by Kat Kinsman
Coffee Talk
Getting a great cup o' joe doesn't mean dropping a bundle at your local BigBucks. The best coffee you've ever tasted is just a few easy steps away, and it won't break the bank. Even if you don't want to change your whole routine, using just one of these steps will get your java jumping. Let's brew!
Ruling the Roast
It all starts with the freshest coffee you can find -- and by that, we mean freshly roasted beans. Coffee begins to lose flavor soon after it leaves the roaster, so that sack or can of pre-packaged supermarket grind stuffed in your cupboard is operating at minimum taste wattage. Find the nearest local coffee roaster, or an online source, and buy just what you need for the week.
The Daily Grind
Now that you've got the beans, it's time to get grinding. You can either ask the nice folks at the store to grind them to your maker's specifications (automatic drip, paper cone, French press, etc.), or invest in a grinder ($18 - $75). Blade grinders tend to be less expensive, but don't offer the consistent chopping of burr grinders. Once you've made your selection, read the manual to determine how long to grind.
If you don't have time to do this every day, figure out how much coffee you'll need for the week, and grind it all at once.
Airtight & Outta Sight
Whether you're grinding ahead of time or fresh every day, it's key to keep that flavor safe. Air and light are the enemy of coffee freshness. Store it in a dry, dark, cool (but not cold - the fridge and freezer are BIG no-nos) place, either in a cupboard or an opaque container. If you're storing it in a bag, make sure to force the air out before sealing it. Coffee, once ground, loses its maximum flavor after about a week, even under ideal conditions.
Proportionally Speaking
The ideal coffee-to-water ratio for the perfect cup is?
Well, that's up to your personal taste. A good starting point is 1 heaping tablespoon per 8 oz of coffee you want to end up with. Note - that's coffee coming out, not water going in. Experiment with your coffee maker to determine how much liquid gets lost in the brewing process, and add more or less coffee to suit your palate. This will also vary depending on the roast and grind, so have fun experimenting!
Brew-Ha-Ha
Fancy-schmancy coffee makers are nifty and all, but they won't necessarily deliver the best brew for the buck. Quick overview - percolators re-circulate boiling water, and over-extract the flavor-giving oils. Drip coffeemakers offer convenience, but require ongoing investment in paper filters (which greedily absorb the aforementioned tasty oils), and don't generally bring water to the 204F temperature required for getting the maximum oomph from your beans. How to solve this pressing problem?
The French Connection
Your best bet for major flavor is an inexpensive French press (a.k.a. press pot). Just measure your ground coffee into the carafe, bring water to a boil on the stove, remove it from the heat, and let it sit for a few seconds to bring it down a few degrees. Pour it over the coffee, not letting the water level rise above the press's metal band. Place the plunger top on the top, but don't press it down. Wait five minutes, stir with a plastic or wooden spoon, and then press all the way down. Presto! You've got a great pot of coffee. If your household has varied wake-up times, keep it hot in a thermos or air pot.
Oh, Sugar!
What's the best way to mix up a cuppa, milk and sugar-wise? That's completely up to you. But if you'd like a side-by-side taste trial to figure out which blend of beans most delights your palate, you might wish to level the playing field. Prepare demitasse-sized servings of several kinds, let them cool, and sample them black, with swigs of water between as a palate cleanser. Once you figure out which coffees give your favorite taste kick, you can even begin to develop your own blends. Go, java junkie -- go!
Rod & Robin Torrence and Christopher Grady don't just know beans -- they've been roasting them for 15 years at their Cooperstown, NY and Albany, NY outposts of Stagecoach Coffee. They sat down with us over, what else, coffee, and poured out plenty of useful info.
