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by Ken Brill
There are a great many decisions to make about brewing coffee at home. Everything from storing the coffee beans to the best method of preparing your morning cup of “joe” is up for debate. Although there are few definitive answers to coffee’s great mysteries, I hope that by the end of this article you have a better idea of which methods and techniques will work best for you.
So you’ve just picked up a bag of coffee beans at your local supermarket. What now? You first need to decide how you intend to grind your beans. Most retailers that sell coffee offer free, on-the-spot grinding of your coffee beans. While this is fantastic if you can’t spare the time or the money to grind your own beans at home, it significantly decreases the amount of time it will take for your coffee to go stale. That’s right — coffee, like nearly every other food product, will go stale. The standard life of freshly-roasted ground coffee is two weeks if stored in a dark, room-temperature location.
For the best results, purchase a small household grinder. This will allow you to grind only the amount of coffee you need for the day’s brew. Not only will this increase the life of your coffee, but it will also maintain the aroma and taste of the coffee. Grinders vary greatly in price, but it is important that you do your research before making a purchase. A cheap coffee grinder is unlikely to produce topnotch results, so if you don’t want to spend the extra money for a more effective grinder, you might be better off grinding your beans where you shop. If you are looking for a grinder that will serve all your coffee purposes, the most commonly suggested grinder is a “burr” type grinder. This type of grinder uses revolving abrasive elements to truly pulverize the coffee. This makes the coffee ground perfect for nearly every kind of preparation. A low-end “burr” grinder is likely to cost you around $40.
You’ve decided on your method of grinding. You have yourself a fancy new home grinder or a nice bag of ground coffee from the supermarket and you’re wondering how to store your coffee. Should you freeze it? What about the refrigerator? You know that coffee goes stale, but what is the best way to keep it fresh? The simple answer is to not buy more coffee than you will drink in a two-week period. Store that coffee in an air-tight container at room temperature in a dark location and enjoy.
Simple enough, but what if you’ve found a great deal on coffee in bulk? Well, then things get trickier. Do not refrigerate you’re coffee. It may seem like a simple solution — a compromise between freezing and storing at room temperature — but there is no worse place in your home to put coffee than in the fridge. Coffee stored in refrigerators can become moist and will then absorb the flavors of others foods. Coffee can be frozen, but even if done correctly, you will compromise a significant amount of its taste and aroma. But if you do decide to freeze your excess coffee beans, be sure to put them in an air-tight container to protect them from moisture. When you are ready to use, it is essential that you allow the beans to fully defrost before grinding — frozen coffee beans can damage some grinders. It is also essential that you only defrost the beans that you will be using for the day’s brew. Coffee beans cannot be refrozen after they have thawed.
You’re ready for that first pot of coffee, but how should you prepare it? There are dozens of ways to brew coffee at home, but we’ll take a look at the two most common. Both the French press and the traditional, drip coffee maker will deliver an invigorating cup of hot coffee in the morning, but which is right for you? The price difference of the two is negligible. A low-end coffee maker of either sort will probably cost just under $30. It really comes down to time. A French press is a manual means of creating a cup of fresh coffee. It creates a stronger flavor because of the extended amount of time that the water has contact with the coffee grind, but its major drawback is time. A French press requires boiling hot water, but the press itself does not produce this water. With about 10 minutes between boiling the water and using the press, this device is fairly ineffective for those who need to get up and out the door in a hurry.
The drip coffee pot offers nearly opposite advantages and disadvantages. Although the coffee is less robust, it takes significantly less time to brew, and most modern coffee makers come with a built-in clock, allowing you to truly wake up to a fresh pot of coffee.
Although there is a lot to consider, brewing your own coffee is both gratifying and, in the long run, significantly cheaper than morning trips to Starbucks. There isn’t a single, best method for preparing coffee at home, but I hope that this brief tutorial has given you the basic knowledge that will help you decided which method is best for you when preparing a delicious cup of java.
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