Coffee

I love coffee. No, I really love coffee. When I go to parties, I’m tempted to bring my own coffee. Let’s face it, most people don’t care enough to make great coffee. There are a few things that separate good coffee from great coffee. I will break it down for the novice coffee maker.

Get a Good Coffee Machine

A coffee maker that heats the water up to 200 degrees Farenheit is required. Not many consumer machines get the water hot enough. That is one reason you hear people complain about the coffee they make at home. Capresso makes a machine for home use that gets the water hot enough to make a perfect cup. Yes, it is pricey, but worth every penny.

Use Filtered Water

Most public water facilities chlorinate the water. Anyone who loves coffee will be very disappointed by coffee made with chlorinated water. Make sure your water goes through a good water filter to get rid of impurities found in your tap water. Some people I know use bottled spring water exclusively for their coffee. Any way you go, just make sure your water is pure before putting it in the coffee maker.

Grind The Coffee Beans Just Before Making Coffee

When making that great cup of coffee, remember that coffee ground a month ago and dumped in a can will not match grinding fresh beans and immediately brewing the coffee. Grinding the beans right before making the coffee has a huge tangible benefit. Don’t be lazy, be kind and grind before brewing.

Clean Your Machine

Clean your coffee maker often. You will find that the coffee will start to taste a little off because of deposits in the machine and carafe. Make sure you clean the coffee maker and carafe after every use. Some manufacturers tell you to run white vinegar through the machine every so often. I do it at least once a month on my machine.

I hope these simple recommendations help you to make that special cup of coffee. For those of us who love coffee, it is worth every effort. I routinely have coffee flown in from Hawaii. My favorite coffee comes from Hawaii. If you found this article interesting and love coffee, please drop by our website where we have tons of articles on everything coffee, how to make coffee, where coffee came from and lots more.

Athanasios G. is very passionate about making perfect coffee. His website is dedicated to everything coffee related. Visit our site to learn more about how to make coffee Here’s a list of articles on coffee, coffee history and more

Author: Athanasios G.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When was the last time you cleaned your coffeemaker?

Like anything else, coffee makers require cleaning from time to time. Over time, lime deposits and “gunk” build inside your coffee equipment. Coffee oils can accumulate inside the coffee machine and become rancid. This will damage the taste of coffee. Mineral deposits can form inside the coffee maker as either lime scale or mineral scale. In general, scale reduces the efficiency of the coffee maker’s heating unit as well as the water flow. The coffee aftertaste changes to somewhat bitter and dirty. If this is happening to you, it is time to make your coffeepot clean again!

Coffee equipment should be cleaned at least once a month. Clean your coffee machine more often than that to ensure the best tasting coffee if you are a heavy coffee drinker. Other factors, such as the type and quality of water you use in your coffee machine also influence the cleaning frequency to use.

Most coffee makers have cleaning instructions included in the owner manual that you can follow. However, most people misplace or do not keep the owner’s manual for small and mid size appliances. You can spend money on a cleaning kit or you can use a very effective and inexpensive home made cleaning solution. The following cleaning method works very well.

Steps to cleaning your coffee pot,

• Put a filter into the filter basket unless your coffee equipment does not use paper filters.
• Pour an entire jar of white vinegar into the pour spot where you usually pour the water.
• Some people will add lemon juice to the vinegar which is fine. Others prefer to use a combination of half water and half white vinegar. Any of these combinations work. The decision is based on how dirty the coffee maker is and how often it has been cleaned.
• Turn your coffee maker “on” or use the “clean setting” if your equipment has one.
• Make sure all the vinegar drops down into the coffee pot recipient. When finished, discard it.
• The vinegar will deodorize your kitchen sink drain, which is a nice side benefit.
• Run two full pots of water through to make sure you flush out all traces of vinegar before brewing coffee again. Let the coffee equipment cool each time for about 10 minutes.
• Remember to wipe down the outside and all around the coffee maker very well to give it a shiny clean look and remove any traces of dirt.
• One area that is usually very dirty and sticky is where the coffee drips out of the machine into the pot. It’s similar to cleaning the inside ceiling of your microwave.
• Cleaning every single crevice of the coffee machine is essential to preventing mold build up in the piping and the filter basket.
• Wash the coffee carafe (glass container) inside and out very well with soapy hot water. Lime deposits form inside the carafe and can affect the coffee taste.
• If you have stains or burned coffee spots on the carafe, pour some table salt on them and let them stand for at least a half hour or overnight.
• You can add some water with vinegar and soak overnight. Depending upon how stubborn and crusty the stains or burn marks are, this step may need repetition. It will remove any “coffee film” inside.
• Check the coffee equipment to see if the smell of vinegar persists in the equipment. If it does, run more water through the coffee maker.
• Vinegar cleans the coffee pot and flushes out any buildup in the tank and tubes.

Good coffee starts with good beans and with a clean coffee maker. A coffee maker is easy to clean. On a daily basis, after each coffee brewing, you should remove all the parts that can be removed and wash them in hot soapy water. Use a damp soft towel or sponge all surfaces of the coffee equipment.

A clean coffee machine will make better tasting coffee. Your reward will be a delicious, clean, aromatic and great cup. What can be better than that for a coffee lover?

Let’s drink some Papua New Guinea AA Estate!

Timothy (“Tim”) S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him “Gourmet Coffee Guy.” He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.

Come visit the author’s website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com

Copyright – Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Author: Timothy S. Collins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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