Knowing how to make coffee at home saves you the run to your favorite barista when you are stuck at home. Many factors come in to contribute to a good cup of coffee, including coffee ratios, quality of the beans, and brewing time.
If you only press your automatic coffee machine or visit your favorite brew house, this guide will help you make coffee at home with ease. You could get the highest quality of coffee beans, but if your ratios or timing is off, your coffee will still not taste as great.
So, how do you make a perfect cup of joe at home?
Method 1: Drip Coffee Maker
A drip coffee maker allows you to filter your coffee before brewing it. The coffee maker has a reservoir, which is a container that holds cold water. It also has a shower head, which receives hot water and sprays it on ground coffee beans.
The sprayed water enters the drip area, which is a plastic with holes. This plastic controls the amount of water that washes over the ground beans. Further down the machine, there are heating elements, plaster, and grease. Close to the heating element is a one-way valve that keeps the water running in the right direction. Lastly, there is a switch and a sensor.
To use the drip coffee maker, pour cold water into the reservoir and following the happens:
- The water in the reservoir finds its way to an aluminum tube under the heating elements. This water goes through the hole at the bottom of your reservoir.
- When you switch on the coffee maker, the water will start boiling. The boiling water produces bubbles that are large and pushes the water up the hot water tube.
- The water goes up to the faucet and the faucet sprays the water over the coffee beans. As the water flows through the coffee beans, it picks up the flavors, aroma, oil essence, and the taste of coffee.
To use this method successfully, place a filter in the filter basket. Add a teaspoon of ground coffee into the filter for every cup of coffee you make. For each cup of coffee, you need about six ounces of water.
Method 2: French Press Coffee
In this classic method, you soak enough ground coffee in hot water. When you press the French Press plunger down, the machine separates the coffee grounds from the brewed coffee.
This is the simplest way to make coffee at home.
Grind your coffee beans to a coarse grind after weighing your beans on the best coffee scale you can afford. Add the ground coffee to the carafe and then fill it with hot water. Stir the coffee and let it soak for about four minutes. To get the best results, pour in just enough water to soak the ground coffee and allow them to sit for about 30 seconds before you pour the rest of the water.
For the best results to make coffee at home, the ratio of coffee to water should be 1:16.
After soaking for four minutes, press down the plunger and the grounds will separate from your coffee. The method gives you a full-bodied rich flavor. However, you have to serve immediately or transfer it to another container. According to The Better Sip, if you leave the coffee for longer than four minutes, it continues extracting, and this may cause the coffee to be bitter.
Method 3: Pour Over Coffee
To make the best cup of coffee using this method, you need the best quality of coffee beans and purified water. From there, you need to get the ratios right. Use a gram of coffee for every 16ml of water. Follow the procedure below:
- Start by grinding your coffee to the size and consistency of sea salt. Boil the purified water.
- Fold the filter paper over your Chemex, ensuring that the side with folds falls close to the spout.
- Wet your filter paper until it saturates completely. Pour any water left on the filter paper to ensure there is no paper taste in your coffee.
- Place the weighted coffee grounds on the folded filter. Shake them so that they settle at the bottom of the filter paper. Add just enough boiled water to cover your coffee. Allow the coffee to sit for about 45 minutes for the coffee to bloom. Blooming allows any gases to escape from the coffee so that the flavor of the coffee is great.
- After 45 seconds, you can now pour the rest of the boiled water in circles. Pour the water near the edges to ensure the coffee is wet consistently. The pour time should be about 3.5 minutes.
- After brewing, remove the coffee filter and serve your coffee.
Quality of Coffee Beans
Premium coffee beans taste better than average coffee beans. The first factor that determines the quality of coffee is the origin. Factors such as the composition of soil and humidity of the growing area determine how the coffee tastes. There is no right or wrong origins โ it depends on the flavor and taste you want for your coffee.
For instance, if you want coffee with more acidity and more complex flavors, you need coffee grown in high altitude areas.
From the area, you need to choose the coffee variety you need for your coffee. Arabica coffee is more expensive. It is coffee from high altitude areas. Robusta is inexpensive coffee that grows in low altitude areas.
You also need to consider the method of processing the coffee beans. Choose between natural and washed methods. Once you have the best quality coffee beans, you have to roast them and grind them right.
Additional Coffee Accessories
You need other accessories such as a Gooseneck Kettle. This is a kettle with a long narrow neck that looks like that of a goose. The kettle gives you control over the amount of water you pour and where you pour the water. This gives you consistent results.
You also need a burr coffee grinder. Pre-ground coffee loses its flavor, and you need to have a coffee grinder that helps you grind and use your coffee on the spot. A burr coffee grind is more effective than a blade grinder.
Lastly, you need a coffee scale to weigh your coffee and your water accurately.
Final Thoughts
If you observe the coffee ratios, the brewing time, the purity of the water, and the quality of the coffee, you will have the best results.
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