Know Your Coffee

While some coffee drinkers will say "I know great coffee when I taste it," the fact is making a great cup coffee isn't a secret. All of the following factors contribute to making the perfect cup:

Beans

It's essential to start with fresh roasted beans. Typically, this means a type of Arabica beans. Many regions around the world produce great Arabica beans: Kenya, Guatemala, Brazil, Ethiopia, Hawaii, and other mountainous climates. Much like wine, the soil and climate in which coffee is grown contributes to its unique taste. Some coffee companies produce coffee blends that combine beans from different regions to hit just the right flavors and textures. But no matter where the beans are grown, it's essential that they are bought and kept in airtight containers. Once coffee packages are opened, the beans grow stale over time.

Grind

Each style of coffee brewing has its own ideal grind requirements. The three most common grind types are fine, medium, and coarse. Coarse ground coffee is primarily used for a French press, a hand-operated coffee making process. Medium ground coffee is most common, and is required by drip coffee makers. Fine ground coffee is used for Espresso, whose quality depends on the extraction to be perfect.

Water

Coffee is made of approximately 98% water, so you must use good tasting water. Plain tap water is perfectly suitable as long as it doesn't have any strange flavors, odors or textures. You may consider either a water filtration device or use a water delivery service.

Amount

You should use approximately 2 level tablespoons of ground coffee for each 6-ounce cup. Brewed coffee that tastes bitter is usually a result of not using enough coffee. The more water that is poured through a portion of ground coffee, the more likely the chance that the bitter elements contained within that coffee will be extracted. Increasing the amount of coffee used reduces the chances of over-extraction. If a less concentrated coffee flavor is desired, hot water should be added to the finished brew.

Temperature

The coffee brewer should produce a brew water temperature of 200 degrees F°. If the temperature is too low, the coffee will taste weak due to underextraction. On the other hand, brewing coffee at too high a temperature will likely result in scalded and/or bitter tasting coffee.

Time

Once brewed, coffee held in uncovered, heated containers (a glass pot on a warming burner) will retain optimal freshness for no longer than 20 to 30 minutes. The principle cause of flavor loss after brewing is continuous heating. Continuous heat causes the coffee will develop a sour or bitter taste with smoky overtones.

Keeping It Fresh

Thermal containers are the best hold coffee. They are insulated and airtight, allowing the coffee to preserve its taste characteristics. Because the coffee is not subjected to continuous heating, the coffee can be held for as long as 45 minutes before flavor characteristics will change. If your brewing equipment cannot brew directly into a thermal pot, immediately transfer the brewed coffee to a thermal container.