Ground rules to make a decent cup of coffee

Ground rules to make a decent cup of coffee

How to make a decent cup of coffee so that not too weak or too bitter?

There are many ways of brewing coffee: in filter pots, plunger pots, and electric drip coffee makers to name but a few. You can make consistently good coffee whichever method you choose if you observe the following rules.

Coffee should be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer: any contact with air causes loss of flavor. Experiment until you find a blend you like then buy whole beans and delay grinding until the last moment. The finer the beans are ground, the more rapidly the flavor becomes stale and bitter.

Heat water to just under boiling point, about 95^oC, or bring the water to the boil and then allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes before pouring it over the coffee. A higher temperature will extract too much of the coffee solids, giving a bitter taste; a lower temperature will not extract enough flavor, resulting in a weak coffee. The coffee should be in contact with the water for about 2 minutes only. Strong coffee is achieved not by allowing the coffee to brew longer but by using more ground coffee per cup.

To make medium strong coffee, allow 2 heaped tablespoons of ground coffee per 175ml of water. If you want weaker coffee, use the same measure of coffee but add more hot water.

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