How to brew the perfect cup of coffee?

Making your own perfect cup of coffee has never been easier. You could choose one of the many pod systems available like Keurig. A far tastier and cheaper option (at a fraction of the cost) is however available, just by following the steps below provided in this article.

You will need

A French Press,
a coffee grinder,
and an air tight container.

Why use a French press?

A French press is the better option over a drip style machine as the beans soak in the water, allowing the flavor to seep out, while in the drip coffee machine, the water passes through the beans quickly and much of the flavor is not absorbed in the water.

Storage of coffee beans

Do not store coffee beans in bulk. Instead, buy them regularly and fresh. Store your beans in an air tight container and only grind them when needed. Once you have ground the beans, they begin to lose their flavor.

What quantity of beans to use?

Using a tablespoon as a measure, put two spoons of beans per cup into the grinder. If using a burr grinder, the grinding should take about 15 seconds to achieve the result of 'sufficiently ground' coffee bean. Place the coffee grinds into the French press.

Heating the water

Using a kettle, heat enough water for the French press. Note:Do not boil the water. Once puffs of steam begin to escape from the kettle, the water should be warm enough.

Fill the French Press

Pour the water into the French press, ensuring the coffee grinds are all covered. Fill almost to the top. Place the lid on but do not push the filter down.

Allowing the coffee time to steep

The ideal time for the coffee to steep is four minutes. Once this time has elapsed, you can then push the filter all the way to the bottom. This gives you freshly brewed coffee to enjoy.

Find your favorite bean

The three main coffee beans in use are Robusta, Arabica and Kona. - Robusta beans contain the most caffeine, are the most acidic and are used mainly in blended coffees. - Arabica has a much more mellow flavor and is 30% lower in caffeine. - Kona holds the best flavor. It is low on caffeine but is the most expensive.

Tips and warnings

Bodum sell handy four minute timers that can clip onto the French press to assist you in making your coffee perfect. Tip: You can experiment by using less or more beans according to your taste. Warning: When grinding the beans, ensure the blades have stopped before removing the lid of the grinder. Additional suggestion: To compliment the taste, you can experiment with flavored syrups, whipped cream, chocolate or even alcohol. Before starting the brewing process, ensure your French press is clean in order to get the best flavor.

Resources

http://www.ehow.com/how_4861449_brew-perfect-cup-of-coffee.html#ixzz1KgcXJtOv http://www.devourdayton.com/blog/2011/02/28/How-to-brew-a-perfect-cup-of-coffee.aspx