If you're a coffee lover, then you look forward to that moment when you take your first sip of deep, dark goodness.Once you have that coffee cup in your hand, you know everything is going to be ok. So there's nothing more disappointing than a bad cup of coffee, especially when you've been looking forward to it since the night before, or you have that special someone at hand!
Do you feel like your morning coffee just isn't up to par? Or your coffee at any other time of day for that matter? Here are a few reasons coffee doesn't taste as good as it could, and some recommendations for what you can do about it.
No one deserves to be drinking bad coffee in the morning, or at any time of day. Do not use “bad” coffee as an excuse to use it in your cooking, just as you shouldn't with wine!
Here are five things to look out for when brewing your favourite roast OR even more important, when you are using a special roast for a special occasion or purpose!
1. Your coffee beans are stale.
Roasted coffee beans oxidize with exposure to oxygen, and this leads to them becoming stale. Poorly sealed bags, or your own storage process can be the culprit here. Store beans in an airtight container or good resealable bag, in a cool dry place; a pantry is a good spot, the freezer / refrigerator or your kitchen counter in direct sunlight is not. It also means freshly grinding your beans to ensure that you get the freshest taste possible.
Another key thing to keeping your coffee fresh is buying whole beans. While it might take a little extra time, buying whole beans and grinding them yourself when you want coffee is going to lead to a better cup than pre-ground ones.
2. Your coffee beans were roasted improperly.
Roasting is an art, blending is personal taste, and while there's nothing bad about a dark roast, which is quite common to achieve a certain taste profile with some beans, over roasting is another matter. Over roasted coffee beans can be bitter, or have a burnt taste. Under roasted beans do not develop their flavour profile!
If your coffee is tasting bitter, there's a chance your beans weren't roasted properly. Roasting is after all how we get all the aromatic coffee flavors that we love from green beans. Often, if coffee tastes burnt, people blame it on their own coffee preparation, which it can be, but don’t discount you may have received a less than perfect roast. Finding the right roast means experimenting with different coffees to see what you ultimately like the best.
3. Your equipment is dirty.
Cleanliness is key! A dirty French press, coffee maker or espresso machine can definitely change the taste of what your drinking. We love our coffee. And if you are reticent to use your machine because you have to clean it then make more use of the machine, yes multi task your coffee making, rather than avoiding it! More on that in another blog soon.
4. You're using a coffee machine and you let it sit on the warming plate too long.
For those who still brew in a pot and leave it on the hotplate, and you may be surprised how many still do, only brew what you need. Coffee dregs in a coffee pot or sometimes even French press are sitting there for a reason, thye are past their prime!
5. Your water quality isn't great.
It might seem simple, but good coffee starts with good water. Whilst we are VERY fortunate in this country, by and large, to have a ready supply of good drinking water there are many reasons why many people still place in line filters on their tap water, or use “bottled” water for drinking. Rule of thumb, if you only drink filtered water or bottled then, only use this water when making your coffee.
Good quality water DOES enhance the drinking quality, except, in my opinion, if you are drinking “instant coffee” or flavoured coffee! Then, good water won't help......
Do you feel like your morning coffee just isn't up to par? Or your coffee at any other time of day for that matter? Here are a few reasons coffee doesn't taste as good as it could, and some recommendations for what you can do about it.
No one deserves to be drinking bad coffee in the morning, or at any time of day. Do not use “bad” coffee as an excuse to use it in your cooking, just as you shouldn't with wine!
Here are five things to look out for when brewing your favourite roast OR even more important, when you are using a special roast for a special occasion or purpose!
1. Your coffee beans are stale.
Roasted coffee beans oxidize with exposure to oxygen, and this leads to them becoming stale. Poorly sealed bags, or your own storage process can be the culprit here. Store beans in an airtight container or good resealable bag, in a cool dry place; a pantry is a good spot, the freezer / refrigerator or your kitchen counter in direct sunlight is not. It also means freshly grinding your beans to ensure that you get the freshest taste possible.
Another key thing to keeping your coffee fresh is buying whole beans. While it might take a little extra time, buying whole beans and grinding them yourself when you want coffee is going to lead to a better cup than pre-ground ones.
2. Your coffee beans were roasted improperly.
Roasting is an art, blending is personal taste, and while there's nothing bad about a dark roast, which is quite common to achieve a certain taste profile with some beans, over roasting is another matter. Over roasted coffee beans can be bitter, or have a burnt taste. Under roasted beans do not develop their flavour profile!
If your coffee is tasting bitter, there's a chance your beans weren't roasted properly. Roasting is after all how we get all the aromatic coffee flavors that we love from green beans. Often, if coffee tastes burnt, people blame it on their own coffee preparation, which it can be, but don’t discount you may have received a less than perfect roast. Finding the right roast means experimenting with different coffees to see what you ultimately like the best.
3. Your equipment is dirty.
Cleanliness is key! A dirty French press, coffee maker or espresso machine can definitely change the taste of what your drinking. We love our coffee. And if you are reticent to use your machine because you have to clean it then make more use of the machine, yes multi task your coffee making, rather than avoiding it! More on that in another blog soon.
4. You're using a coffee machine and you let it sit on the warming plate too long.
For those who still brew in a pot and leave it on the hotplate, and you may be surprised how many still do, only brew what you need. Coffee dregs in a coffee pot or sometimes even French press are sitting there for a reason, thye are past their prime!
5. Your water quality isn't great.
It might seem simple, but good coffee starts with good water. Whilst we are VERY fortunate in this country, by and large, to have a ready supply of good drinking water there are many reasons why many people still place in line filters on their tap water, or use “bottled” water for drinking. Rule of thumb, if you only drink filtered water or bottled then, only use this water when making your coffee.
Good quality water DOES enhance the drinking quality, except, in my opinion, if you are drinking “instant coffee” or flavoured coffee! Then, good water won't help......
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