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Coffee Brewing Fundamentals

Coffee brewing has four basic fundamentals: Proportion, Grind, Water, and, Freshness. Let's look at each of these one by one.

Proportion
The ratio between coffee and water is an important one. Anyone who's ever had coffee that's too weak or too strong knows what I'm talking about. When it comes to brewing the perfect cup of coffee, the proportion should be two tablespoons of ground coffee to every six ounces of water. No more, no less. Use too much and it becomes bitter.

Grind
The type of grind you use for your coffee depends upon what kind of coffee maker you brew your coffee in. If you use an espresso machine use a fine grind. For automatic drip coffee makers, use a medium grind and use a coarse grind for coffee presses. There are other grinds as well, just as there are other ways to brew coffee such as percolators and Turkish coffees.

If were going to talk about the way a coffee is ground, then we also have to talk about grinders. Basically, there are two types of grinders: blade and burr. Blade grinders have two blades that rotate at a high speed to grind your beans. The pros of this method is that blade grinders are affordable. The cons are that they generally break down quicker.

Burr grinders grind the beans between two textured plates and the grind is much more consistent than a blade grinder. Also, it's easier to adjust the grind with a burr grinder. To get an espresso grind with a blade grinder, you have to hold the grind button for x amount of seconds. A burr grinder allows you to turn a dial and voila! Your grind is done.

Water
Use fresh, clean water to brew your coffee. If at all possible, try not to use tap water; filtered or bottled water makes the best coffee. Yes, bottled water is not exactly cost effective but there are inexpensive water filters available to purchase. Water filtration pitchers are also a good way to get fresh water for brewing.

Your water should be heated to just below boiling, around 190 degrees. You don't want your water to be too hot. It could overheat the grounds and spoil the taste of your coffee.

Freshness
Once a bag is opened, the freshness lasts about a week. After grinding, it lasts about two days. The best way to keep your beans and ground coffee fresher longer is to keep it in an airtight container.

Check out our blog for more Coffee Talk! Happy Brewing!

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