Having one of those depressing days where nothing seems to be going your way? Or maybe you’re studying for your school test and need a little mental boost. Time to make a nice cup of coffee!
This caffeinated beverage has been proven to activate mood-influencing neurotransmitters, while also helping boost short-term memory and concentration. However, many people avoid making their own cups of coffee at home as they simply can’t get it to taste as good as the espressos and mochas sold at the local coffee shop down the road. Which is why we’ve compiled a few tips and secrets that will help you make better-tasting coffee in your own kitchen.
Purchase Freshly Roasted, Whole Bean Coffee
You’ll want to avoid buying pre-ground coffee in favor of whole bean coffee, as the latter makes for more-flavorful drinks. To get the most flavor out of your coffee beans, you’ll want to ensure that you use them just a few days after they’ve been roasted, as it is during this period that roasted coffee attains its peak flavor. Also, avoid buying your roasted coffee from brands that exclude the roasting date from the labeling on the product package.
Store Your Coffee Properly to Preserve Freshness for Longer
One crucial factor to consider after you buy your coffee is the condition in which it is stored. Avoid refrigerating your beans at all costs, as roasted coffee will pick up the flavors of other food items in the fridge. Ideally, to preserve your coffee’s freshness for longer; you’ll want to store your roasted beans in an airtight container, like a mason jar or an airtight glass canning jar. If you want to avoid having to deal with all this storage hassle, we’d recommend you buy your coffee from brands that use vacuum-sealed packaging.
Use a Good Coffee Maker and Quality Coffee Filters
One surefire way of brewing some really aromatic coffee is by using a pour-over coffee maker and paper filters to brew your coffee. Pour-over machines allow you to determine the speed at which you want the water to pour over your coffee, enabling you to dictate the boldness of your beverage’s flavor. Better quality filters will also help bring the flavor out of your ground coffee, as they ensure minimal exposure of the coffee to water for a light taste. Those using a drip coffee maker- on the other hand- can make good quality coffee by ensuring to set a brewing temperature of no less than 195 degrees Fahrenheit. You might also want to opt for a cold coffee beverage- as opposed to a hot cup of coffee- on hot summer days. Sadly, most people don’t know how to brew cold brew coffee properly and usually end up with an uninspiring caffeinated cup in their hands. Top baristas recommend using a water-filled mason jar; whereby you add your grounded coffee to the mixture, stir it up, and then cover the mixture for up to 16 hours before filtering to remove sediments.
Other coffee making secrets that can help you make better drinks at home lie in the grinding process. For instance, you should grind your roasted coffee beans no earlier than 30 minutes before you intend to brew your coffee. Also, pouring hot water over your ground coffee helps prep it for maximum extraction.
