Brewing tips & Methods

Brewing the perfect cup of coffee

Regardless of your brewing method, there are a few fundamental brewing factors to making good cup of coffee.

#1 Freshness
A good cup of coffee starts with fresh roasted beans. It is unfortunate the amount of stale, bitter coffee that sits on retailer’s shelves being sold as “fresh coffee”. Most people have never experienced the difference in taste of truly fresh roasted coffee.

Coffee is best consumed within two weeks of being roasted. After this timethe coffee flavor will begin to deteriorate. For this reason, our coffee is roasted and shipped daily to deliver the freshest possible coffee to our customers.

#2 Clean Water
A cup of coffee is primarily made up of water so it is extremely important to use good clean water. We do not recommend soft or distilled water. Soft water can make all coffee taste dull, effectively muting the good bright flavors in a cup. The ideal brewing water is bottled spring water. Not only will it give you the best tasting cup, it will also keep you brewing equipment working properly and free of corrosion.

#3 Clean Brewing Equipment
No matter what brewing method you are using you should always keep it clean. The buildup in your coffee-making equipment will sour the taste of your coffee. With espresso or electric coffee makers lime scale can buildup on the heating coil, over time reducing water temperature. If your coffee starts to deteriorate, the first thing you should do is to check that all your equipment is clean.

To clean your equipment follow the directions recommended by the manufacturer.

#4 Grinding
For maximum freshness buy whole bean coffee and only grind as much coffee as you plan on using that day. Adjust grind to the brewing method you are using. For instance, if using a French press use a courser grind so you do not get over extraction. With drip coffee makers grind fine enough to slow the flow of water through the grinds but not so fine that the filter clogs and the water pools.

#5 Use Enough Coffee
The rule is 2 level tablespoons for a 5-6 ounce cup. However, I always tell people to use your own judgment when deciding how much coffee to use. Personally I only use one scoop per 6 ounces. If you coffee has a bitter taste it is probably because you are not using enough coffee and the grinds are being over extracted. If you find it is still too strong for you taste, add a little hot water. You will get a much better cup of coffee this way.

#6 Brewing Methods
There are hundreds of ways to make a cup of coffee; each one special in its own way. There is no right or wrong way to brew coffee. Use the method you like the best.

To brew a cup, simply follow the directions for your particular machine. Once your coffee is finished, remove it from heat. Coffee left sitting on a burner starts to deteriorate in about 10 to 20 minutes. Insulated coffee carafes are perfect to either brew into or to keep your freshly brewed Kona Cloud coffee in prior to enjoying.