You wake up in the morning, and you start the coffee pot brewing. Only thing is, you have settled into a routine in which you hardly enjoy that first refreshing cup. Shake things up a bit! Continue reading to find out how you can enjoy more options when it comes to your fresh brew.
Put your coffee in the fridge. After you have exposed roasted coffee beans or grinds to fresh air, the flavor can deteriorate quickly. Actually, a large amount of flavor is lost within seven to ten days. Keeping your coffee in the fridge after you have opened the can keeps it fresh longer.
Before you make a whole pot, do a test run with your new coffee machine. Do this as though you really were making coffee, only skip adding the grounds. That eliminates dust or odors that can accumulate in machines prior to purchase.
Make sure you are patient whenever you are creating lattes. The best lattes are those that are created with due care. Be careful when pouring the milk, and use extreme caution when creating the design. Don’t just rush into it, and if you need some ideas on designs, check out Flickr.
Iced coffee doesn’t taste so great when the ice cubes begin to melt, watering down the flavor. An excellent tip is to make ice cubes out of coffee or milk, and keeping them in the freezer in zippered bags. They will be handy anytime you want a cold drink on a hot day!
When you buy beans in bulk, you should take extra precautions to keep them fresh. You do not want your beans to suffer from heat and light. Additionally, other foods can contaminate unprotected beans. Thus, it is important to keep beans in air-tight containers that are opaque.
You should never reheat coffee, as it will just burn the beverage and taste far worse than being cold. Instead, know when you will have your coffee for more than 20 minutes. Have an insulated mug or a thermal carafe handy for these occasions to retain the original heat and warmth.
Does your tap water tastes bad? It could influence the way your coffee tastes. If your tap water has an unpleasant taste, consider using bottled water to make coffee or get a filter installed on your tap. You will find that your coffee tastes much better if you use cleaner water.
Make sure your coffee pot is clean. In order to get the freshest tasting coffee you must be sure you are using a clean coffee pot. You can clean it by using a teaspoon of vinegar with a full coffee pot of water. Run your coffee pot as though you are making coffee.
If you need to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume, you do not have to quit cold turkey. You can make your own “semi” caffeine-free brew by grinding equal parts of regular beans and de-caf beans. If you use pre-ground coffee, just use equal parts of each in your coffee maker.
Is artificial sweetener something you put in your coffee? Artificial sweeteners can give coffee an odd flavor because the heat breaks down the compounds. If taking your coffee black isn’t an option, try using a little raw sugar. If you can not live without sweetener, then try only using half of your usual amount.
Packaging is important when it comes to coffee. It you buy coffee beans, pay attention to the packaging they come in. Make sure you buy beans with quality packaging. Also pay attention to how long it took to package these beans and how long they’ve been sitting on a shelf. Little facts like these can make a big difference in taste.
If you want to brew your own espresso, you need to use beans that have been finely ground. You can also use this grind in your regular drip brewer if you like really strong coffee. A good grinder will allow you to control the consistency to suit your preferences.
Buy new coffee beans every two weeks. Once you open coffee beans, they usually don’t have a set expiration date. You can seal them in airtight containers to keep them fresh longer. You will, however, likely find that the quality of the taste starts to fade a bit after two weeks.
The longer your coffee sits in a pot on the warmer, the worse it will taste. Fresh brewed coffee always tastes best. The longer it sits, the more bitter it becomes. This is one of the key reasons why many of the larger coffee makers will throw out coffee if it sits longer than 20 minutes.
It is best to use water than is filtered through charcoal when you brew coffee. If you want your tap water to be filtered, buy a sink water filter. Another alternative is to buy a coffee machine that has its own built-in filter. Yet another possibility is just buying charcoal filtered water when at your grocery store.
Avoid always getting the same type of coffee. Try out different blends when you go to the store. If you like different flavors, you should buy different blends and store your coffee grounds or beans fresh in your freezer to keep them fresh.
Remove the coffee from the make after brewing it. If you leave the pot on the coffee maker, the coffee continues to cook, which eventually ruins the flavor. If it is not possible to use all of the coffee prior to it cooling down, pour it into a carafe or insulated jug to maintain heat.
Coffee can be addictive as many hard drugs. If you are drinking more than five or six cups a day, you may have a problem. It might be hard to quit cold turkey, but try to avoid withdraw symptoms by tapering off gradually. Reduce your daily intake by one cup a day every week until you are down to a reasonable coffee consumption level.
Now are you excited? It’s time to go coffee shopping! No matter what your flavor, and no matter your budget, there are plenty of options available to you. Keep the tips you’ve read here in mind as you hunt down your next fresh brew. You are sure to be delighted.
