Trying to understand why your home brewed coffee doesn’t taste the same as the delicious cup that you are served at your nearby café? Here are a few steps which can take you as close to the delicious cup that you crave for.
One of the main reasons people use a weighing scale or make it a part of their daily coffee brewing ritual is – Consistency & Precision!
Coffee is a science. For you to be able to brew a perfect cup every time, a weighing scale is a crucial addition to achieve that level of precision.
A lot of people would argue that a coffee scooper and a timer would give you more or less the same results but every coffee has its own density. Different moisture levels depending on the processing methods and roasting levels will vary with different coffees or even different batches of the same coffee.
So the key to a great tasting brew is the ratio between water and ground coffee and a weighing scale is a great start to do that accurately.
Gooseneck Kettles
If I had to name a few qualities of a water kettle that add value to your daily brew, it would be energy efficient, it would save time, add a lot of variation in flavour when brewed at different temperatures. Some modern electric kettles come with in-unit temperature control that switch off automatically at a pre-set temperature.
But the main feature of the kettle apart from what’s mentioned above is the gooseneck arc or the spout which helps in providing a steading stream of water while pouring. It’s natural for you to wonder why I am stressing on such a minuscule feature in an equipment which should ideally give you just hot water. Let me explain: The Gooseneck arc or the spout is designed to give better control of the flow rate or the speed at which you are pouring water over ground coffee. Channelling is one of the main reasons in a weak tasting brew and investing in a gooseneck kettle is the best way to avoid that.
You can definitely stick with the coffee maker you have on hand, electric drip coffee makers are a great way to enter a coffee making experience. But you should never forget the thumb rule: in order to brew the best cup of coffee and bring out the ideal flavour notes, the right equipment is of utmost importance.
Kind of Coffee to buy
With so many options out there in the market, it’s normal for you to get confused about what you should buy or which coffee gives the best value for money? One of the few questions you should ask yourself that makes this seemingly tedious task are:
- How do you make your coffee? ( The roast level of the coffee should be ideal with the equipment you are brewing for e.g. Light roasts ideally bring out great flavour when brewed with any drip method and medium roasts do great with immersion methods)
- Do you take it black? Or with a dash of milk and sugar? ( Blends can hold their flavour even if milk or sugar are added , single origin may lose their flavour profiles)
- Do you prefer lighter notes like fruits or traditional notes like chocolate and caramel? (Do you enjoy traditional tasting coffees or something acidic)
- What roasts do you typically enjoy?
- What is your spending Capacity
It’s great to experiment and figure out different roasts, flavours etc. but sometimes what you need is a familiar brew and asking these basic questions to yourself will definitely help you nail that!
These basic questions will really help you narrow down the options which work best for you!
Over the years we’ve seen roasted coffee being sold in various forms starting from gunny bags to tins to paper bags and the most popular in the market, the bag with the flavour lock valve. All these steps were taken to maintain and prolong the shelf life of the coffee after roasting. Parameters like water, grinds, proportion are very important but they won’t matter if the freshness of the beans are not intact.
One of the biggest enemies of coffee is moisture and a great storage canister can help you prevent just that. To maximize the freshness and shelf life of your roasted beans: Invest in a good storage canister!
Ask yourself, what could possibly go wrong with your cup of coffee even after taking care of all the parameters mentioned above? The answer is simple. Your mug / take away flask.
Imagine brewing the perfect espresso but the surface area of your is too wide and the crema just disintegrates. Or getting to work and realizing the coffee you brewed so meticulously is cold before taking the first sip or worse, spills. It’s important that you invest in a drinking container that not just retains heat but also focuses on aspects like being durable, sustainable and use of materials which are free of any specific small or taste which add value to your overall coffee experience.
These small but impactful additions to your brewing routine will vastly affect the final cup for the better. Anyone who aspires to make a great tasting cup every single time should definitely invest in these.
