For coffee lovers, we are always in search of the perfect cup - even at home. Many people make various mistakes with their home brew setup, though, so we thought we'd share some of the most common mistakes. Avoid these five points and you'll be well on your way to a better cup of coffee, every day!
1. Storing Coffe Beans In The Freezer Or Fridge
Placing coffee beans in the fridge or freezer doesn't help keep them fresh. Roasted beans have countless holes in them and they absorb the moisture and smell of other foods in the fridge. The best way to store beans is to keep them at room temperature inside an airtight container.
2. Buying Pre-Ground Beans
Pre-ground beans are convenient and easy, but coffee beans start loosing their freshness immediately after grinding. To preserve the quality of the beans, you should grind the beans right before brewing.
3. Using Boiling Water To Brew Coffee
When you use boiling water, it extracts bitterness and acidity from the beans. The ideal temperature is around 200 degrees F (93 C). An easy trick to reach this temperature is to boil the water, then wait 45 seconds.
4. Using Too Much Or Too Little Coffee
Most consider the perfect ratio to be 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds to every 6 ounces of water. (We use 32 grams of whole beans for each of our 16 ounce cups of coffee).
5. Using The Wrong Grind
Different equipment requires different grinds. Fine grinds are for espresso or aeropress, medium is for drip coffee makers, and coarse grinds are for a French Press.
You can purchase whole beans in six different varieties at our St. Paul store and online. If you don't have a bean grinder at home we can grind them for you at whatever grind level you need. Happy brewing!
