•Begin with a quality bean. The freshness of the roasted bean is vital to ensuring quality. Try different varieties and roasts to determine your favorite taste. Buy whole coffee beans. Grind your beans at home just before you brew your coffee.
• Use enough coffee. When you pay more for specialty coffee, it’s tempting to use less when you brew. Don’t skimp. Start with one rounded tablespoon per cup for full-flavor coffee. Not using enough coffee can cause a bitter flavor.
• Use clean, cold water. Remember that more than 98 percent of your brewed coffee is water, so make sure the water tastes good. If your water is too “hard,” has unwanted organic compounds, or too much chlorine, it can degrade the taste of your coffee, no matter how flavorful the beans are or how well your brewing equipment works. Consider using filtered water.
• Treat yourself to a quality coffee brewer, either automatic or manual – it will make a difference in the taste of your coffee. Look for one that states that it brews with water at a consistent 195-200 degrees. The brewer should make a full pot of coffee in less than eight minutes. Most coffeemakers take too long to brew and over-extract flavor from the ground coffee, a process that produces a bitter taste.
• Brewed coffee has a short shelf life. After about 20 minutes on a warming plate, the flavor can deteriorate to the point of being undesirable. Prolong the freshness of your brewed coffee by holding it in a thermal carafe or thermos. (Bunn)
