A Food Fun Travel Guest Post
Whether it’s that crucial first cup of coffee in the morning at home or a quick midday perk-me-up at a coffee shop, good coffee can make your day.
BUT you don’t have to empty your wallet on an expensive coffee maker and a fancy selection of coffee beans to fill your home with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee every day.
You can make a cup of barista-quality coffee with simple and inexpensive equipment in your own kitchen. All you need to do is use quality coffee beans and some simple tricks like using the correct grind size and making sure the water temperature is just right.
Let’s explore the art of coffee making and how you can bring that home.
How quickly can coffee be brewed?
Bear in mind that a barista makes coffee for a living and makes a lot of coffee every single working day. In fact, a skilled barista will multi-task so the drink cycles overlap and can make as many as 50 drinks every hour.
This means it could take roughly a minute and a half for a barista to make sure you have an excellent cup of coffee. From grinding the coffee beans to adding the water, to the moment you grab your drink and leave the coffee shop, this is pretty fast!
But, don’t worry; even if you’re not this quick, you can still make a cup of barista-quality coffee at home pretty quickly, and without having to go on a coffee-making course.
Is it really possible to make great coffee at home?
Believe it or not, brewing a delicious cup of coffee at home is not rocket science, but you will need to master a few variables like:
- Find the right beans for you – Where the coffee beans are grown and how long they were roasted are all factors that affect the flavor. It’s a good idea to try out a few samples to see what you enjoy.
- Get your grind size right – For a French press, use a coarse grind, and for the pour-over method, a medium/fine grind is more appropriate. Making espresso requires a fine grind, and Turkish coffee should be ground extra fine. You can learn more about grind sizes here.
- Note the water to coffee ratio – Most coffee shops swear by a 1:17 ratio of coffee to water, which means around 18g to 20g of coffee for a smaller cup or around 30g for a larger cup of water. This is a good rule of thumb, to begin with.
- The water temperature – Most types of coffee should be brewed with water that’s around 190 to 199°F for optimal flavor.
What do you need?
With some basic equipment and these tips, you don’t need a barista to have an excellent cup of coffee at home.
While quality coffee beans, a good burr grinder, and a French press or a basic coffee maker can help you make a good cup of coffee at home, gadgets like a gooseneck kettle and glass pour-over coffee maker can help you level up your coffee. As the water meets the coffee grinds, you’ll know that your coffee at home is as good as the barista-quality brews in coffee shops.
What is the healthiest way to brew coffee?
When it comes to health, there are two factors to be mindful of when brewing coffee; the container material and the brewing method.
Using glass or steel is ideal, as it allows the natural oils of the coffee to pass through with the water which improves flavor and keeps beneficial compounds in the coffee. When you use paper filters to brew your coffee, these beneficial compounds are lost. It may taste good but it won’t have the same benefits as coffee made in a healthier way.
So, if you want the benefits, along with the taste, use a method that does not involve paper filters, for example:
- The pour-over method with a steel or glass pour-over coffee maker.
- A French press or plunger made with steel or glass.
- A Moka pot to brew coffee on the stovetop.
- Or you can brew coffee the old fashioned ‘cowboy’ way by putting water and ground coffee in a pot on the stovetop and then waiting for the grounds to settle.
Coffee at home takeaways
Remember that, the longer the brew cycle, the more caffeine is released, and the less processed the coffee is, the more beneficial compounds it contains. The idea is to keep all the good stuff in the coffee beans in your final brew, while you also make sure it’s delicious.
If you follow all of this you will feel like you’re drinking quality coffee made by a barista from the comfort of your own home in no time at all.
