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Sipping on a perfect cup of coffee at your favourite coffee shop is one of the best parts of our daily lives, isn't it? But when it comes to making a perfect Joe at home, it becomes quite a trick. While millions of coffee geeks grind and brew their coffee at home as a daily ritual, that doesn't make the procedure any easier for beginners.
And if you are not new in coffee brewing experience, but haven't got the desirable coffee taste just yet, maybe, just maybe, you are making some of the most frequently made mistakes? Do you want to find out which one is with a quick remedy?
Here is a list of coffee brewing mistakes for you.
Many of us are used to using only scoops and tablespoons to measure coffee grounds. The problem with not-so-accurate measurement is too much coffee may taste stale and salty without any depth in flavour. Too less coffee brew, however, will result in a thin, watery taste.
Now, while the ideal rule of thumb is to use eight teaspoons for a 34 ounce of the standard size French press, you need to keep in mind that weight of the coffee ground matters as much as the volume. Depending on how much coffee you want to grind and brew, place a measuring scale on an even surface and place the coffee beans container on the scale. Press' tare' to set the scale back to zero and add the amount of beans you want to brew, and there you have it- the exact amount of coffee ready to be ground and brewed.
We can't explain enough how vital it is for regular coffee brewers to clean their coffee makers on a regular basis. Like any other common appliance, you need to run a cycle with soapy water and vinegar to give your coffee maker a good rise. It's not just about hygiene, as coffee contains a fair amount of acidity; the brew basket of the coffee maker's reservoir can quickly build up yeast, moulds and bacteria. On top of that, an unclean coffee maker can distort the natural coffee taste and flavour with a burnt, salty odour! So make sure you are removing the brewing basket and soak them in a sink of hot water and vinegar as soon as you are done brewing your coffee.
We won't necessarily call it a mistake if you are okay with compromising a fair share of fresh coffee flavour or fruity aroma. However, while most coffee lovers brew coffee from coffee beans instead of ground coffee, it might be a little convenient to use store-bought ground coffee or grind your coffee beans way ahead of time.
But the moment you grind your coffee, the air, light and temperature exposure immediately start causing coffee oxidation which quickly decreases the original coffee quality. Oxidation makes the coffee stale and flat. So unless you want to create a morning with a sloppy and bland cup of Joe, take a bit of your time and passion into grinding your coffee right before you brew. You will appreciate the time well spent on it when you sip on that fresh, aromatic cup of joy!
Brewing coffee typically requires water with a specific temperature range: between 90.6°C to 96.1°C. While brewing coffee at home, you may not need an exact temperature range, but actively boiling water is one of the recurring mistakes that over-extract the beans and result in a bitter and acidic brew. So instead of pouring violently bubbling water onto the coffee grounds that causes uneven extraction, let the boiling water sit for about 30 sec before using. .
So instead, try this- Boil the water, turn it off and let it sit for 30 seconds. This will allow you to reach the ideal temperature for brewing. Once the temperature gets down a little bit, slowly start pouring onto the ground coffee for perfect extraction and sweeter notes.
We get it; if you have to grind your whole beans coffee right before brewing, it gets a bit tiring to some extent. Sometimes this hastiness leads to bigger-uneven grinds with slower extraction. You need to make sure you use the fine-tune coffee grinding method to get the premium taste, colour and aroma with perfect consistency by releasing flavour.
Pre-ground coffee is not a solution, so consider investing in a high-quality, premium coffee grinding for the finer or coarser ground coffee, according to your preference. For instance, you may fancy Turkish coffee with extra fine grind size or cowboy coffee with rough grind size. Regardless of what kind of coffee you want, grind consistency is the key to the maximum flavours and notes.
Another typical mistake that many of us make is brewing too much coffee grind at a time. Too much coffee grind means too much brew time, too much hot water, and extraction. A slight mismeasurement or wrong procedure can end up ruining the entire batch of coffee. Besides, the larger the coffee, the more difficult it gets to get the best flavour and taste. Over extraction and excessively bitter coffee aren't uncommon in "too many coffee brewing situations" either. So one of the primary coffee brewing hacks is to brew just the amount you will drink and serve- no more, no less.
The primary purpose of investing so much time brewing coffee beans at home is to get the most exquisite caffeine delicacy right on your balcony. Many of us think the correct brewing method can bring back the taste. Still, the reality is, no matter how much you try, you cannot get the authentic taste, flavour or aroma out of old-stale coffee beans lazily sitting around in your kitsch cupboard for months. Now, how could you tell if your coffee beans are fresh or stale? Since even newly-roasted beans start to oxidize as soon as they are exposed to the air, you have the risk of using stale beans either way. So before grinding the beans, smell them. If you get a musty, rancid aroma- you know it won't taste any better. To get the fresh batch of coffee beans delivered right to your doorstep, you can opt for a blend, filter or single-origin coffee beans subscription with the best packaging instead of purchasing from local stores and being unsure about the quality.
Brewing coffee at home is a delicate yet straightforward chore. While newer and more progressive coffee brewing methods are being introduced every day, more mistakes are also being made. So the key to the best-brewed coffee at home is to purchase the best quality roasted coffee beans, store them properly and keep an eye on the details while brewing. We hope this handy list of mistakes and solutions will help you avoid the errors and have a better brewing experience with a warm and delicious cup of Joe in hand.
