I’m feeling the holiday crunch so this post is short, sweet and full of caffeine:) Not my usual healthy fare but hey, it’s the holidays. Let’s have some fun. Are you planning a big holiday feast with coffee and dessert afterwards? Did you know there are three steps involved in making a great cup of coffee? I thought my coffee was pretty good until I was asked to interview coffee shop owners for a regional magazine article. Here are some tips from some of the best coffee brewers in the Midwest.
Step 1) Begin with quality water. Hands down this was the most important tip from everyone I interviewed. Cold filtered water, period. One barista suggested using bottled water if filtered water isn’t available. Apparently, impurities like chlorine or minerals alter the real taste.
Step 2) A great cup of coffee starts with a fresh whole bean. Buy fresh roasted beans and grind them yourself. I can’t tell you how much I love opening the shiny foil air tight seal on my favorite blend of pre-ground. Could there really be that much difference in aroma and taste? I decided to buy my own inexpensive coffee grinder to find out. Turns out, freshly ground beans are more flavorful and aromatic. I could have stood at my kitchen counter all day sniffing.
Good advice about coffee beans: Where do you find good beans? Going to a local coffee roaster would ensure fresh beans but it’s not always practical. If you have a favorite coffee shop that sells their fresh roasted coffee beans, lucky you! The baristas I interviewed recommended purchasing enough for the week and storing them in an airtight container. If your only choice is to buy coffee beans from the supermarket, make sure the beans are all relatively the same size and same color for even grinding and flavor.
More Advice About Beans The degree of roast is an important flavor factor. Lightly roasted beans have a sharper, more acidic taste than darker roasts and darker roasts tend to be bittersweet and have a shorter shelf life. Labels such as “Viennese,” “French,” and “Italian” do not refer to the origin of the bean, but to the length of time the bean has been roasted. Generally the lighter in color the bean, the lighter the roast.
Step 3) Cleanliness
When it comes to that perfect cup of coffee, cleanliness is next to Godliness. Make sure your permanent filter is free from all coffee sludge and use an unbleached paper coffee filter. Wash and dry the decanter. Use two level tablespoons of fresh ground coffee per cup. If you’re making more than 10-cups of coffee you should place the strength meter on its highest position possible to allow more water to penetrate the grounds evenly. Once the coffee is brewed, stir the pot to infuse the taste. Stop and smell the coffee, pour and serve.
Now for the sweet. Let’s talk dessert. Recently I acquired two holiday recipes I thought were too good not to share. Sent to me from my lovely, good cook sister-in-law Cheryl, Santa Hat Brownies require strawberries and chocolate brownie mix. They’re so darn cute and festive, you’ll want to make them too. Seriously, you have to check these out. The second recipe is downright decadent and from my fun friend Tameri Etherton. With only four ingredients, it’s not only quick and easy to prepare, it’s pretty. Guaranteed to please anyone who loves chocolately holiday goodness. Thanks Cheryl and Tameri!
So there you have it, yummy desserts, great coffee, family and friends. Enjoy!
Do you have any other tips for making a great cup of coffee? What’s your favorite brew or bean?
Kate~
LOL, if I had to go to this much trouble, I’m afraid I’d give up coffee, but it was an enjoyable and informative post.
You crack me up Liz. I have to admit, somedays, I open up the can of Maxwell House and go for it. When I have company, I pull out the stops. You need to come see me some time — Peru isn’t that far.
Cool! Where ARE you? We could meet for lunch and eat too much and speak in the weird writer language that makes people give you questioning looks.
I would love that Liz! I’m in Wabash county, Indiana. I’ll e-mail you and we’ll do all those weird writer things. I need a cool way to kill my villain….
As long as it has chocolate in it, it’s a good cup of coffee to me!
OOOH. Good idea Patricia! Sometimes a little Bailey’s Irish Creme is good too.
Oh, how I love the smell of coffee. Used to love drinking it until it became enemy #1 to my body. I never knew how to brew a good pot of coffee and now I know why! I made all the mistakes you could ~ crappy water from the tap, wrong coffee, and okay maybe a sort of clean coffee maker. This post makes me want to make a great cup of coffee just because now I know how!
Those brownie santa hats are the absolute cutest! I just happened to buy some marscapone over the weekend… I foresee those in my near future. Yum! Thanks for the link to my brownie thing. I hope you get a chance to try it ~ with a perfectly blended cup, no less!
I totally understand about wanting to make a great cup of coffee because now you know how, that’s how I felt. I’m making your dessert for my kids on Christmas Day, I know they’ll love it.
Hi Kate!
My parents drank the electric perc coffee when I was a kid then they started drinking instant. Bleh!
I’m a fan of dark roast. I’ve been collecting coffee contraptions since I got out of school, eons ago. Stovetop espresso pots, French presses, drips, vacuum process…love it all. My prize coffee possession is the Gaggia burr grinder with thirty two grind options. I’m glad you posted about this because most people think I’m nuts.
Oh yes. Instant coffee. I had some a month ago with my dear Dad who is 88. Thanks goodness it was decaf! I like to pretend I’m on a distant space station when I drink it… way, way… way out there. Astronaut coffee!