Do you knock your neighbors socks off with your drip coffee? Well, now you can, if you follow How to make the best coffee with these 7 Easy Steps To The Best Drip Coffee.
1. How to Make The Best Coffee — The Coffee Must Be Fresh.
Coffee has a shelf life of around 6 weeks. The coffee in the grocery store is on average 3 to 12 months old. What that means for you is, if you are drinking store-bought coffee you are enjoying the coffee equivalent of moldy stale bread. To avoid this and to enjoy the vast array of coffees flavors — only purchase coffee from a local independent roaster. Your coffee will be hours young not months old. That’s the first step in how to make the best coffee.
2. How to Make The Best Coffee — Your Water Has To Be Filtered.
The water you use is the second most crucial step to having great tasting coffee (just after the coffee itself). Use filtered water or even bottled water. DO NOT USE — distilled or softened water. That’s the second step in how to make the best coffee.
3. How to Make The Best Coffee — Be Specific About Your Grind.
USE ONLY A BURR GRINDER. If you have a blade grinder, then Im sorry. You are better off getting the custom treatment you can only get from a local roaster. A good, local roaster can grind your coffee according to your filter needs. If you have a burr grinder then heres what you do. For cone shaped filters (paper or gold cone), grind your coffee at #4 on your grinder. For flat-bottomed filters grind a little coarser with a #6 grind. The grind is imperative to the extraction process and the subsequent flavor. That’s the third step in how to make the best coffee.
4. How to Make The Best Coffee — Use The Right Amount.
Use 2 level tablespoons of ground coffee per 6oz. of water. And that folks is the fourth step in How to make the best cup of coffee
5. How to Make The Best Coffee — Pre-Wet The Grounds.
This is a fun trick many dont know. If you have an Insta-hot or can quickly heat up a very small amount of water, sprinkle no more than an ounce of water on your grounds before you start brewing. This begins the extraction process and starts pulling the flavor to the surface of the grounds. When the brewing starts, it will have a head-start on the extraction. That’s the fifth step in how to make the best coffee
6. How to Make The Best Coffee — If It Aint Hot Its Time To Shop.
Your coffee maker should maintain a constant temperature of around 200?F to ensure optimal extraction. If your coffee is cool or colder than you remember, it maybe time for a new machine. BONUS TIP: A drip maker should also take only 5 7 minutes to brew. That’s the sixth step in how to make the best coffee.
7. How to Make The Best Coffee — Dont Wait, Enjoy it Right Away.
Nothing ruins your coffee experience like cold coffee. So, dont wait, drink it right away. A thermal carafe will keep your coffee warm longer than a glass pot. No matter how warm you keep your coffee make sure to finish it off within 30 to 60 minutes of brewing. BONUS TIP: Re-heating coffee can never revive the optimal just-after-brewing flavor. That’s the seventh step in how to make the best coffee.
Conclusion.
Many coffee experts will downplay the flavor of a drip brewer for many reasons. In reality though, a drip coffee maker can make a the best coffee in the world with the right beans, water and grind. Whether you like a light roast coffee, a medium roast coffee, or a dark roasted coffee, you just have to pay attention to the details. Oh, and when youre done, dont forget to help your neighbor find their socks.
Source | NCA Brewing Guide (combined with some of our own expertise)