Coffee Brewing, Keeping it Fresh
Mar-09-2013

Baristas and coffee aficionados worldwide bring style, ceremony, and coffee-making theories to each cup they make, but all agree on one thing: the freshest bean makes the best grind, which begets the freshest-tasting coffee. Sounds easy enough, here are SupermarketGuru's tips to the freshest cup.

Tip 1: Buy Small and Buy Often
In an ideal world you might roast the beans at home for the ultimate in freshness but that's a difficult and often time-consuming process. The easier route is to buy your coffees in small quantities and use them promptly. Even though the flavor of coffee begins to fade after roasting, beans will certainly stay fresh for several weeks, especially if kept in a can or canister with a tight-fitting lid, away from heat, light, and dampness.

Tip 2: Grind the Beans Yourself
Grinding beans only when you need them avoids staleness, contributes to a more flavorful cup, and of course, offers you the indelible fragrance that whets the appetite of even the most blas� coffee drinker.

Tip 3: Use the Right Grinder for the Brew
Use a burr grinder, which is better for grinding the beans evenly in size and texture. This is a key to releasing the volatile flavor oils into the cup. Blade grinders are best for coffees that can benefit from their "smashing" technique, namely Turkish coffees or some Chemex pots.

Tip 4: Choose the Brewer that YOU Like Best
It's your palate, your satisfaction, and your enjoyment that count, so if you like that '50s percolator taste, go for it. If it's a French press, automatic drip pot, or the battered metal moka you've had since college, stick by it. Nobody knows what type of coffee brew tastes best to you more than you!

Tip 5: Use the Right Filter
Using filters? Buy the best if you like paper filters to avoid clogging or opt out of paper (and its waste) and go for the gold, a Swiss gold filter that has very fine holes does not clog, rinses easily, and can be used for years.

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Posted by Ken at 12:00 AM - Link to this entry  |  Share this entry  |  Print