There are not that many things that are better than a good cup of coffee. Creating excellent coffee is an art, much like creating wonderful and delicious meals. Luckily, anyone can learn to do it with practice and proper advice. What follows are some suggestions to help you along the way.
Make sure that you make your coffee in water that you would have no problem drinking alone. This is important because the taste of the water will affect the way that it makes your coffee taste. If you live in an area where the water quality is not that great, use spring water to brew your coffee.
Do not throw away your old coffee grounds. If you have a garden, you can use your coffee grounds as fertilizer for your plants and flowers while keeping the pest away. You can also use old coffee grounds to scrub dirty dishes or clean your kitchen counter instead of using chemicals.
When you are done with your coffee grinds, do not throw them away. What many people do not know is that used coffee grinds have many uses. They can be used for gardening, getting hardened food off your dishes and removing foul smells. Simply put them in a ziploc bag and put it in a cabinet.
If you drink your coffee cold, think past just traditional cream and sugar. Mix entire fruits into your coffee. You can add foods like oranges, cherries and strawberries for interesting additions to the flavor. Even think about spicing things up with cinnamon or cardamom. The possibilities for you are nearly endless!
There are several options that you can use to limit the sugar in your coffee. Try using agave nectar. Although this still has sugar, it doesn’t effect your blood sugar nearly as bad as regular sugar. Splenda and Stevia are just two low-calorie sweeteners that many coffee drinkers use to replace sugar.
Just because you are drinking a dark roast coffee does not mean your coffee has more caffeine in it. This is just the way the beans were prepared, not how much caffeine is in them. If your coffee has the term Robusta on it’s packaging, it usually has twice the amount of caffeine as standard Arabica coffee.
You do not need to tip the barista at a coffee shop the same percentage as you do a waitress or a hairdresser. Your hairdresser has to understand precisely what you want and then do it, and a waitress has multiple tables to keep up with exactly everyone’s order. Your barista mixes up one cup at a time, so do not feel guilty for tipping him or her less. Still, do throw a few coins in the tip jar frequently.
If you are buying coffee from a drive-in window, always error on the side of caution to stay as protected as possible. Typically, when you are buying coffee in this form, it will be piping hot, as you will not want to burn your hands or other areas of your body.
One of the things that you can do to improve the quality of your coffee is to filter the water that you use instead of using tap water. This will reduce the amount of chemicals in the mix when you are making your coffee, yielding a clearer and fresher taste upon drinking.
Do not buy purchase coffee that has packaged beans and is pre-flavored. These coffees are made using oil that is hard to clean out of a coffee pot. They will also affect future pots of coffee that you make, giving each subsequent cup a funny taste. Furthermore, the flavors these coffees are made with tend not to taste good anyway.
When you are storing coffee, try not to store it in containers that are made out of glass. While there may seem to be airtight, the reality is that they are not, and a lot of air will be able to reach the coffee. This will negatively affect the taste.
Chocolate and coffee is a great combination! try serving a square along with a cup. A bite of chocolate followed by a melt-in-your mouth sip of java is an incredible treat! The chocolate can also be enjoyed by dipping it, or even dropping a piece directly into the coffee.
Make sure your coffee pot is clean. In order to get the freshest tasting coffee you must be sure you are using a clean coffee pot. You can clean it by using a teaspoon of vinegar with a full coffee pot of water. Run your coffee pot as though you are making coffee.
If you are among the people who enjoy iced coffee, there is a way to keep your brew from becoming diluted. Make a pot, allow it to cool. Then, pour it into ice cube trays. Use the frozen coffee to ice your fresh coffee. You will avoid the weak flavor that sometimes accompanies the end of a cup of iced coffee.
Only store your coffee beans at room level temperatures. Coffee beans that get stored inside a cold appliance are going to attract and absorb both condensation and the aromas of nearby foods. The resulting flavor of the coffee is going to wind up reflecting this, and turn into substandard coffee.
Do you enjoy creamy coffees and rich cappuccinos? These beverages contain huge amounts of calories. Actually, drinking a cappuccino from your favorite coffee shop can be compared to eating an ice cream. Ask about calories the next time you order a creamy beverage and try drinking black coffee if you need to watch your weight.
Do you want your coffee to taste sweet but you are not able to use sugar? Warm up milk and pour it into the coffee. It contains wholesome sweetness and add creaminess to your beverage at the same time. If you use warm milk, it is also much better for your health than adding cream and sugar.
As this article has shown, there is a lot that goes into a perfect cup of coffee. After going over some of these tips, apply them in real life by brewing your own coffee. With knowledge comes power and that goes for coffee too!
