How to make a good coffee?

What could be better than a cup of coffee after a meal? However, this pleasure requires knowing how to make the right preparation depending on your machine. If you’re wondering how to make a perfect cup of coffee with your machine, here are the rules and tips you need to follow to avoid making mistakes.

Making a perfect coffee with a filter coffee maker

Popular with many people, coffee is a richly flavoured beverage that can be prepared in a variety of ways to suit your tastes. Whether you like your coffee long, short, sweet or strong, you’ll need to use different methods to get the right amount. The preparation also depends on whether you are a fan of filter coffee from a machine or whether you use a piston, pod or capsule machine.

First, we’ll look at how to do this if you have a filter coffee maker in your home. These tips will help you enjoy a delicious cup of coffee every day, whenever you want it. First of all, remember to rinse the filter paper well with hot water so that it no longer contains any aftertaste. When it comes to dosage, it is important to be precise: for 100 ml of water, you need 10 grams of ground coffee, the equivalent of a heaped tablespoon. It is best to use filtered water or spring water instead of tap water.

It is important that your coffee does not lose its aroma and flavour during preparation. To do this, be careful not to burn it by leaving it on the hot plate of an electric coffee maker. It is recommended that you never reheat coffee. Try to drink it soon after making it or store it in a thermos.

Making a perfect coffee with a plunger coffee maker

People who prefer the gentle method of extraction (known as “Slow Coffee”), with a very aromatic Arabica coffee, are used to using a piston coffee maker. With this appliance, there are certain steps to follow to obtain a coffee of excellent quality and give yourself a gourmet break during the day.

Also known as the French Press, the plunger coffee maker is the perfect accessory for making great coffee every day. With this machine, the best grind is the coarsely ground coffee. A fine grind could clog the filter. It is best to select coffee beans and then grind them yourself with a grinder to the desired size. You can then use one teaspoon for a 12 cl cup.

Water heated to 90°C in a kettle can be poured over the coffee, remembering to leave a space between the water level and the top of your coffee maker. You can then place the lid on (without pushing in the plunger) and brew for 4 minutes. All you have to do is gently press the plunger to squeeze the coffee and collect the precious liquid in your cup.

Using properly your pod machine

You can make coffee with an Italian coffee maker, a percolator or an espresso machine. If you have a pod or capsule machine, the process may seem easier, but it requires some application to get the best result.

A pod (or capsule) is the equivalent of a single coffee, so you won’t be able to reuse it later. The only real difficulty with a machine of this type is to set the amount of water you are going to use. To make a ristretto or espresso, you will need between 25 and 40 ml of water. In the case of a French coffee, which is less strong, the coffee should be diluted in a larger quantity of water, around 60 ml.

A practical tip for better tasting coffee is to run your machine empty once a day. This will allow you to run the water without putting a capsule or pod in to purge the machine, prime the pump and wash the extraction chamber. This way, the next coffee you make will have all its flavours preserved.

Accessories to enjoy your coffee

In order to make every coffee a moment of relaxation, it is recommended that you buy beautiful and durable mugs. Aesthetic and solid models will enhance your home-made coffee. A glass or opal mug is a classic choice for good aroma preservation. With a set of mugs at your disposal, you can organise tastings of different coffees with family and friends.

Depending on your wishes, you can find the mug, cup or bowl with the ideal capacity to enjoy a short, long or espresso coffee. For gourmet recipes, you can choose transparent cups that allow you to see the foam, the caramel or the latte. An insulated mug is also an excellent solution for keeping your coffee at the right temperature.

For a tasty coffee, a fresh roast is the best choice. You can get it from a roastery where freshly roasted coffee is available for sale. Another option is to choose a package with a recent roast date from a supermarket. Coffee enthusiasts can invest in a manual or electric grinder to grind their coffee.