How to Make a Great Cup of Coffee

Plenty of people like drinking coffee, but many of them do not know how to make their own.  If you are one of them, then you may have to go to a coffee shop in order to have a great cup of coffee.  If you want to learn how to make your own though, keep reading for a few tips.

It is critical that you know that making a great cup of coffee starts with having great beans.  Do not expect your coffee to taste great if you use low-quality beans.  Using stale but high-quality beans is not a good idea either.  Make sure that you store your beans in an airtight container.  The more air they are exposed to, the faster they will get stale.

Ideally, you will grind up your beans just before brewing them.  This produces the best tasting cup of coffee.  It is best not to use grounds after they have been sitting around for more than a week or so.  You can keep them in the refrigerator, or the freezer if you need to keep them a bit longer.

Beans are very important for making a great cup of coffee, but water is the main ingredient.  That is why you need to use fresh water.  Even if your municipal water treatment facility produces the best tap water, you still should not use it for brewing coffee.  Use bottled or filtered water instead.  Also, do not put hot water into the machine, since it will cause it to get too hot which lowers the quality of your coffee.

Water temperature is very important when it comes to making coffee.  You will want the temperature to reside between 195 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit.  If your coffee machine is relatively old, make sure that it is still capable of hitting this mark.  If it is not, then you will need to replace it if you want it to produce great coffee.

Whenever you cook something, it is important to measure ingredients precisely.  The same hold true when brewing coffee.  Use the correct amount of water in proportion to the amount of grounds that you use.  In general, you should use approximately six ounces of water for every 1/3-ounce grounds that you use.  This isn't a strict rule however, so feel free to experiment to find something that you like.

If you want a fantastic drink, then take the time to clean your coffee-making equipment on a regular basis.  Substances will build up inside that will taint future brews if you do not.