Don’t settle for second rate coffee in the morning. Bad coffee, of course, is a cinch to make. But if you want the tastiest and freshest java for your morning wake up call, you need to take certain precautions before it even hits your coffee mugs.
First off, start with fresh cold water in your coffee machine if you want something delicious in your mugs. The temperature of the water is also important to deciding what ends up in your coffee mugs. Water that is too cool, on the other hand, won’t suck out all of the flavor from your grounds, leaving no flavor in your mouth after a few cups.
The best temperature for coffee is between 195 degrees and 205 degrees. If you press brewing your morning coffee cups, reach this optimal water temperature by letting your water wait for a moment after it comes to a boil. For your typical dip coffee machines, you can get a similar effect by pre-heating the pot. Do this by pouring hot water into the empty carafe, which will warm it, and then dump this water out to start brewing.
Next, make sure you have the correct grind for your particular coffee machine. You need to choose your coffee grinds from the two main groups, depending if you are using a press pot or an electric machine. For press pots, you’ll want to grind your own beans for about 10 second in your typical, inexpensive blade grinder. For electric brewers and other drip machines, you’ll need to grind your own beans for about 15-20 seconds.