We all love having a perfect cup of joe, but most of us are just so used to grabbing the cup on the go. However, with the recent lockdowns, many people have tried to recreate the magic found in their favourite coffee drink at home without much success. Though a lot of places are loosening their restrictions and coffee shops are now open and ready to take your orders, there are still many advantages to a homemade brew. Firstly, it is cheaper, and secondly, it may be more convenient if you’re still working from your home office.
Making a smooth brew at home may sound difficult and like a lot of work, but some of the top baristas have agreed to share their advice on how to make an irresistible homemade cup of coffee. By following their expert advice, your daily dose of energy will taste just like from your favourite coffee shop, if not even better.
Forget About The Tap Water
Using tap water and expecting to make a perfect cup of coffee is a rookie mistake you’ve probably made yourself. We know we’re guilty of that! Well, according to top baristas, the quality of water makes a huge difference, since most of the brews are more than ninety percent water. This is why, if you want to make the purest tasting brew ever, you’ll have to use purified, or filtered water. Tap water is full of minerals and chemicals which can often affect your enjoyment of the final product. Some baristas have another idea – you may store the filtered water in your fridge and heat it up when you want to brew. If you want to make drip coffee, the perfect temperature is somewhere between 195°F and 250°F.
Don’t Kill Your Espresso Shot
If you want to make an iced latte, but you make an espresso shot a day before and put it in your fridge, your latte is probably going to taste off. We’re saddened to inform you that you have killed your espresso shot. When coffee is left out, its color and chemical composition changes. It becomes black, whereas a fresh shot has a nice sultry brown color. For this reason, the best way to enjoy espresso based drinks, or plain espresso, is to drink it as soon as you have it brewed. If you like your coffee cold, make sure it is not sitting out for half a day, only long enough to get to room temperature. Check out this copycat recipe for Dunkin’s iced latte and you’ll never have to worry about where’s the nearest Dunkin Donuts ever again.
Grind Your Own Beans
One of the best ways to up your coffee game is to buy coffee in the bean form and grind it at home. If you grind your coffee just before you decide on brewing it, you’ll ensure you have the freshest tasting coffee each and every time. Also, freshly ground coffee will have deeper aromas and flavours. This is because when you buy it pre-ground, you open the bag at home, and let it sit in the container for as long as it takes you to go through it. The coffee which has been patiently waiting to be brewed will unfortunately let go of some of the flavours. Another great tip from our baristas is to treat yourself with a burr grinder. Traditional blade grinders cut through the coffee and make for uneven grounds, where burr grinders crush the beans uniformly. According to the experts, if you grind coffee more evenly, the flavors of the brew will be fuller in aroma.
Froth Your Milk
If you don’t like your coffee black, there’s literally no reason why you shouldn’t steam and froth your milk. It adds a more professional touch to your coffee drinks plus it is so easy to make. Of course, if you want to have the frothiest milk around, you should get the professional grade frother, but if you don’t have that much money to spare we have you covered too. Our baristas recommend getting a frothing wand. If you’re a fan of a more authentic taste, you may warm up your milk on the stovetop, but if you’re in a hurry, getting your milk warm by microwaving it is the second best choice.
Pay Attention to the Coffee Ratio
The French press has quickly become one of the most popular ways to brew your coffee at home, however, getting a perfect cup may be a bit trickier than just using an espresso machine. The most important thing to keep in mind when using the French press, according to the baristas, is to pay attention to the coffee to water ratio. It should be 1:18, meaning that if you use 10 grams of coffee, you should pour 180 grams of water. Here’s another French press tip for you: don’t stir in the coffee before you’re ready to push the plunger! Premature stirring results in weaker brews, our baristas report.