Making the perfect cup of coffee

Most of us can’t live without our morning cup of coffee, but have you ever sat back with your morning cup at home and wondered why it never tastes as good as it does when you buy it from your favourite coffee shop? Most people don’t think they can brew a great cup of coffee on their own, but there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t. Here are a few tips for making the perfect cup of coffee with any coffee maker at home.

How to make the perfect cup of coffee

Are you ready to make the perfect cup of coffee? No matter if you’re using a drip coffee. maker, espresso machine, French press or pour over, here’s what you need to know to make every cup your best cup.

1. For the perfect cup of coffee, water is key

hot water perfect cup of coffee

Coffee beans are what flavour your coffee, but funky water will take a freshly ground coffee bean and turn it into something you’ll never want to drink. Water is a key ingredient when making coffee, and it has the power to affect both the flavour of your coffee and your coffee maker.

Use distilled water

For the best coffee, you should always use distilled water. You can buy your own water distiller or purchase distilled water in jugs from a grocery store.

Choose a coffee maker with a hard water filter

If distilled water isn’t an option for you, you can also use filtered water for the best results. If you know you’ll regularly be using filtered water you may want to choose a coffee machine with a hard water filter. These machines can filter impurities out of your water before it pours over your coffee grinds.

Water temperature is key to making a great cup

According to National Coffee Association, the perfect water temperature for brewing coffee is between 195°F (91°C) and 205°F (96°C). That’s just below boiling. If you’re using a drip coffee maker or an espresso machine you won’t always have control over the temperature of your water, but some espresso machines let you adjust the settings for a hotter brew.

If you’re doing a pour over or French Press, you should grind up your coffee beans while your kettle is boiling your water. You’ll want to test the water once it’s boiled to determine how hot it is. Before pouring the hot water over your grinds, you can test it by inserting a candy or meat thermometer in a cup of water you’ve poured from the kettle.

2. Choose a coffee grinder for the freshest beans

coffee grinder

Coffee beans are the most important ingredient when making the perfect cup of coffee. When in their natural state, fresh coffee beans are full of flavour and aroma. They lose that fresh smell and taste when they are exposed to air, and they are also affected by light, heat, and moisture. That’s why you always. want to grind your own beans right before you brew.

Measure your coffee beans before grinding

It’s tempting to grind a big batch of beans so you have some on hand for quick batches of coffee, but for the best-tasting cup, you’ll want to measure out the number of coffee beans you need and only grind a small amount.

You can use a kitchen scale to measure how many beans you need. Depending on the size of the coffee bean, it takes 10 to 12 grams of beans to get 2 tablespoons of coffee grinds. To make the perfect cup of coffee, a good rule of thumb is to follow the Golden Ratio – the perfect ratio of coffee to water. According to coffee experts, that ratio is 1 to 2 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water. An 8-ounce cup requires 8 ounces of water and 2 to 4 tablespoons of ground coffee.

Store your coffee beans properly

To keep your coffee beans fresh, you want to be sure they are stored properly. After you open the bag and measure out your coffee beans, you’ll want to place your remaining coffee beans in an air-tight container. Keep the container in a cool, dry, dark place and only pull out your coffee beans before you grind them.

Opt for a coffee machine with built-in grinder

You can choose a coffee grinder to precisely grind up your coffee beans, but there are also coffee machines with built-in grinders that will grind your beans for you. With these machines, you just add your coffee beans to the reservoir and the machine grinds the exact amount you need before brewing your coffee. The machine then pours hot water over the freshly ground coffee and dispenses the finished coffee directly into your cup.

3. Different types of coffee makers you can use

Although drip coffee makers are the most popular, you can use these tips to create the perfect cup of coffee in any type of coffee maker. You can choose from pour over, percolator, French Press, or travel French Press coffee makers. There are also espresso machines and hybrid drip/espresso machines. You’ll find the features of all different types of coffee makers in the coffee maker buying guide.

4. Cleaning and maintaining your coffee maker

Keeping your coffee machine in top condition is one of the best ways to ensure you always make the best cup of coffee. Cleaning a coffee maker is also called descaling. Descaling is important because it removes mineral deposits that form a scale inside the machine. Having build-up in your coffee maker can slow water flow, affect the taste of your coffee, and reduce the lifespan of your machine.

There are a few ways to descale your coffee maker. You can buy coffee maker cleaners for different types of coffee machines. You can also use vinegar and water to descale the machine. Once you’ve descaled, be sure to flush your coffee maker with water several times before brewing another cup of coffee.

What to put in coffee to make it taste good

Now that you’ve made the perfect cup of coffee, how do you make it taste even better? If you like straight black coffee you’re ready to drink, but if you want to add a bit of flavour or a touch of depth to your coffee, there are quite a few things you can add.

how to make the perfect cup of coffee

Here’s a list of 6 great ingredients you can add to your coffee this morning or just as a treat.

    1. Flavoured syrup: adding a pump of flavoured syrup is one of the best additions to any cup of coffee. You can choose from a wide variety of syrups including coconut, hazelnut, butterscotch, and vanilla.
    2. Milk of all types: adding milk adds a creamy texture to your coffee. You can add whole milk, half & half, or cream for a full, rich flavour. If you suffer from dairy allergies you could try almond milk, rice milk, or oat milk. The consistency will be a bit thinner than cream, but it’s just as delicious.
    3. Vanilla extract: one of the best ways to add flavour to your coffee is by using a shot of pure vanilla extract. You can also scrape vanilla beans straight into your cup or sprinkle them on top of a layer of milk foam.
    4. Eggnog or cinnamon and nutmeg: When it’s the holidays there’s nothing like adding a shot of eggnog to your coffee. If eggnog isn’t available you can add cinnamon and nutmeg for a holiday flavour all year long.
    5. Ice cream: For the perfect after-dinner coffee, try adding a small scoop of ice cream to your cup.
    6. Liquor: Bailey’s and coffee are a must if you want to warm up on a cold winter day, but you can also add liquor to your iced coffee.

Besides these additions, you can also sweeten your coffee with sugar, Stevia, or other artificial sweeteners. Out of all of the sweeteners, I like Stevia the best. It’s a natural sugar substitute that doesn’t have the metallic aftertaste you get from artificial sweeteners.

Enjoy a perfect cup of coffee every day

I’ve taken you through all of the steps you’ll need to know to make the perfect cup of coffee. If you’d like to see how to make espresso, I’ve also covered that in another post. It’s more fun to make your coffee at home than to go out all the time, and you’ll be able to impress your friends and family with delicious coffee that will rival your local barista.

Check out the coffee makers, coffee grinders, and kettles you’ll need to get started making your own perfect cup of coffee at home. They’re all available right now at Best Buy.

Shelly Wutke
Editor TV & Home Theatre
I'm a Vancouver freelancer and tech enthusiast. When I'm not writing you'll find me on my farm with my alpacas, chickens, and honeybees. Visit my website Survivemag

2 COMMENTS

  1. Making a good cup of morning coffee is an art, and it is fun to make it yourself sometimes, but I prefer to get from outside most of the time! Thanks for sharing the tips It might change my way of consuming 🙂

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