Coffee and espresso are very popular caffeinated beverages, therefore they are a big topic to be discussed. Nowadays, coffee consumption is a personal ritual and a regular part of our daily routines. No matter if you drink coffee or espresso for the caffeine boost, you just like the taste of it, you should know some things about it. Here is a well-equipped guide to coffee and espresso that will educate you on some of the most important things.
How Much Caffeine Is in One Cup?
If you are drinking coffee every day, you should know how much caffeine you are consuming and what it is. Caffeine occurs in plants and it serves as a defence mechanism against insects. But humans use it as a stimulant. One cup of black coffee has somewhere between 150 and 200 mg of caffeine but a double shot of espresso is closer to 150 mg. Decaffeinated coffee is coffee that has the caffeine removed from it, but it is not 100 per cent without caffeine. It is roughly around 97 per cent caffeine-free. But those three per cent of caffeine
Always Choose the Right Beans
The thing that will make your coffee taste amazing or bad is the quality of beans that you choose, therefore you should always pick the top-quality ones. The best way to make amazing coffee is by using fresh beans. One of the ways to ensure that your beans are good is to check the date of their roast. If there is no date on the package don't buy them because they can be really old, therefore they won't taste good. Ideally, you will want to get beans that were roasted in the past two weeks. Another thing that plays a big role in the taste of the beans is how you store them. You should always store them in an airtight container that is placed in a cool and dry area.
But the other part of making a good cup of coffee is finding the beans that you like the taste of. Think about things like do you like a dark roast or light roast, fruity favours or nutty ones? If you are on the path of finding the perfect coffee blend, experiment with different blends, roasts and roasters. Every roaster will have a different way of doing it, therefore the flavours that you end up with will be different.
Darker beans will have more flavour from the process than the light ones will have. During the process, they will also lose the floral and fruity flavours and get more caramel notes and cocoa ones. A lot of coffee drinkers, especially those who like their coffee with milk, are opposed to blends that have an acidic taste. You will never actually know what you like if you don’t try everything on the market and find the perfect coffee roast and blend for your cup of coffee.
Pick Your Brewing Method
Once you have found your coffee beans, you should think about what is your perfect brewing method. There are so many different methods that you can choose from. You can have an espresso coffee machine if you are a busy bee and you need your coffee to take on the day or you can choose more complicated methods like manual espresso if you want to have rewarding rituals. But what you should know is that there is a machine for every single kind of coffee drinker out there.
Get the Grind Right
When you know what type of beans you like and what method you want to use, it is time to get something to grind your beans with. It is one of the most important variables that are in your hands when you are brewing your coffee. Different brewing methods will require different grinds to get the best results. If you have chosen espresso, it will require a very fine grind but if you have chosen something like drip or pour over it requires a coarser ground. Once again, making a perfect cup will require experimenting with different grinds and beans to see how they act.
One of the most important things is to grind only the amount you need for that cup of coffee. That is because once you grind it, it starts losing its aroma and freshener immediately. There are so many different grinders that you can find on the market from manual ones to super high-tech ones.
Water Is Really Important
Obviously, one of the biggest parts of coffee is water, that is why you should think of it as an ingredient. That is why the quality of water plays a very big role when making your coffee, it will also have an effect on the functionality of your coffee machine. Your filtering needs will depend on where you live. Another important thing when you are brewing our coffee is the temperature of the water. The ideal temperature is between 195 and 205° Fahrenheit. If the water is too hot it will destroy the potential of your beans, but if it’s not warm enough it will be like dirty dishwater.
Perfect Your Recipe
Making a cup of coffee is just like baking, in order for it to be perfect you need to follow the recipe perfectly. If you add too much water it will be too watery and if you don't add enough it will be too strong. If your grind is too fine the coffee will spill from the machine and the flavour won't be right. If it's too coarse it won't have enough flavour and it will be too watery. Making coffee is about having the perfect recipe and patience.
When you are a coffee lover, buying a coffee machine is the perfect investment. With it being a big decision there are so many different ones you can choose from to ensure that you are getting the perfect one for your needs. They are easy to use and they will look amazing in your kitchen. No matter what you choose it will be worth the money.
