How to Brew Great Gourmet Coffee

Despite the hocus pocus you'll witness at your local coffee house, brewing a good cup of coffee is really pretty simple:

Grind some freshly roasted Arabica coffee beans
Bring some clean, cold water to a near boil
Filter the hot water through the ground coffee in the right ratio; 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6 ounces of water for 4 to 5 minutes
Pour your fresh brewed coffee into a mug
If you like, add a little cream and sugar
Drink, relax and enjoy

Having said that, there are some brewing intricacies practiced by true coffee aficionados that take the making of a simple morning pick-me-up to the level of alchemy.

The Daily Grind

The texture of your ground coffee is largely determined by the brewing method you choose. The flavor of the coffee is released as the hot water passes through the grounds. Therefore, the longer the hot water will be in contact with the coffee, the coarser the grind.

Common Drips

Drip brewing is the common method of most household automatic coffee makers. A medium grind of 15 to 20 seconds in a blade grinder allows the flavorful solubles to be dissolved in about five minutes. Longer contact with the water only extracts bitterness. Experiment to find the best grind for your coffee maker. And don't leave the coffee on the hotplate, where it will turn bitter quickly. To preserve freshness, pour the freshly brewed coffee into a thermos or air pot. More expensive coffee makers have a handy auto shut-off feature, which for the forgetful among us prevents burned coffee.

Although auto-drip units are very convenient, manual pour-over brewers allow better control of brewing time, temperature and the wetting of the grounds. A manual brewer is nothing more than a funnel with a coffee filter in it. Plastic models are inexpensive and can be found at any specialty coffee store or most supermarkets and fit nicely over a thermos or coffee mug for single servings.

Ooh La La. French Press

The French press is a classic method of brewing coffee. Since the hot water remains in full contact with all the grounds of the coffee for the entire brewing process, the press pot requires a course grind. Most people think a coarser grind will result in a weaker brew-au contraire! Simply allow the grounds to steep for an extra 30-60 seconds to allow for a little higher extraction and voila! Smooth plunging and an exceptional cup of coffee. Due to the relatively coarse method of filtration some micro-fine particles remain in suspension in the brew and gives French press coffee a distinct taste and feel.

Espress Yourself

First, let's cut through the pop American marketing. Espresso is not a kind of coffee bean. Espresso blends vary greatly between roasters. Espresso is a method of brewing coffee rapidly under intense pressure. The result is more extraction of coffee soluble, 25% versus 16-18% for standard infiltration or drip method. Due to the very brief period when the hot water, actually steam, is in contact with the coffee grounds, espresso calls for a fine, powdery grind. While a good burr grinder is recommended for achieving a consistently fine espresso grind, a cheap blade grinder will do the trick. The longer you let it whine, the finer your grind will be. A good benchmark for an espresso grind is the texture of granulated sugar.

How long will it keep?

Whole bean coffee will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to three weeks. Ground coffee goes stale within days because more of it is exposed to the air. However, if you are having your coffee ground, a good airtight storage container will prolong ground coffee's flavor most effectively.

How should I store my coffee?

Oxygen, heat, water and light are the four main enemies of coffee. Coffee should be stored whole bean in an airtight container on the counter. It shouldn't be put in the freezer or refrigerator, despite common practice. When coffee is pulled in and out of the fridge, water can condense on the beans, harming the flavor.

All in Good Taste

Of course the biggest factor affecting the perfect cup of coffee is a purely personal one. Start with a roast and blend that you like. Not sure? Try several. Many vendors offer trial size packages or gift baskets containing several different varieties. For that bright wake-up cup, try a high-grown Guatemalan Antigua. For after-dinner coffee, how about a rich, full-bodied bean like Sumatra? Some people prefer lighter roasts, while others like the dark roasted flavor of smoke.

Regardless of your personal preferences as to roast, origin and brewing method, the key is to get freshly roasted coffee at frequent intervals, buying only what you plan to use within a week or so. Otherwise, your coffee will get stale, no matter how great it was to start with.