How to make good coffee and what to use?

kenya Asked: How to make good coffee and what to use?

I know this probably sounds stupid..but every time i am in the mood for a cup of coffee, I make horrible coffee..its not that bad but its not the kind of coffee you would give to people. ever since I wanted to drink coffee, I always go to starbucks or dunkin donuts..but I have decided its time to know how to create an awesome kind of coffee…any suggestions????

Answers:

nick Answered:
Don’t sweat it, I used to make bad coffee all the time until I tried cold brew coffee.

The thing with coffee made with hot water is it can often taste bitter and sour (this is because the hot water draws those chemicals out of the coffee grounds). But if you want the coffee flavor without the bitterness or sourness, try cold brew, it’s also great to do at night to enjoy the next day.

Simple recipe:

Cold Brew Coffee:
1. take 2 tablespoons of your favorite coarse ground coffee
2. add to 1 cup of water.
3. allow to sit overnight.
4. in the morning, strain out the coffee ground and drink coffee with whatever you like.

ik Answered:
Ask 10 people how to brew the best coffee and you will get 11 different answers. I have had good sheepherder’s coffee (throw the grounds in the pot and boil them) and great coffee made by other, more sophisticated, methods. I Enjoy the Blue Mountain coffee and the real Mocha coffee (from Yemen; it used to be shipped out through Mocha). I’ve started the day with Turkish-style coffee and love Brazilian-style. However, for everyday use, we drip decaf mixed with 20% chicory.

Mr Smartypants Answered:
You can’t make good coffee out of a can, or pre-ground.You have to buy it as whole bean and grind it yourself just before you make it. There are two kinds of grinders, the ‘whirleyblade’ which is really just a chopper, and a proper burr grinder, which costs a bit more but is better, because it grinds more consistent particles.

Even whole-bean coffee can go stale if it doesn’t sell fast enough.So it depends on how fast it moves through the store.Little coffee roasting companies are better for this because they don’t roast tons of coffee and let it sit around.

Then how do you make the coffee?The ‘Mr Coffee’ big-basket filter coffee maker usually doesn’t get the water hot enough. Your best bet is a French press. You can buy these at Starbucks or any kitchen store. You grind the coffee a little coarser. Make sure its nice and clean.Stir, wait 4 minutes (no less) and plunge. The siphon type of coffeemaker is also good. The filter cone is okay, but you do taste the paper in the filter. Some people pour some hot water through the filter to prepare it before putting the coffee in, and that helps get out the paper taste. Also, for some reason, the ‘natural’ filters, unbleached, taste better.

If you’re making coffee one cup at a time, the Aeropress is also a wonderful thing. I use mine almost every day.

Whatever you use, make sure it’s clean.

Then, of course, just pay attention to what you’re doing. Measure carefully. Make sure the water is just off a boil (some people actually use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water!) Stir well. Use a timer. All that stuff. Consistency depends on control of variables.

If you really want to get into it, you can actually roast your own coffee. I do that. You can buy a hot-air popcorn popper and roast 1/4 lb of beans at a time. Once you taste the freshness of home-roast, you’ll never be satisfied with less. 8^)

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