How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee

Every "aficionado" is on the quest to prepare the perfect cup of coffee. They search the stores for various beans, experiment with different roasts and an assortment of different methods of brewing, all with the intent to achieve the perfect cup of coffee. Now your quest is ended, you have found exactly what you need to know in making a delightful cup of coffee.

To begin with, wash out all your coffee making equipment thoroughly. This includes the grinder and the coffee maker, from top to bottom. Residue from previous cups of coffee can turn stale and subtly change the flavor of your next brew. If you clean the equipment after every use, you will avoid this problem and will have made the first step towards brewing your perfect cup of coffee.

Next, buy from a top quality supplier the freshest coffee beans that they have. That does NOT include your supermarket! There are many coffee suppliers that can be recommended who have the freshest, high quality beans available. It is also important that you don't buy too many beans at a time. While you may get a discount for buying in bulk, the beans will be too old by the time you get around to using them, so stick to small quantities that you can use up within a month or less.

Another very important factor in how your coffee tastes is the water used. Tap water will pass on any taste that it has to your beverage. To get the best results, use distilled water. This will also prevent the buildup of minerals in your coffee maker. If you do choose to use tap water, let it run for a few minutes to clear out any impurities that might be stored in the pipes. If at all possible, start with the coldest water available.

If you want that perfect cup then grinding your own beans is really the only way to go. The oils that are released when a coffee bean is ground are very volatile and tend to dissipate very quickly. For this reason, it's best to grind the beans right before they are used. There are plenty of small, inexpensive grinders that can be used to make your daily cup of coffee ' or you can purchase a combination coffee grinder/maker where the beans are ground "in situ" and deposited directly into the container underneath, and then the coffee-maker takes over.

To spread the tiny particles of coffee evenly through the brew you must stir the pot of coffe before serving, then you will provide the perfect cup each time you pour. You will find many people who will tell you that most coffee lovers actually drink their coffee in a diluted form. The correct ratio of coffee beans to water is exactly 2 tablespoons of coffe beans to one cup of water.

By following the above steps, you will have accomplished the "piece de resistance" of the coffee world -- a cup of coffee that is just right, perfect in flavor, in texture and in color.