As we are all pretty much obsessed with coffee in this country. We probably always have been to be honest. However, we probably had more of a simplicity in our love for coffee. Folgers coffee cans were in many households. Those same cans were used for many household uses after they were empty. Now, we have a very different obsession with coffee.
We love exploring different ways to make our coffee and different beans from all around the world. Later, I will go into all of the ways I have made coffee and beans I have tried. This blog is about Baristas tips for brewing better coffee.
Barista Brewing of coffee
To brew a barista-level cup of coffee at home, focus on bean quality, grind consistency, water temperature, and brew method. Precision and freshness are key. It may take practice or the new Ninja machine. A half way good cup of coffee isn’t bad either. But a great cup just puts your day on a great track.
I can just sit there and stare out my back window watching nature with a great cup of coffee. All is right with the world then.
Baristas say that freshness matters buy whole beans and use them with in 2 to 4 weeks of roasting. Some brands will put on the packages when they were roasted. These brands are mainly sold at specialty shops. Some areas have coffee roast shops. My area does not. The closest one is 4 hours away. My coffee will not be as fresh as in this tips. I do order from the Idaho Roasting Company from time to time. I have also ordered beans from Amazon and some aren’t too bad as well. Their single origin beans are great place to start if you don’t have a roasting shop near you. Taste preferences vary as in all things.
I don’t have an extremely fancy grinder. Mine is from Cuisinart it works just fine. I am sure that many others work just as well. Baristas stated you should grind for what time of machine or method you are using to brew your coffee. Coarse for French press, medium for drip machine and fine for espresso or Aeropress.
I usually use my drip machine as it is quick and easy for my work days. My current machine is Beautiful by Drew Barrymore. I have this machine for how great it looks in my kitchen next to the matching air fryer. It does alright. The thing I don’t like about it is that I can never pour a cup with out it dripping on the counter. Other than that it is a typical machine. Probably not what your local barista would recommend. Either way, I have brewed both medium grind and fine grind with this machine. The fine does seem to leave a build up at the bottom of the cup. Similar to hot cocoa that hasn’t been stirred up well.
Espresso is probably better in my little percolator that I use on the stove. During the week there is no time for this practice. During the weekend there is time for this coffee indulgence.
As in my other blog post, about brewing a better cup of coffee. It talks about using a bit of water and I still use this tip. Baristas also state using cool, fresh water is a much. So all of you that set up the coffee maker with the programmer, that would not be the barista way. Although waking up to the smell of good coffee may override this tips in some ways.
Baristas suggest using a digital scale for weighting the coffee and water. The common ratio used is 1:16 (20g coffee and then 320g of water). This tip comes from the dailybrewlab.com and I would think you would need a scale. I wouldn’t know how to do that in ounces effectively. Water to beans ratio is very important in brewing a great cup of coffee.
Another helpful tip with an average coffee drip machine is to wait until the brew is completely finished. As well as keeping your machine or any brewing equipment clean. Equipment can get dirty quickly. Also using a charcoal filter is also very important in brewing a great cup of coffee.
Being the coffee obsessed country that we are you probably know all of these tips.
If you didn’t, it is always good to learn new things.
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