It won’t matter how rich, expensive or high quality your coffee beans are, they won’t produce the best flavor if the grinding isn’t right. There is more than one type of grinder on the market and when evaluating grind and brew coffee makers, you will want to pay careful attention to the grinder.

The Grinding Side of Coffee Making

Some grinders come with blades and some have burr type grinders. The generally consensus among coffee growers is that the burr type is best. The blades tend to cut the coffee in a way that doesn’t release the best flavor. On the other hand, 2î burrs will gently chop the beans into a well ground consistency that will enhance the bean’s flavor. The objective here is a fine, consistent grind.

The Brewer

The other side of the combination grind and brew coffee makers is the brewing component. This will consist of a water reservoir, a filter and the cup or pot area to catch the hot coffee. Brewers come with a thermostat to heat water to the perfect temperature. Filer areas can hold a filter designed to hold enough grounds to make a full pot, or have single serving filters. The most important part of the brewing side of things to consider is how well the water is filtered as well as the coffee. If tap water is used and contains minerals, there must be a water filtration system to avoid having chemicals or minerals change the taste of the coffee. You could of course use filtered water, but in combination units convenience is the goal.

Putting the Two Together

Combination units have taken the best grinders and best brewers and put them conveniently together. Many combo units have timers so you can program them to grind and brew just minutes before you are ready to enjoy the coffee. This freshly ground and brewed coffee can be waiting for you and begin the process as you sleep. You will wake up to the aroma and flavours that will help you start your day just right.

There are various sizes and styles of combination coffee makers. Depending on the recipe (Espresso, Latte, etc) or if you plan to make more single cup drinks than pots, you can right the model for your needs.

In addition to comparing features you will want to compare your personal needs to the machine’s abilities. For example, the super automatic Espresso maker or Cappuccino Makers are designed for the busiest people. They go from stone cold to a freshly brewed cup of coffee in a matter of minutes. There is also a clean up time to factor in. With super automatic styles, there is no clean up so you can save even more time with these models.

The basic formula for the perfect, freshest brew then is to begin with the beans. Select a flavor from around the world that appeals to you. Next, make sure you retain that flavor by grinding it with a burr style grinder (not usually found at your local grocery store) to ensure the texture is just right for brewing. Then brew with pure water and a good filter that won’t change the flavor. Grind and brew coffee makers with all of these features will do the job. The rest of the features, such as timers, automatic cleaning, etc. will just be foam on your latte!

Air is the enemy of all coffee drinkers. Once air comes in contact with your coffee grinds, they begin to lose their flavor. Coffee manufacturers vacuum seal their grinds to keep them fresh while they sit on the shelves at the supermarket but once you break that seal, it’s all downhill from there. Buying whole coffee beans and grinding them yourself is a great way to ensure that your coffee remains as flavorful as possible. But do you know how to grind your coffee beans properly?

Different types of coffee calls for different types of grinds. So you’ll need to learn to use your coffee grinder properly if you want to make the freshest best tasting coffee possible.

If you plan on brewing your coffee with a percolator or a French Press coffee maker then you’ll need a coarser grind. Place the coffee beans in your coffee grinder and tap the grind button a few times as you would use the pulse feature on your food processor. The goal is to break the beans up so that they look like tiny pieces of coffee bean. If they look like a powder, then you need to slowly back away from the coffee grinder and start again. Remember to tap the button and not hold it down.

Automatic drip coffee makers work best with medium grinds. Picture the grinds that you’d find in a can of supermarket coffee. Those are medium grinds. They can be described as looking like brown sand. So remember the last time you went to the beach but instead of seeing the sand in between your toes, imagine seeing sand in your coffee maker. Once again, while holding the coffee grinder button, don’t get carried away and over grind your coffee beans. You do not want a fine powder if you’re going to use an automatic coffee maker.

Finally if your using an espresso maker, you want those fine powdery grinds that you’ve been trying to avoid when making coarse and medium grinds. So grind away until your heart is content.

Grinding your own coffee beans right before you brew your coffee is a great way to make sure that you’re getting the freshest cup of coffee possible. But a fresh cup of coffee can still be bitter or weak. Learning how to grind your coffee beans is an important part of making great coffee.

Could there be anything better than a hot, fresh brewed cup of coffee? As you open that can of pre-ground Maxwell House Coffee, did you even know that coffee comes in different roasts? Did you know that you can roast your own coffee beans at home? If you think that the aroma of your fresh ground coffee beans can’t be beat, get a home coffee roaster, you’ll be in Java Heaven.

Roasting the coffee beans is what imparts flavor. Similar to the making of a fine wine or a hand rolled cigar, some consider the roasting of coffee beans as an art. Those that describe coffee use some of the same vocabulary they use to describe wine. Depending on the roast level chosen the beans take on different flavor characteristics. The lighter the coffee bean the less flavor it will have, the darker the coffee bean the stronger the flavor it will have.

There are generally four different categories of roast. A light roast (American) , a medium roast (Breakfast), a dark roast (French), and darkest roast (Italian or espresso). Each type of roast imparts a different appearance to the coffee beans.

When a coffee bean is roasted to an American roast the beans will have a very light color to them and they will appear dry. A medium roasted bean, or Breakfast roast will have a rich brown color and will be oily in appearance. A French roasted coffee bean will have a very oily appearance with the beans appearing very dark brown. The darkest roasted beans or Espresso beans will appear black.

Coffee roasting can easily be done in your home. Depending on the roast that you desire you can roast coffee in five to fifteen minutes. Green beans are available online from a number of sellers, as are coffee roasters. Choose different types of green coffees to sample. Drum roasters are very popular for use in the home. It’s best to consider purchasing a roaster as it will give you the most consistent finish to your beans. Some try to roast beans in frying pans, some use hot air popcorn poppers. While each of these techniques will work, as mentioned above they don’t give a consistent finish to all the beans and you will most likely be disappointed in the result.

Enjoy!

Today, I will propose to you how to make a great cup of coffee. You can do it. There are a few secrets to the process. I will share these with you.

Start with the bean and pick your roast. Quality coffee can only come from a quality coffee bean that is properly roasted. The process of roasting a coffee bean is complex and can result in a given bean tasting very different depending on how it is roasted. If you desire a strong intense flavor to your coffee, choose a dark roast (ex: French Roast). If you like to a light flavor, less intense, choose a lighter roast.

Never use pre-ground coffee. Pre-ground coffee will lose its flavor and essence within a short period of time. Grinding before you brew will assure you that no flavor is lost due to time.

Always use cold filtered water when brewing your coffee. The water you use represents 98% of your cup of coffee. Filtering the water will remove impurities that could affect the taste. Poor quality water can come from a variety of sources. Example, older house will have older pipes. Theses pipes tend to give the water an off flavor. You will want to remove this by filtering. The basic rule is the better the water, the better the coffee.

Skip the paper filters and go for the gold. Yes, these are 23k gold plated stainless steel filters. Paper filters will influence the flavor of the coffee in a negative manner. The Gold plated filters influence the flavor by allowing natural oils to infiltrate into your brew, adding a level of flavor and aroma you wont find with paper coffee filters. Another plus is that these filters can be reused over and over, and will last a very long time. Not only will your coffee be better, but you will be helping the environment by saving on waste.

Never over do it on the add-ins. Cut down on the sugar, cream, and other flavor add-ins to really enjoy the true essence of the brew. If we disguise the coffee to much; we will never know the true taste.

Part of what makes a great cup of coffee is how and when we enjoy it. We all have our favorite time and rituals. For me, nothing beats enjoying a great cup of coffee on a Sunday morning and reading the paper.