southeast Asia since it mainly grows there and it represents a small part of global coffee production. Since it also embraces the fruit and sour unique taste that create a great combination of light and strong coffee taste, it is often favored by coffee lovers.

After knowing the four types of coffee bean, now it is easier for you to pick out the coffee bean that will greatly match your preferred coffee taste. Make your coffee taste better at home with the right type of coffee bean!

Invest in High-Quality Coffee Bean

A good coffee starts with a good coffee bean

After successfully picking out a certain type of coffee bean that matches your desired flavor, you should focus on buying a great quality coffee bean. Of course, you cannot make a good cup of coffee with low-quality coffee beans. 

How to know if it is a high quality coffee bean? You might ask. Definitely, there are a few hints you can take to identify a great coffee bean. First, the packaging of the high-quality coffee bean is necessarily the one-way valve. The justification is that because one-way valves can maintain the freshness of the freshly roasted coffee beans by freeing the excess gas while at the same time, disabling the oxygen from entering the bag. Therefore, other packaging methods besides a one-way valve are tricky. 

Secondly, it all comes down to the main types of coffee bean we have just gone through. As mentioned earlier, Arabica is the top on the list as it is widely accepted as the top-pick when it comes to choosing high-quality coffee beans. Although Arabica beans are pricey but it has a large variety of flavors and scents which makes them stand out within the coffee industry.

Thirdly, it is always better to do some research especially about the place origin where the coffee beans are roasted. Normally, you can find the packages of the coffee beans that all claim great quality and service. In fact, only roasters that carefully prepare the coffee beans by themselves will be willing to list down the trust-worthy details regarding the origin of their coffee beans. As a result, you can be assured that the quality of the coffee beans they produce is great. So, you can look for such roasters on the internet or your local expert on coffee bean roasters.

The last thing that allows you to spot the best quality coffee bean is to search for the exact date of the roasted coffee. This is very crucial as some coffee roasters want to generate more profits by roasting coffee as long as possible and this will make the coffee bean lose its freshness. A high-quality and fresh coffee bean is roasted with the date that is no longer than a couple of days. Make sure to buy the fresh coffee bean!

Buy A Right Amount of Coffee Bean

Another vital thing you should consider when buying a coffee bean is also the amount of coffee bean you need to make coffee at home. Because coffee beans start to lose almost instantly after roasting. Thus, try to buy smaller bags of freshly roasted coffee more often which can be enough for one or two weeks. Although going to buy coffee beans often requires you a lot of time, in turn, you will get fresh coffee beans to brew good coffee at home. When you go to coffee shops, it does not guarantee that you always get to drink tasteful coffee as not all coffee shops use fresh coffee beans. 

Properly Place Your Coffee Bean

Now that you have the coffee bean in hands, it is equally important to know where to place the bean so the freshness can last as long as possible. Initially, you need to seek for a place which is cool and dark that is absolutely the perfect location to store the beans. As the beans cannot resist the heat and the light. 

Furthermore, when it comes to the best packaging for maintaining the freshness of the coffee beans, you are highly recommended to use one way valves that have an airtight seal. However, this kind of packaging is not an ideal for long-term storage. If possible, you can also use the mason jar canisters which can beautifully store your coffee beans and can keep the freshly roasted beans for a long time. But make sure to avoid using transparent canisters as it can allow the light to decrease your coffee taste. Place your coffee properly and you’ll keep its flavor fresh for as long as possible to brew tasteful coffee at home!

Clean Your Coffee Machine Frequently

Let’s move on to the most important tool that can assist you to brew good coffee at home. If you are a coffee lover, you must have your own coffee machine at home too. Having a coffee machine is important but a more important thing is the cleanliness of the machine. This is a simple yet an essential concept most of us usually overlook. Imagine if you crave for a refreshing glass of lemonade taste during summer day but turn out the ice in it came from a dirty machine? The same case goes to coffee. A good coffee maker does not depend solely on the fancy or expensive coffee machine. It is more about how thoroughly and often you take care of your machine since substances from coffee and water can cause dirt and residue to spread within the machine. For this reason, it will affect taste and temperature. Thus, ensure a clean coffee machine that can provide a better and clean taste of coffee.

Grind Just What You Need

Now, it is time to talk about how to use the right amount of coffee beans. At this point, it is quite simple as you are suggested to only grind the coffee beans you plan to make the coffee. Do not grind the entire coffee beans at once. You will get to drink a refreshing homemade coffee by grinding the beans you need. 

Figure Out The Right Way To Measure Coffee Bean

To brew a good coffee at home also depends on the right way to measure coffee. Using a digital scale to measure the beans is one simple step that can surely improve the taste of your coffee. This technique can allow you to learn how to create a coffee taste that you have ever dreamt of drinking as you can either increase or decrease the amount of beans accordingly. If you are new to brewing coffee, you might look up on the internet to see the standard amount of coffee beans you need to measure. The first time you do the measurement might not grant you the taste you want but if you carefully note down and try it later. Definitely, you can come up with your own recipe of the coffee taste you desire. Measuring coffee beans is one right way to guarantee a great coffee taste the exact way you want it to be as well as it brings the consistency in flavor over time.

Brew Coffee At The Right Temperature 

Generally, the most favored temperature is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. If you own an advanced model of coffee makers, mostly they come with a manual temperature adjustment. Unfortunately, older models do not have such a function. Moreover, to ensure your coffee machine gets hot enough, operate it without the coffee in the hopper and use a thermometer to measure the temperature. One important thing to bear in mind is that avoid surpassing the temperature of 205 degrees as it will entirely ruin the coffee. If none of these works, you might consider investing in a fancier model of the coffee machine so that you can brew the home coffee with the perfect temperature you can easily adjust.  

Use The Right Water

Another crucial thing that contributes to the taste of coffee taste which you tend to overlook is the water quality you use. Water quality can heavily transform the coffee taste instantly. Therefore, you need to come up with a good balance of distilled water and the Third Wave Water which helps you to achieve the perfect water for your coffee brewing. On the other hand, for the normal coffee drinkers, they can simply use a water filter pitcher or a refrigerator’s filtered water. Using the right type of water will allow you to make an addictive coffee at home. 

Choose A Perfect Milk

Now, we are on the last tip of how to brew a good coffee at home. Milk is undoubtedly another overlooked aspect that contributes to the good taste of the coffee. There are two crucial elements within the milk including fat and protein. Before choosing the perfect milk for your coffee, keep in mind the general rule of the milk which is the more fat that exists in the milk, the richer and creamier it will taste. Thus, whole milk is the best milk available as well as the most preferred milk for many coffee shops. it can achieve a flawless balance of texture and taste when mixed with coffee as it contains about 3-4% fat content. 

References 

• How to Find High Quality Coffee Beans | Coffee Brew Guides 
• Types of Coffee Beans and What Sets Them Apart | DISTRICT Roasters | District Roasters 
• Which Kind of Milk Should You Choose for Coffee? | Urnex | 
• 10 barista-approved tips for making high-quality coffee at home | Ready Set Eat 
• 7 tips that will change the way you brew coffee at home | CNET | Taylor Martin