HOW TO MAKE THE BEST COFFEE EVER!

Finally got home from the Midwest and got the old computer up and running after a remarkable crash.  The Sparta, IL experience was great!  Found the Top 10 Coffee Tips from Coffee Cup News and thought I’d pass them along.  If you implement this list of coffee tips into your daily coffee making routine you will get the best tasting cup of coffee you have ever had!

Tip 1: Whole Bean

The best place to start with the beans. When you go to the grocery store pre ground may sound easier but once coffee is ground it loses 90% of its flavor in the first 20 minutes. Starting with whole-bean increases the coffee’s ability to hold on to its flavor by well over 14,000%. Yes that is a real number, crazy huh?  We suggest you start with PANIOLA 1090% Kona Cowboy Coffee in regular or dark, espresso roast.

Tip 2: Fresh Ground

Now that you have started with whole-bean Kona it’s time to grind fresh! When we say fresh ground we mean fresh.  Don’t start grinding the coffee until right before brew time, making it the last step you take before you brew.  Otherwise every second the coffee sits in its ground form it is exposed to oxygen which is the biggest flavor destroyer of coffee.

Tip 3: Burr Grinder

A blade grinder is the most common way to grind coffee at home. The problem is a blade grind doesn’t provide for a consistent grind. A burr grinder grades the beans all to the same size. This allows the water to saturate the coffee evenly providing for a more even, smooth and true cup of coffee.

Tip 4: Filtered Water

Filtered water is one of the most important tips in brewing the best coffee ever. Any impurities in the water will affect the flavor of the finished cup. Since coffee is 98 % water it will be obvious if the water wasn’t filtered.  We buy bottled drinking water in gallon jugs from the big box store.  Our municipal water hasn’t been right since the Little Bear fire!

Tip 5: Air Tight Storage

Like I mentioned earlier oxygen is the biggest destroyer of coffee’s awesome flavor. The longer it stays in direct contact with it the more flavor breaks down. Using an air tight storage container will help preserve the coffee’s flavor.

 

Bonus Coffee Tip

You’ve heard us say it before and we’ll say it again…do not store coffee in the freezer or fridge.  Taking it out results in condensation and you’ve got to keep your coffee…and your gunpowder…dry.

Tip 6: No Sugar

If you have to add sugar to your coffee it’s because the coffee isn’t good. So before you put sugar in your coffee give the coffee a sip. If what you’re tasting is good, don’t add sugar. Sugar covers your taste buds and prevents you from enjoying the true flavor.  If your coffee tastes bad get a different whole-bean coffee next time.  Switch to PANIOLA 100% Kona Cowboy Coffee (shameless plug)  If you like your coffee sweet…well…add cream and sugar.

Tip 7: Try New Things

The only way to really know what you like is to try new coffees. This is something many coffee aficianados practice religiously.  You might and find some really amazing coffees!  Such as PANIOLA 100% Kona Cowboy Coffee.

Tip 8: Clean Coffee Maker

Calcium deposits will ruin the flavor of your coffee. This happens over time as you brew coffee and using unfiltered water only makes it worse. Decalcifying with vinegar works wonders doing it at least once a month.

Tip 9: Water Temperature

When you brew coffee the perfect water temperature is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure the proper extraction of the flavor from the coffee.  Don’t test it with your finger.

Bonus Tip

Proportion of coffee to water is equally important. I recommend starting with a ratio of 6oz of water to a tablespoon of coffee and adjusting to taste.

Tip 10: Coffee Diary

Keeping a coffee diary might sound like the final coffee fiend step but it’s really helpful in tracking how to brew the best tasting cup of coffee ever in the future. When you track things like proportions, grind setting, water temperature and brew style it really helps give you a clear indication of what to do next time to get that perfect cup.

How do YOU brew your perfect cup of coffee?

The purpose of this blog is to unite Kona coffee lovers and perhaps learn a little about coffee and all the benefits of coffee at the same time.  Join up, become a member, comment and have fun!  You can find the Kona Coffee Fiends group on Facebook and we’d appreciate it if Facebook users would “LIKE” the Kona Cowboy Coffee Company page at  www.facebook.com/pages/Kona-Cowboy-Coffee-Company/222070817858553.  Just copy and paste to your browser.  You can also find us on Twitter at  http://twitter.com/#!/jackshuster.  And on the web at www.KonaCowboyCoffee.com to order your gourmet coffee and coffee products.

Look for the Kona Cowboy Coffee Company’s Cowboy Coffee Saloon at the Ruidoso Oktoberfest, October 12-13 at the Ruidoso (NM) Convention Center.

You know you’re a coffee fiend when you lick your coffeepot clean!  So enjoy your coffee, make it Kona, and remember, Kona is the home of the Hawaiian cowboy…and we had cowboys in Kona before there were cowboys in Texas!