How to Make Coffee
Coffee is an integral part in many people’s everyday lives, but have you ever considered how to make real coffee? We’re not talking about the instant coffee here. Here are the ways to make great coffee, for whatever taste preference you may have.
What You’ll Need
Coffee beans
Coffee bean grinder
Coffee maker or French Press
Ground coffee beans (optional)
Filtered water
Making Coffee with a Coffee Maker
First, you have to decide what kind of coffee you like. Do you like mild coffee? Medium roasted? Dark? Light-bodied? The flavors that you get from coffee beans depend greatly on the specie of coffee tree the bean is coming from, where the coffee beans originated, coffee beans’ origins and how they are roasted. If you are new to coffee, it’s generally better to go with coffee beans that are milder, and light-bodied. The darker and full-bodied ones may give you quite a shock!
coffee making
Once you’ve decided on what coffee you’ll be making, you have the option of choosing between whole coffee beans or ground coffee beans. Grinding your own coffee beans means you get fresher and fuller flavor. Ground coffee beans means you’ll have an easier time making your coffee. Make sure that either way, you get coffee beans that are sealed air-tight.
If you’ve chosen to grind your own coffee, here’s how you do it. Make sure that you only take out the amount you need, and don’t let the coffee beans stand out in the open for too long!
If you’ve chosen to buy ground coffee beans, keep in mind that, generally, you can take full advantage of their freshness and flavor within a month or even less.
Use filtered water or bottled water. Unfiltered water can ruin an otherwise perfectly-prepared cup of coffee.
Place the coffee grounds in the filter. Electronic coffee makers have a door you can put the filter in (either plastic or disposable) while regular (meaning non-electronic ones) have a plastic funnel on top of the pot.
Add two to three cups of cold water for electronic coffee makers, boiling water for regular coffee makers. Typically, the ratio of coffee grounds to cup is 1:1, but if you want a stronger brew, you use less water for the amount of coffee grounds you are using.
Wait for the water to drip through the coffee grounds and into the pot. Drip coffee is enjoyed best when drunk as soon as it is cool enough. Add sugar, cream, cinnamon or vanilla as you like.
How to Make Coffee Using French Press
Using a French press will give you a more intense flavor. To start, you can simply do the first five steps mentioned earlier in how to make coffee using a coffee maker. Use coarse coffee grounds.
Remove the top and filter of the press, and put in the coffee grounds. The recommended ratio of tablespoons to water is 5:6. Adjust accordingly based on amount you want or taste.
Boil water in the amount you want, usually by cups. Give the water 30 seconds to cool, and pour the water into the French press.
Use a plastic spoon to stir in the coffee with the water. Put the lid and the filter back on, the filter raised up.
Leave the coffee to brew for four to five minutes. It’s recommended that you do not leave it on longer, as you will get more bitter-tasting from overly soaked coffee grounds.
Slowly press the filter downwards, with the filter’s spout-like part facing forward.
Wait 30 seconds for the sediments and fine coffee grounds to settle. Pour the coffee slowly into your cup, putting the extra in the thermos, to maintain its temperature and prevent the coffee to become too bitter.
Let your cup of coffee sit for a minute to cool and sediments that may have escaped to settle down at the bottom. Use sugar, cream and other flavors as you like.