There is really nothing quite like a good cup of coffee. Whether you enjoy making your own coffee at home, or you prefer to patronize a local coffee shop, the more you know about coffee, the more you will enjoy it. This article will share a few interesting tidbits about this most popular of drinks.
Many people store coffee in their freezers because it keeps it fresher for a longer amount of time. However, many people fail to realize it needs to be wrapped well. If you place it in the freezer with strong-smelling foods, and it is not wrapped tightly, there is a chance your coffee will pick up those odours.
No matter how attached you are to your favorite blend, don’t be afraid to try a new variety. You don’t need to invest in a large bag to try out something new. Almost all brands will offer a single pot or sampler size to allow you to try out new flavors.
Always store your coffee beans or grinds in a dark, cool, airtight container. Even better, use a vacuum container. Storing your coffee in such a container helps keep your coffee smelling and tasting fresh for a long time. Store the container in the fridge or freezer to maximize freshness.
When you brew your coffee at home, do not throw out the used grounds. These coffee grounds might not be good for another cup of coffee, but they are excellent for many other purposes. They are great for composting, exfoliating, cleaning, and quite a few other uses. Don’t throw them away!
The taste of your coffee often depends on where you get the beans. Experiment with many blends and brands to become a true aficionado. Don’t base your purchase solely on price; a more expensive brand may actually have a higher caffeine content, resulting in your drinking less.
If you order coffee in a diner or restaurant, do not drink it right away as you should let it sit for at least five minutes. When you see the steam subsiding considerably, this means that your coffee has cooled down a little, as you will not risk getting hurt by drinking it at this time.
If you brew a large pot of coffee that will not be consumed quickly, take it off of the burner. Place it into a pre-heated storage device. When coffee is left on the burner, the taste will deteriorate quickly. A nice carafe or other storage device will eliminate this concern.
Don’t throw away your old coffee grounds. They can serve a wide variety of useful purposes in your home. They can help clean your dishes and get rid of backyard pests. In addition, they can be used as compost in your garden. Finally, they even have some beauty uses! It’s amazing what these old coffee grounds can do.
Purchase fair trade coffee, and you can help out third-world countries. Fair trade coffee is usually slightly more expensive than other brands but you will find it tastes much better. You are going to be providing assistance to small farming co-ops in third world countries.
Get the best deals on your favorite coffee by finding and using coupons. When they are on sale, use the coupons to buy them at the best price. Many times, grocery stores will print out coupons for the items you purchase most often. This is a great way to save on your coffee budget.
If you refrain from adding cream, chocolate syrup or creamer to your coffee, it can be a fat burning aid. Drinking coffee with a lot of sugar can end up packing on the pounds by adding extra calories. Drinking a cup of black coffee before you eat every morning might help you control your weight better.
Charcoal-filtered water is great for brewing coffee. This will allow you to filter your tap water with charcoal, improving its quality. Another option is to purchase a coffee maker that features a built-in filter. You can also purchase filtered water, but it can be costly and time consuming.
Try buying different kinds of coffee. Experiment a little with the blends you use. Experiment a little, especially when you first start trying to see what you like. You can give yourself a boost by mixing up what you drink. Keep different flavors in the freezer.
The water you are using when brewing your coffee maters. Does the water from your tap taste a little funny? If you use it in your coffee, your coffee will taste a bit off as well. If taste is an issue for you, try using filtered water to brew coffee.
Coffee beans are actually a fruit of the coffea plant, a small evergreen bush. The berries are picked by hand, sorted and the outer cover is removed. Then the beans are washed and dried, either on drying tables or by pumping heated air through a container they are placed in.
Try pre-wetting coffee filters. This helps heat glass and ceramic brewers, along with rinsing away extra flavors that dry paper filters may transfer into your cup. Start by opening up the filter, then placing it in your cone brewer with a pitcher or coffee mug underneath. Finish by pouring some near-boiling water through it in order to wet all of the sides.
Clean your coffee grinder with uncooked white rice. Add a couple of tablespoons of dry rice to your grinder and turn it on. When the rice is ground, empty the grinder and repeat until the rice no longer contains flecks of brown. The rice binds to the oils and coffee particles that cling to the grinder and can turn rancid.
If you do not use your coffee maker often, make sure that you do not leave grounds or brewed coffee sitting in the machine. They will sprout mold within a few days, which can be harmful and difficult to remove. Diluted bleach solutions or white vinegar can remove mustiness and kill mold spores if necessary.
Now that you have finished reading this article, you should have gained a new respect for your favorite beverage. If you need to know how to brew a better cup of coffee, or you just want to understand how coffee is grown, the information in this article should have helped you out.