How to Make Better Tasting Coffee at Home

Author: Melissa Collins

Updated: February 23, 2023

Are you wondering how the baristas at coffee shops are able to make the perfect cup of coffee? Through this article, we will share steps, techniques and tricks to make a better-tasting coffee right from your home. Also, drinking coffee every day at coffee shops is not feasible.

A proper cup of coffee can give you a nice boost in the morning and help you get through the day easily. Every small variable matters while making coffee. Even one mistake can result in the taste of coffee getting ruined, even if you had followed the other steps to the dot.

Tips for making the perfect cup of coffee:

1. Use a scale:

Anyone making their coffee at home prefers to use a spoon for measuring their coffee. For getting the perfect taste, measuring coffee precisely is very important. It is difficult to get an accurate measurement using the spoon.

2. Buy fresh and whole bean coffee:

Whole bean coffee is more flavorful and fresher in comparison to ground coffee. If you want the best flavor of the coffee beans then it is very important to use the coffee beans within a few days from when they get roasted. It’s best to buy coffee beans from places that roast on the spot or roast in small batches.

3. Grind just before brewing:

Grinding your coffee right before brewing will result in the most flavor being extracted. Coffee starts losing its flavor after being ground. So the longer it’s been ground the less flavor your coffee will have.

When it comes to grinding, the size of your beans should be equal and there should be consistency. It is also important that the coffee beans are not ground too coarse or too fine. Burr grinders are the best option for this.

4. Water matters:

Using filtered water is important as your tap water will likely contain chlorine or other flavors that might ruin your cup of coffee. Although make sure to not use heavily filtered water as it might not be good for your coffee machine in the long term.

5. Clean your coffee machine regularly:

The oils of coffee beans will stay in your coffee pots if you don’t clean them often. The leftover oil is going to mix with your next coffee and affect its flavor.

6. Store your coffee away from light:

Once your coffee has been opened, it should be prevented from coming in contact with the sunlight.

7. Never freeze the coffee:

Frozen coffee runs the risk of absorbing moisture which will change the taste of your coffee. That’s why it’s best to avoid your coffee from being frozen.

Coffee can be made using different brewing methods. Below are a few steps to make your coffee better using different brewing methods.

Drip Coffee

Drip coffee is one of the most popular and easiest ways to make coffee. Steps to make coffee using this method.

First, the beans need to be ground with consistency. Now transfer these grounds into the filter basket and input in the coffee maker.
Now put filtered water at the back and start the machine.
Once the coffee is brewed, stop the machine. Look for the bubbles to stop to know when to stop the machine. Stopping the machine at the right time is very important to prevent a burnt taste to your coffee.

Note: It is important to clean your machine every few weeks to remove the oils or any other residues.

Pour Over Coffee

Coffee drinkers prefer the Pour Over method for a flavorful cup of coffee. Follow the below steps for that perfect cup of coffee.

First, the freshwater should be heated up to boiling temperature.
Now it’s time to rinse the paper filter and remove any flavors or residues from it. It also helps in warming the brewer. To do so fold the filter paper and place it over the cone and pour hot water over it. Remove the water that was used for rinsing.
It’s time to put the coffee grounds over the filter and level the surface. Now comes the blooming part where the hot water is poured in a spiral pattern starting from the middle to outwards. Keep going until the grounds are saturated. Now, wait for 30 seconds.
After the 30 seconds wait, start pouring the remaining water up to a half and three-quarters mark in the dripper.
Remove the filter and your coffee is ready to be served.

French Press Coffee

Making coffee with the French Press is easy and cheap. It also takes less time for making the coffee. It is important to choose the right pot size for the French Press method.

The first step before making your coffee should be to preheat your french press. This helps the brew temperature from changing too much.
After weighing your coffee grounds add them to the french press. Now match the hot water weight in proportion to the coffee grounds and pour it all in one go. You can now give them a quick stir to be sure that all the coffee grounds are immersed.
After putting the lid on, start a timer and let the coffee steep for about 4 minutes.
Now start to push the plunger down slowly towards the bottom. It is important to push it all the way down to the bottom to prevent over-extraction.
Your coffee is now ready to be served.

Takeaway

While you can experiment with your coffee making process, it is very important to follow a few steps correctly to get the perfect cup of coffee. Many people fail to make that perfect tasting coffee due to missing or failing to implement many of the variables we shared above. Perfecting them will help you get the taste you are looking for in your coffee.