How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee

How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee
Every coffee "aficionado" is on a quest to brew the perfect
cup of that hot beverage. They scour the stores for
different beans, experiment with various roasts and try an
assortment of different methods of brewing . . . with a
view to achieve the perfect cup. Well, you can stop looking
now, because you have found exactly what you need to know
to make a delightful cup of coffee.

To begin with, wash out all your coffee making equipment
thoroughly. This includes the grinder and the coffee maker,
from top to bottom. Residue from previous cups of coffee
can turn stale and subtly change the flavor of your next
brew. If you clean the equipment after every use, you will
avoid this problem and will have made the first step
towards brewing your perfect cup of coffee.

Next, you will need the freshest coffee beans possible,
from a top quality supplier. That does NOT include your
supermarket! There are plenty of coffee suppliers that
offer very fresh and excellent quality beans, ask around
for recommendations. It is also important that you don't
buy too many beans at a time. While you may get a discount
for buying in bulk, the beans will be too old by the time
you get around to using them, so stick to small quantities
that you can use up within a month or less.

Another very important factor in how your coffee tastes is
the water used. Tap water that has a taste of any sort,
will pass that on to your beverage. To get the best
results, use distilled water. This will also prevent the
buildup of minerals in your coffee maker. If you do choose
to use tap water, let it run for a few minutes to clear out
any impurities that might be stored in the pipes. You
should also start with very cold water, if possible.

If you want that perfect cup then grinding your own beans
is really the only way to go. The oils that are released
when a coffee bean is ground are very volatile and tend to
dissipate very quickly. For this reason, it's best to grind
the beans right before they are used. There are plenty of
small, inexpensive grinders that can be used to make your
daily cup of coffee ' or you can purchase a combination
coffee grinder/maker where the beans are ground "in situ"
and deposited directly into the container underneath, and
then the coffee-maker takes over.

Stirring the pot of coffee before serving is also a must,
to evenly spread the minute particles of coffee throughout
the entire brew, providing the perfect cup with each pour.
Many people will tell you that the majority of coffee
lovers are actually drinking watered down coffee, as well.
The correct ratio of coffee to water is 2 tablespoons of
beans per cup of water.

By following the above steps, you will have accomplished
the "piece de resistance" of the coffee world -- a cup of
coffee that is just right, perfect in flavor, in texture
and in color.

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Author Brian Hill runs his own internet coffee store and
has long been a "gourmand" coffee drinker. You can visit
his virtual store online at:
http://infosource.biz/coffeestore/
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