How to make a good black coffee

Taking a great cup of coffee is sometimes all you need to set the mood for a great day. However, it's not every day that you get yourself a cup from your favourite cafe. On those days when your coffee shop is closed, how do you get yourself the healthy coffee boost you need? In such cases, brewing a cup by yourself might not be a bad idea. Depending on how much coffee you take per day, doing the brew yourself could even save you some extra cash.

To make things easy for you, this article will show you how you can brew coffee on your own without stress. Also, you will find some easy tips that will help you ensure that the cup is perfect, just the way you want it.

How to make good coffee with traditional brewing methods

Generally speaking, there are three common methods to brew coffee at home. For most people, the favourite method is to brew using the drip coffee machine. At the same time, many people are beginning to love the pour-over and the french press methods of making coffee at home.

Before we show you the steps involved in these three methods, you need to know something. When you weigh your coffee, you get better results than when you use measuring spoons, cups, or scoops to measure your coffee so take note.

You might want to get a digital scale for measuring your coffee. But if you don't have one, there is no need to worry. We have made things easy for you by providing the spoon equivalent of all our coffee measurements. That said, the following are three of the best methods you can use in making the perfect cup of coffee right from the comfort of your home.

 

Pour Over Method: A Delicious and Complex Aromatic Taste

The pour-over method is a popular coffee brewing technique among coffee enthusiasts. It produces a clean, crisp, and flavorful cup of coffee with a delicate balance of acidity and sweetness. This brewing method highlights the unique taste profile of the coffee beans, giving you a strong yet complex aromatic taste.

Recommended Coffee: For the pour-over method, we recommend using single-origin coffee beans that have a medium to light roast. These beans have a more complex and nuanced flavour profile that is well-suited to the pour-over method. However, feel free to experiment with different coffee beans and roasts to find the perfect match for your taste preferences.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Perfect Pour-Over Coffee:

1. Boil Water: Start by boiling a good amount of cold water in a kettle. The water should be just below boiling point, around 195 to 205°F (90 to 96°C).
2. Grind Coffee Beans: If you are using whole coffee beans, grind them to a uniform consistency. The texture should be similar to granulated salt. The amount of coffee used in the pour-over method depends on personal preference and the size of the brewer. However, as a general rule, we recommend using a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:16 to 1:18.
3. Rinse Filter: Place a filter in your pour-over brewer and rinse it with hot water. This will remove any paper residues on the filter and warm up the brewer, ensuring your coffee stays hot for a longer time. Discard the water immediately after rinsing.
4. Add Coffee Grounds: Add the coffee grounds to the filter, ensuring that the surface is level. 
5. Bloom Pour: Pour just enough hot water over the coffee grounds to saturate them completely. This is known as the "bloom" pour, a process that allows coffee to de-gas. Let the coffee bloom for 30 seconds.
6. Slowly Pour the Remaining Water: Pour the remaining hot water over the coffee grounds, starting from the centre and working your way outward in a circular motion. Keep your hands steady to control the flow of water. Make sure the water in the dripper is not too full; between half and three-quarters full is enough.
7. Wait for the Coffee to Drip: Wait for the coffee to drip through the filter into your cup. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes. If the coffee drips too quickly, adjust the grind size of the coffee beans. If it drips too slowly, adjust the pour rate of the water.
8. Enjoy Your Perfect Cup of Coffee: Once the coffee has finished dripping, carefully remove the filter and discard the grounds. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your perfect cup of coffee!

 

Drip coffee: mild acidity, and a smooth finish

Is a popular brewing method that is loved by many coffee enthusiasts due to its convenience and consistent results. It is a straightforward process that involves passing hot water through coffee grounds using a filter, resulting in a flavorful and aromatic cup of coffee. The taste profile of drip coffee can vary depending on the type of coffee beans and the grind size used, but it generally produces a balanced cup with a medium body, mild acidity, and a smooth finish.

Recommended Coffee: For drip coffee, we recommend using medium roast coffee beans that are well-suited to this brewing method. The medium roast helps to highlight the natural sweetness and complexity of the coffee beans while balancing the acidity. However, feel free to experiment with different coffee beans and roast levels to find the perfect match for your taste preferences.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Perfect Drip Coffee:

1. Grind Coffee Beans: Start by grinding your coffee beans to a uniform consistency, similar to table salt. If you are using pre-ground coffee, skip this step.
2. Add Filter: Place a filter in the basket of your drip machine. Ensure that it is positioned properly and that there are no folds or creases that may affect the brewing process.
3. Add Coffee Grounds: Add the ground coffee to the filter, ensuring that the surface is level. We recommend using approximately 15 to 30 grams of coffee per 350 ml of water. However, you can adjust the amount of coffee you use based on your personal taste preference.
4. Add Water: Fill the water reservoir of your drip machine with clean water. Avoid using distilled or softened water, as they can affect the taste of your coffee. For best results, use filtered or bottled water.
5. Turn on the Machine: Switch on the drip machine and wait for the coffee to brew. The machine will heat the water and pass it through the coffee grounds to extract the flavour and aroma.
6. Wait for the Coffee to Brew: Allow the coffee to brew until it finishes dripping into the carafe. The time it takes to brew will depend on the drip machine and the amount of coffee being brewed. Generally, it takes about 5-6 minutes to brew a full pot of coffee.
7. Serve and Enjoy: Once the coffee has finished brewing, pour it into your favourite mug or carafe and enjoy your delicious cup of coffee.
8. Clean the Machine: To maintain the quality of your drip machine and ensure its longevity, clean it regularly. Once a month, mix equal parts of water and vinegar and pour it into the water reservoir. Run the machine without coffee until the mixture is gone, then rinse with clean water. This will help to remove any residue build-up in the machine and keep it in good condition.

