April 19, 2009

Gourmet coffee makers are only as good as the water you use. You need good quality water, so pay close attention to any unusual smell or taste of water from your tap. In addition, coffee needs to be brewed at the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold.

Water Quality

Beware of tap water that has a strong odor or taste such as iron or chlorine. Your tap water will be at its best if you let it run a few seconds (or more) until it cools to its lowest temperature. Only use cold water and never used distilled or softened water. Using water from the hot water faucet is a sure way to ruin your coffee's flavor.

If your tap water is not nearly perfect, you should use bottled or filtered water. Some more expensive coffee makers actually include a built-in water filter. An economical alternative to bottled water is to filter your water using a filtered water pitcher.

Water to Coffee Proportion

The proper proportion of water to coffee is 2 tablespoons of whole coffee beans (perhaps a little less if you prefer) for every 6 ounces of water. Remember that the typical "coffee cup" is only six ounces, and that is how your carafe will be marked. Be careful not to get confused by a "measuring cup" that is 8 ounces and the "coffee cup" that is only 6 ounces.

The Correct Temperature for Coffee and Brew Cycle

You should brew coffee with water just below boiling. When heating your water on the stove, let the water sit for a minute start to boil, then let it cool for a minute before pouring it over the grounds in your cone filter or press pot. If you use water that is too cool, your beans will not release their full flavors. Water that is too hot extracts bitter flavor oils from the beans.

The best temperature for brewing coffee is between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. You should serve coffee at a cooler temperature, between 145 to 175 degrees although most people prefer the top end of that range. Be alert for coffee makers that fail to heat water to the optimal temperature. If your coffee seems too mild and watery and you never get the full, rich gourmet flavor you want, then pay attention to water temperature.

The brewing time for hot water varies depending on the coffee maker you use. Drip coffee makers spray hot water hot water over the grounds that seeps through in a minute or two. A press pot coffee maker (or French Press) brews between 3 to 4 minutes. For espresso, the hot water is quickly forced through the ground coffee in 20-30 seconds. An Aeropress coffee maker also brews in the 20 seconds it takes to depress the plunger and push the water through the filtered grounds.

Remember that period of time the hot water stays in contact with the coffee grounds is directly related to the type of coffee grind used for the particular coffee maker. A French press coffee maker requires the coursest grind. An espresso machine and an Aeropress use finely ground coffee. A medium grind works best for a drip coffee maker.

If your coffee is too strong check the water temperature. Then make sure you are using the right coffee grind and brewing it for the right period of time. Try varying how long the hot water remains in contact with your ground coffee, until you brew the perfect cup of gourmet coffee. Timing the brew cycle is best rather than estimating the time or judging from the color of your brewed coffee.

A break through in coffee technology is the Keurig single serve coffee brewer, with a revolutionary process of controlling the water, pressure, brew time and temperature. The Keurig coffee system can be a great way for a beginning coffee lover to learn how great gourmet coffee should taste, with a simple and tasty brew time after time.

Now you know this tip for beginning coffee makers: Pay attention to the water you're using for the best tasting coffee.

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