The first coffee beans were roasted, ground up and steeped in boiling water
over a thousand years ago. Since then, we've learned a lot about what separates
an average cup of coffee from an inspiring one.
However you make it, great coffee starts with cold, clean, fresh water. If the
water from your tap doesn't taste good enough to drink on its own, it won't
taste good in your coffee, either. Use filtered or bottled water if necessary.
You have two main decisions to make when choosing coffee beans: How dark a
roast and how fine a grind?
Generally, the more darkly roasted the beans, the more intense the flavor of the
coffee. Choosing a roast is a matter of personal preference, so try several and
see what you like.
The correct grind depends on how you plan to brew your coffee (see chart).
Grinds range from coarse (best for presspots) to fine (for espresso machines),
with a medium grind (for standard drip coffeemakers) falling somewhere in
between.
Grinding coffee is a trade-off between freshness and convenience. While it's
easiest to buy a bag or can of pre-ground coffee, you'll get better flavor if
you grind whole beans immediately before brewing.
The two most common ways to make coffee are with an automatic (drip)
coffeemaker or with a presspot (French press).
Drip coffeemakers are very convenient and can give you great-tasting coffee.
Paper filters are fine, but the permanent metal or nylon filters that come with
many coffeemakers allow even more of the coffee's flavor essence to come
through. For the best flavor, don't let coffee sit too long in the carafe, and
never reheat coffee that has cooled.
Presspots are becoming more popular and are available in many department stores
and coffee specialty shops. To use a presspot, pour not-quite-boiling water
directly onto coarsely ground coffee and let it steep for a few minutes. Then
press the plunger to push the coffee grounds to the bottom of the pot (and keep
them from escaping into your cup). Though they take longer and require more
clean-up, presspots are a great way to make really fresh and flavorful coffee.
Pure black coffee can hit the spot, but there are plenty of ways to dress it up
if you're in the mood.
Sweeten it with Equal. Lighten it with milk, cream or soymilk.
Spice it up with a dash of cinnamon
or nutmeg. Try
Equal Vanilla Bean Flavored Sweetener. With so many choices, why limit
yourself? After all, the
perfect cup of coffee is
the one that tastes perfect
to you.
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