Whether piping hot or iced in the summer, coffee is a beverage that has enjoyed extraordinary popularity for hundreds of years. The best way to become a true coffee expert is to take the time necessary to gain a strong knowledge base on the topic. Use the tips and information below, and you will soon be the resident coffee expert in your household.
Many people store coffee in their freezers because it keeps it fresher for a longer amount of time. However, many people fail to realize it needs to be wrapped well. If you place it in the freezer with strong-smelling foods, and it is not wrapped tightly, there is a chance your coffee will pick up those odours.
Are you happy with the coffee made with your drip coffee maker? You can make better coffee by letting the machine heat up by letting it run with only water. When you have a pot of water heated up, brew again with coffee grounds. This is also an excellent way to clean the machine.
Buy a coffee grinder, and buy whole bean coffee. There is no substitute for the taste of freshly ground beans. If you can’t afford a coffee grinder, you can still buy whole beans. Most supermarkets have grinders that you can use to grind your coffee purchase before you leave the store.
The price of ground coffee has increased considerably over the past year, and even if you grind it yourself, the coffee beans have also increased in price. Sometimes the less expensive coffee tastes just as good as the higher priced brands, but it may take some trial and error to find one you like.
To add excitement to your daily cup of coffee or impress dinner guests, learn how to decorate your lattes. Carefully poured milk is all it takes to make an attractive swirl design while more proficient pourers may choose to add chocolate for a more flavorful decoration. When it comes to the more elaborate designs, practice makes perfect!
If you are making iced coffee with instant coffee grounds, you should add twice as much as you would normally add to a hot cup. This is because adding ice will dilute the coffee and make it weak if you do not make sure that you make it strong enough.
For the freshest and best-tasting coffee around, buy it directly from the company’s website. Typically, these companies will roast the beans for you and send it out within a few days of doing so. Simply go on the Internet and look on the company’s website to find their “grinding process”.
When brewing your coffee, use bottled or filtered water. Doing so, you will obtain maximum flavor for your brew. However, you do not want to use water that is too soft. The flavor will not be extracted as well. Look for a nice balance. Compare the flavor of your coffee with different brands or types of water.
Only store your coffee beans at room level temperatures. Coffee beans that get stored inside a cold appliance are going to attract and absorb both condensation and the aromas of nearby foods. The resulting flavor of the coffee is going to wind up reflecting this, and turn into substandard coffee.
To gauge which roasts are right for your taste preferences, pay close attention to the color of the beans. Typically, the darker a bean is roasted the stronger its brewed taste will be. French roasted beans are dark but Italian roasted beans by far produce the darkest and strongest coffee.
Coffee can be used in place of water in many recipes an interesting flavor. Try substituting cooled, brewed coffee for water in cakes, brownies and other baked treats. Coffee has even been known to add an interesting flavor to a pot of chili. Use your imagination and come up with some ideas of your own!
Most coffee drinkers prefer a mild cup of coffee over any other strength. Roast your beans for around 7 minutes, or until they double in size and pop. This will make you a wonderfully mild and smooth cup of coffee. This is perfect for iced coffees and other coffee drinks.
Coffee can be addictive as many hard drugs. If you are drinking more than five or six cups a day, you may have a problem. It might be hard to quit cold turkey, but try to avoid withdraw symptoms by tapering off gradually. Reduce your daily intake by one cup a day every week until you are down to a reasonable coffee consumption level.
Though it comes in a dizzying array of varieties and can be made into a wide selection of custom beverages, coffee is considered by many to be a true staple. In order to develop into a coffee aficionado, a solid base of knowledge is critical. With any luck, the information above has provided you with just that.