 

French press: Bold, rich and full-bodied

French press coffee is known for its full-bodied and rich flavour profile, with strong notes of coffee oils and a slightly gritty texture. This method extracts more coffee oils and flavours than other brewing methods, resulting in a robust and intense cup of coffee.

Recommended Coffee: For French press brewing, it is best to use coarsely ground coffee beans, as this allows for proper extraction and minimises the risk of over-extraction. Medium to dark roast beans work well with this brewing method and produce a rich and bold cup of coffee. Some popular choices include Colombian, Brazilian, and Sumatran beans.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Perfect French Press Coffee:

1. Boil Water in a Kettle: Begin by boiling water in a kettle or on a stovetop. The ideal water temperature for French press coffee is between 195°F to 205°F (90°C to 96°C), so make sure the water is heated to the appropriate temperature.
2. Grind the Coffee Beans: If you are using whole beans, grind the coffee beans to a consistent, coarse level. The grounds should resemble breadcrumbs in consistency. A burr grinder works best for this, as it allows for even grinding and consistent results.
3. Add Grounds to French Press: Once the water has boiled and the coffee beans have been ground, add the desired amount of coffee grounds to your French press. A general rule of thumb is to use a ratio of 1:15, meaning one part coffee grounds to 15 parts water. So, for a 32-ounce French press, use around 2 ounces (56 grams) of coffee grounds.
4. Add Water to French Press: When the water is about a minute away from boiling, add it to the French press while stirring it vigorously into the coffee grounds. This helps to evenly distribute the water and ensure that all the coffee grounds are saturated. Be sure to leave enough room at the top of the press for the plunger.
5. Brew for 4 Minutes: After adding the water, let the coffee steep for four minutes. This allows for proper extraction and ensures that the coffee has a full-bodied and rich flavour profile. It is important not to over-extract the coffee, as this can result in a bitter taste.
6. Press and Pour: Once the four minutes are up, slowly press down on the plunger to separate the coffee grounds from the liquid. Pour the coffee into your cup or mug, being sure to separate any remaining grounds. If you are not going to drink the coffee right away, pour it into a carafe to prevent over-extraction.
7. Enjoy: Sit back, relax, and enjoy your freshly brewed French press coffee! You can customise the flavour by adding milk, cream, or sugar to taste.

Tips for Making the Perfect cup of Coffee

While the method of making your coffee is important for good taste, there are some other things you must consider to improve the quality of your coffee. The following are some tips that will help you make the best coffee (check out how to buy the best coffee online), not minding how fancy your coffee machine is.

1. Ensure you buy only fresh and whole bean coffee

Your cup of coffee will only be as good as the coffee beans you make them with. So if you want the best from your coffee, you better buy fresh, whole beans instead of pre-ground coffee beans.

The problem with preground coffee is that most companies that sell these types of coffee do not write the date of roasting on the pack. And they do that for a good reason; their coffee beans usually stay on their shelf for months.

Ideally, coffee is best consumed only a few days after roasting it. It is within this period that it has its best aroma and flavour.

2. The source of your ground coffee matters

To get the maximum flavour from your coffee, you must grind it right before you brew it. According to experts, your coffee starts to lose its flavour after 30 minutes of grinding. So, to ensure that the flavour and aroma are intact, grind your coffee beans only when you are ready to start brewing the pot.

The grind size and consistency are also as important. If you grind too coarse, you will probably end up with a weak cup of coffee. On the other hand, a fine grind will extract too much and will leave you with a bitter taste. Also, you want to consider the type of consistency that is perfect for the method you choose.

3. Pre-infuse your ground coffee

There is the possibility that your coffee maker does not allow your coffee to go through an important step. In most cases, coffee makers fail to prepare their coffee grounds for full extraction properly. To avoid this, it's best that you do the pre-infusion yourself so the coffee can bloom.

4. Watch the heat

When water is too hot, it will over-extract the compounds in the coffee beans. As a result, you will get a bitter coffee rather than a cup with a pleasant taste. Ideally, the proper temperature for brewing coffee should be about 93 Degree Celsius or 45 seconds before the water fully boils.

Most expert coffee makers already understand this temperature, and they regulate their brews automatically. Once you are done brewing this coffee, you should take the cup immediately otherwise, it will lose its flavour. Unfortunately, reheating and boiling the coffee will only make the coffee taste bad.

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