Brew the Perfect Cup
1. Use FRESH Beans. (see Freshness)
2. Properly GRIND Your Beans.
3. Use Good, Fresh, Hot WATER
4. Use the Correct PROPORTIONS
5. DRINK QUICKLY After Brewing
Grind
For most purposes (ie. NOT espresso), a cylindrical chopping style electric grinder is ideal for home or office use. Inexpensive at under $25, it will accomodate a wide range of grinds. Grinding your beans to the optimum level is important to the quality of the cup, for the wrong contact level between the ground coffee and the brewing resultant will produce either a bitter or weak cup of coffee. Brewing time will also affect this element of a good cup of coffee. A good guide for Grinds, Brewing Time, and Grinding Time each as functions of Brewing Methods is as follows:
Brewing Method
Brewing Time
Desired Grind
Grind Time
Home Espresso Machine
20-25 sec.
Very Fine
25-30 sec.
Cone Filter Drip/Vacu Pot
1-4 min.
Fine
20-25 sec.
Commercial Drip Brewer
4-6 min.
Medium
15 sec.
Coffee Press
4-6 min.
Coarse
10 sec.
Source: Knox, Kevin & Huffaker, J.S. Coffee Basics: A Quick & Easy Guide 1997.
Water
Use fresh water for brewing that is taste-free and odor-free; if necessary use a carbon filter to produce quality water for brewing. In some areas tap water may be excessively hard, in which case bottled water may be required. Since water constitutes most of the brewed cup of coffee, it is important to use fresh, oxygen-rich water that has been heated to between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit to extrude the maximum flavor from ground coffee beans.
Proportions
The proper equation for better brewing using standard Drip brewers = two heaping tablespoons of ground coffee + six ounces hot water (195-205 degrees F) + brew time of 4-6 minutes. From this starting point a cup of coffee which is too "strong" may be diluted with hot water. It is important to start with enough ground coffee so that it is not "overextruded," in which case the result will taste extremely bitter. This can also happen if the coffee is brewed too long or "cooked" on a warming plate for too long after brewing.
Holding Time
For peak flavor drip coffee brewed with a filter should be held at 185 -190 degrees Fahrenheit. At this rate it may be kept on a warming plate or burner for approximately 20 minutes, with transfer to a thermos doubling or tripling the life of the coffee's peak flavor. After this point chemical reactions in the coffee will cause a dramatic decline in its flavor, and notably an increase in bitterness.