Simple and easy ways to improve your coffee at home

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Ordering coffee at your favorite cafe can be a treat, but it’s not the cheapest option.

Making a mug at home is a cheaper alternative, so Insider spoke to coffee experts about their top tips for home brewing.

Read on for some easy ways to step up your coffee game.

Start by cleaning your coffee maker regularly

coffee maker dirty kitchen clean house — Old coffee grounds can impact the flavor of a fresh cup.

One way to improve your cup of coffee is to regularly clean your coffee maker, Josh Zad, founder and creative director of the famous Alfred coffeehouse chain, told Insider.

“Make sure you get into the nooks and crannies of every part, especially where the coffee flows through the filter,” he says. “The taste and aroma of old coffee really blurs the flavor of freshly ground coffee.”

The best way to clean those hard-to-reach stains is to add a dash of baking soda, a little vinegar, and a little water. Then let it sit overnight and it’ll rub off the next day, according to Zad.

Consider trying a new brewing method, like the French press or the mocha pot

If you’re ready to venture further into the world of craft coffee, there are so many fun ways to brew at home, Selina Viguera, coffee manager at Blue Bottle Coffee’s Abbot Kinney site, told Insider.

Mocha Pot, French Press, AeroPress, Chemex and a variety of pourers are just the start.

If you’re not sure where to start, Viguera said there are plenty of resources online and most coffee roasting companies have tutorials on their sites.

For a fun and unique coffee experience, invest in a pour-over carafe

black coffee brew pour over filtered barista mug shutterstock_473186929 — Pour-on coffee is a popular new brewing method.

If you’re looking for a specific brewing recommendation, several experts have agreed that the spill – which involves slowly pouring hot water over coffee grounds – is their favorite.

With proper technique, he can produce a truly delicious cup of coffee, according to Viguera.

Once you understand some of the variables of coffee brewing (grind size, water temperature, agitation), you can make different cups from the same bag of coffee, she added.

Switch to buying whole coffee beans rather than pre-ground

“To make better coffee, buy better coffee,” Viguera told Insider.

Whole bean coffee is fresher and has a more vibrant flavor than pre-ground varieties, according to Alex Azoury, founder and CEO of Home Grounds, a community for coffee lovers.

Brew fresh coffee in the first 2 weeks after roasting

“Coffee is a natural product (it’s the seed of a fruit), and while it never spoils, it will lose a lot of flavor if left on too long,” Zad told Insider.

According to Viguera, the flavor of coffee peaks within the first two weeks after roasting, so it’s important to make sure the coffee you buy has been recently roasted.

In order to maintain the freshness of your coffee, proper storage is also important. Zad suggested keeping it away from heat, light, humidity, and the freezer.

Invest in a good coffee grinder that matches your bean preferences

Once you’ve purchased quality beans, it’s also important to invest in a good grinder.

“It’s a good idea to get a grinder that will grind the coffee in the amount and size you want,” Azoury told Insider. “A good grinder will give you both grind and quantity options to suit your taste.”

Make sure you adjust your grinder to the right size

According to Viguera, coffee that is ground too fine will lead to overextraction, and coffee that is too coarse will lead to underextraction.

Overexploited coffee can taste dry and bitter, and underextracted coffee can taste watery or sour.

To avoid this, Viguera told Insider that it’s important to “dial in” your coffee. Baristas use this term to describe the act of adjusting your grind setting to find the right size / fineness to brew a balanced cup.

The coffee has a sweet spot – a perfect grind setting – which produces a balance of bitterness, acidity and sweetness. This sweet spot can vary depending on the origin of the coffee, level of roast and age, according to Viguera.

Only grind the beans you plan to prepare right away

french press cafe — Once the coffee beans are ground, they can start to lose their flavor.

You should only grind the amount of coffee you are going to brew.

“If you’ve pre-ground all of your coffee, but you’re not going to brew it all right away, then you’ve dramatically boosted the rate at which the rest of the coffee will lose its delicious complexity,” Zad told Insider.

A cup of coffee may taste different depending on the quality of your water

Another important factor to consider when brewing coffee at home is your water, which makes up about 98% of your cup of brewed coffee, according to Viguera.

“As the primary solvent to extract the flavor and aroma from your ground coffee, your water needs a certain level of hardness / minerality and alkalinity for quality extraction,” she told Insider. “Depending on where you live, tap water may be too hard / soft to bring out the best in your cup.”

Light and dark roasts require different brewing temperatures

boiling teapot — Too hot water can ruin a cup of coffee.

Another key variable when brewing coffee is water temperature.

“You want to use water heated from 198 degrees Fahrenheit to 202 degrees Fahrenheit to make a properly brewed cup of coffee,” Viguera said. “Lighter roasted coffees can withstand more heat (202 degrees Fahrenheit), while darker roasted coffees taste better brewed with water closer to 198 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Try to preheat your cup before pouring the coffee

If you pour hot coffee into a cold mug, it just makes the coffee colder the second it hits the ceramic.

According to Zad, a preheated cup will increase the amount of time you can enjoy hot coffee in the morning.

Change things up by brewing a cold brew at home

cold brew coffee — A cold brew is not as difficult to prepare as some people think.

Another way to mix up your coffee routine is to make your own cold brew at home.

To do this, simply grind your beans coarsely and add water, Zad said. Then place it in the fridge overnight to extract all the sweetness from the coffee.

Add spices to make your own flavored coffee

According to Zad, flavored coffee can be full of artificial ingredients that don’t complement the natural flavor of the beans.

Instead, he suggested adding the actual ingredients behind the flavors you love to your coffee.

“Try adding spices to your coffee grounds when making your cold brew,” Zad told Insider. “Add cinnamon sticks, crushed toasted hazelnuts, cardamom pods, anise, cocoa shells or even salty items like caraway to steep overnight in your cold brew, and you’ll have spicy benefits. natural in the morning – nothing artificial. “

Use a scale to get the right coffee / water ratio

coffee scale — The ratio can change the strength of the coffee.

Knowing your brew ratio – or coffee / water ratio – and using a scale can help you consistently brew great cups.

“For reference, the industry standard is 1:18 (one part coffee to 18 parts water), which typically produces a cup that is light in the body but greater clarity of flavor,” said Viguera told Insider. “If you prefer a bolder, fuller-bodied cup, try a 1:14 ratio.”

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