If you are like many people, you just can’t get going in the morning without a good cup of coffee. Even if you drink coffee regularly, there are probably still things that you do not know about your favorite drink. To learn more about coffee, keep reading the following article.
Use Stevia if you don’t like using sugar or if you are dieting. Stevia comes from plants in a natural unprocessed form, meaning that extra glucose isn’t ingested by the body. You can find this product in your local health food store.
If you must add something creamy to your coffee, consider using real milk instead of whitener. Whitener is a frightening blend of ingredients you can’t pronounce, while milk of any sort – be it cream, homo, 2% or skim – provides protein, vitamin B12 and other great nutrients your body needs.
For a quick and affordable brew of espresso, try using a Moka stovetop coffee pot. Mokas generally produce one or two cups of coffee in the amount of time it takes to boil that amount of water. The coffee is brewed by pressurized steam rising through a funnel of coffee grinds and then rising again into the top chamber where it is ready to be poured into a cup.
If you loved your coffee on ice, try cold-brewing your own coffee concentrated. There are many recipes available online; Most entail mixing a few cups of water into several ounces of ground coffee, allowing the mixture to sit overnight. When the grounds are strained out, you are left with a smooth, rich concentrate that can be diluted with milk or water and ice.
Do you enjoy the fancy beverages you can get in coffee shops? You can make most of these beverages at home if you have milk, cream and chocolate syrup. Use the Internet to find tutorials on how to make your favorite drinks and with a little practice, you will be able to make the same beverages you can get at your favorite coffee shop.
Take advantage of any repeat customer program that your local coffee house runs. Even a single-unit independent place might have a punchcard system where you get a free cup of coffee for every five that you buy. Never throw these away, even for places you do not frequent much. They can still add up to free cups of joe over time.
The best coffee makers actually extract the essence of the bean. Drip coffee makers do not do this. Find an inexpensive French press and taste the difference. A French press will extract the oils from the bean and put them in your cup as opposed to a drip coffee maker which will leave them in the filter.
Decide how many cups of coffee you’d like to make before you measure the grounds and water needed. In cooking, a cup is equal to eight ounces. However, regular coffee cups generally hold only six. For every 6 ounces of water you should use 2 tablespoons of coffee. Your brew will be watered down if you use a measuring cup.
When brewing your coffee, use bottled or filtered water. Doing so, you will obtain maximum flavor for your brew. However, you do not want to use water that is too soft. The flavor will not be extracted as well. Look for a nice balance. Compare the flavor of your coffee with different brands or types of water.
Many discriminating coffee drinkers insist their coffee be fresh ground, and they buy whole beans to be ground just before they brew their coffee. The coffee grinders can be adjusted to make a fine ground coffee, or a coarser grind. Generally, the finer the grind, the stronger the coffee.
If you are among the people who enjoy iced coffee, there is a way to keep your brew from becoming diluted. Make a pot, allow it to cool. Then, pour it into ice cube trays. Use the frozen coffee to ice your fresh coffee. You will avoid the weak flavor that sometimes accompanies the end of a cup of iced coffee.
Try a new variety or blend of coffee every week. This can be a great idea for a lot of reasons. You can try new tastes of course, and that helps you avoid getting bored with one flavor, but there is also an opportunity for you to buy a new favorite.
Most coffee drinkers prefer a mild cup of coffee over any other strength. Roast your beans for around 7 minutes, or until they double in size and pop. This will make you a wonderfully mild and smooth cup of coffee. This is perfect for iced coffees and other coffee drinks.
Coffee is a beverage best drunk in moderation. Drinking an excessive amount of coffee can lead to dehydration. For every cup of coffee that you consume, you need to balance it with two cups of water. More than one coffee could cause dehydration without the proper steps, so keep an eye on consumption.
Remove the coffee pot from your coffee maker after you have finished brewing. By leaving your pot on your coffee maker, your coffee will keep cooking, which will lead to a bitter taste. If you want to keep it hot, use an insulated container, which will seal in the flavors.
For best results, the water used for coffee should be heated to 195-205 degrees. Many coffee makers from the store will not reach those temperatures. You may prefer to heat the water on your own. A simple French press is always a good idea.
Even though avid coffee drinkers prefer fresh brewed coffee, some people use instant coffee granules to make a quick cup rather than a whole pot. The flavor of the instant coffee is different than brewed coffee, and most people think it is inferior. It is quite convenient though, and some consider that convenience worthwhile.
Now that you have read this article, you should have learned something new about coffee. The more you know about coffee, the more enjoyment you will get from each delicious cup of hot java. Keep the information from this article in mind the next time you fire up your coffee pot.
