In 2018, it was found that coffee consumption in the UK went up to 95 million cups a day. Just 10 years ago, it was a mere 70 million. What can you take away from those numbers (besides a cup of coffee to go)? That we all love our coffee dearly, and we’re never letting go.
That being said though, if you’re one of the 95 million, you’ll be spending a pretty penny on your daily coffee habit if you’re popping round to the local café every day. Brewing your own cup is a much more economical solution. It seems simple enough to do, doesn’t it? You just pour in your water, add the filter and ground coffee, and then turn it on. Not exactly rocket science.
But that’s where you’re wrong. Alright, it’s not exactly rocket science but if your home-brewed coffee tastes rather ho-hum, it’s time to learn how to brew that absolutely perfect cup of coffee rather than forking up bundles of money daily for your local barista to do the same.
1. Choose whole beans
If you truly love coffee, buy your beans whole. Once it’s ground, the oils that would normally be contained in the bean are exposed to the air and they begin to oxidize. Don’t have a grinder? Buy one. It’s worth it. You’ll taste the difference immediately in the flavour when you grind it fresh before each brewing rather than buying a bag of ground coffee. Hurry though – that bag of coffee beans will lose its freshness within two weeks of opening it. Storing it in the fridge or freezer is a no-no too. Keep it in an airtight container or bag in a dark, cool, and dry place.
2. Use quality appliances
You can’t expect the perfect cup of coffee to come out of a poor-quality coffee maker. Invest wisely. Likewise, do so with your grinder. You can use any kind of grinder, manual or automatic, though burr grinders have a reputation for providing more consistency. Similarly, a better-quality bean to cup coffee machine (which usually come with their own integrated grinder), is recommeneded.
3. Keep an eye on the water-to-grind ratio
Are you even measuring your coffee correctly? It really does make a difference in the flavour of your brew. It also depends on the style of coffee maker you own. Generally speaking, just over 60 grams of coffee should be used per litre of water.
4. Think more about your water
If you’re using water from the tap, it’s no wonder your home-brewed coffee is blah. Instead, use spring or filtered water. It really affects the taste. Additionally, the temperature of your water should be just below the boiling point.
5. Splash the grinds
To truly release the flavour of your coffee, you’ll want to gently splash your grinds before going full-pour. Once you do, wait about 30 seconds before pouring the rest of your water, which you should do slowly. Let it steep for 3 minutes and then grab your cup and enjoy, first with a sniff, then followed by that first beautiful sip that takes us all into the land of coffee bliss!