Brewing the Perfect Cup of Coffee

Many coffee lovers wonder why brewing coffee at home doesn't yield the same great taste they enjoy from Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, or some other favorite chain or local coffee shop. Some coffee lovers even shell out big bucks for coffee brewing machines that, though excellent, still don't give them the results they were hoping for.

In fact, whether you use a simple drip coffee maker, an automatic drip coffee machine, a vacuum coffee maker, a French press plunger pot, or even an old-fashioned coffee percolator, you can get an excellent cup of coffee at home if you follow a few simple rules:

Start with fresh, cold water. Water, not coffee, is the main ingredient in your cup. If your area has good tap water, you'll more likely brew great coffee. If your tap water tastes foul, get a water filter system, whether it's one that attaches to your faucet or a less expensive countertop water filter. Bottled water works, too, but costs much more on a daily basis.

Use good-quality, freshly roasted coffee beans. Coffee's essential oils, the source of its aromatic, rich flavor, easily dissipate into the air, gradually carrying away flavor with them. Buy freshly roasted coffee in small batches, seeking out a variety, blend, or brand you like. (You might want to explore different coffee bean varieties from around the world.) Some online coffee roasters can deliver even fresher products than you can find in stores. Keep your coffee beans in an airtight jar at cool room temperature.

Grind the coffee correctly, just before brewing. Use a coffee grinder to grind the beans just before brewing. Grind to whatever fineness or coarseness best suits the coffee brewing equipment you're using, checking the manufacturer's suggestions; generally, that means a fine grind for cone-shaped drip coffee filters and vacuum coffee makers, medium grind for French press plunger pots and drip coffee machines with flat-bottomed filters, and coarse for percolators. Do not reuse coffee grounds from an already-brewed batch.

Get the proportions right. A "cup" of coffee is generally 6 ounces, not the 8 ounces in a kitchen measuring cup. Use 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6-ounce cup, adjusting the proportions slightly to your own particular taste for a stronger or weaker cup.

Clean your coffee equipment. Coffee's volatile oils can build up on brewing equipment and turn rancid, leading to "off" tastes in the coffee you brew. After brewing, always wash your equipment thoroughly with warm, soapy water. Rinse it thoroughly too, so you don't wind up with soapy-tasting coffee.

Don't use fully boiling water. The ideal brewing temperature to extract coffee's best flavor is a few degrees below the boiling point. When brewing with a simple drip filter or French press coffee plunger pot, remove the kettle of boiling water from the heat and let it rest for a few seconds, until the turbulence dies down, before pouring. Good automatic coffee machines include thermostats that regulate water temperature.

Turn all of these steps into habits, and you'll likely find that your home-brewed coffee tastes better than ever.

Freshly roasted coffee beans.

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