Everyone loves a good cup of java but buying all your coffee from your local coffee shop can get quite expensive. The alternative of course if to brew your own, but where do you begin? Choosing the right type of coffee can be a difficult task, especially if you are new to homemade coffee. Use the following article as a guide.
Make sure that you make your coffee in water that you would have no problem drinking alone. This is important because the taste of the water will affect the way that it makes your coffee taste. If you live in an area where the water quality is not that great, use spring water to brew your coffee.
There have been many studies about whether or not coffee is healthy or harmful. Some state that the caffeine in coffee can be harmful unless it is consumed in moderation. Other studies seem to indicate that coffee can work as an antioxidant, and can actually help prevent some diseases such as cancer.
Many things can go in the freezer to help them last a long time, but remember that coffee should only stay there for three months or less. If it stays there longer, the quality will go down.
If you are making iced coffee with instant coffee grounds, you should add twice as much as you would normally add to a hot cup. This is because adding ice will dilute the coffee and make it weak if you do not make sure that you make it strong enough.
Understand the amount of time that your coffee will be good for, whether it be ground coffee or whole bean. Typically, ground coffee will be good for up to a week to maximize the quality of taste, whereas whole bean coffee can last up to three weeks of time. Learn these time constraints to limit stale coffee in your home.
If you are planning on bringing coffee into work or to a friends house, always bring alternative flavors to inject a sense of variety in your presentation. This will give others the ability to make a choice as to which drink they prefer, which will make the most amount of people happy.
Try to have coffee immediately when you wake up so that you are fresh and energized when you are going to work. Instead of waiting until you arrive at your job, this can help you to stay focused, especially if you are driving on the road and need to be alert at all times.
To control the strength of your coffee, watch the size of your grind. In this case, coffee is a lot like garlic. The tinier you dice (or grind) it, the more potent the flavor you’ll get when cooking or brewing. If you are looking for a milder flavor, then keep your grind rather large.
Coffee starts to lose flavor about six hours after it is initially roasted. This is why you should do everything you can to keep your coffee from getting a lot of air. When you store your coffee, use an airtight container so you can keep the quality of each cup at a high level.
If you like the taste of coffee, but you avoid it due to it giving you the jitters, you should switch to a brand of coffee that does not contain caffeine. You will be able to drink as much coffee as you want without worrying about getting a huge caffeine rush.
Keep your coffee machine clean. Once you are done drinking coffee, you should rinse the coffee pot and remove the coffee grounds. Rinse the machine as best as you can and run hot water through it at least once a week to clean it thoroughly. Do not leave coffee or grounds in your machine for more than an hour.
For the best tasting coffee, use fresh beans that are between three days old and ten days old. Younger beans have not had sufficient time to mature and the taste can reflect this. Older beans are already going stale and losing the maximum flavor they had during their peak time.
When you brew coffee, use water that has gone through a charcoal filter. You can install a charcoal filter on your faucet to filter tap water. Another alternative is to buy a coffee machine that has its own built-in filter. Another way to approach this is to look for bottled water that has already been filtered with charcoal.
Don’t drink coffee in the evening. Coffee has lots of caffeine; therefore, drinking coffee late into the night can make you stay up way too late. After around four or five in the afternoon, you may want to switch to decaf.
Be sure that your water for brewing reaches somewhere between 195 and 205 degrees. Store-bought coffee makers typically do not get that hot. Experiment with heating your own water when brewing a pot of coffee. Look into the advantages available through a French press.
Don’t believe the hype drinking coffee. Unless you have a medical condition that suggests otherwise, a cup of coffee each day is not bad for you. It may even be a good thing. Consult your doctor if you’re not sure if coffee consumption is something you should be engaging in.
If you are a person who loves to take your time drinking your morning coffee, you may be disappointed by how quickly it cools down. And, leaving the pot on the burner will scald the coffee, ruining its flavor. To keep your java hot, try one of the coffee makers that brew directly into a thermal pot or carafe. These do not use direct heat, so your coffee tastes good even an hour later.
As was mentioned earlier of this article, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to decide what type of coffee you should purchase to brew at home. When you use the advice given in this article, you will be able to make an informed decision that will result in great tasting coffee time and time again.