by Steven Gomez

Created on: January 09, 2011   Last Updated: January 11, 2011

Most coffee drinkers couldn't care less about how their coffee tastes as long as it's hot and caffeinated.  But aficionados abound and want to find ways to brew the best cups of coffee they can get.  It can be done without fancy equipment and complex effort as long as you know what makes coffee perfect for you and as long as you take the right steps in preparation.

First of all, if you make your coffee is a regular electric coffeemaker, you might want to switch to another method depending on your preferences.  The french press used with kettle-heated water is the best method for those preferring a strong, saturated cup of coffee rich in the natural oils of a coffee roast.  A coffee siphon, which with all its chambers and tubes looks like a chemist device, might work better for those who find many coffees too bitter and want a slightly sweeter taste to their coffee.  French presses can actually be found in many retail stores, though you will likely need to order a coffee siphon online.  You need not break the bank for either device: Siphons can get expensive but many retail for as little as $30.

But for many, a simple coffee maker still does the trick.  No matter what you use, the perfect cup of coffee requires these essential things:

1. Keep your equipment spotlessly clean!  Many people and even many coffee retailers don't make a habit of scrubbing out their coffee machines, and the accumulation of gunk can distort the flavor of your coffee.  Scrub the stains out of every part of your coffee equipment, whether the filters of a french press or the chambers and pot of a coffee maker.

2. Buy a fresh roast from reputed coffee roasters, and keep it stored in an airtight container.  Anyone seeking the perfect cup of coffee probably knows this already, but the supermarket roast on the shelf probably isn't what you want.  If you can buy a local roast, please do.  Find out who in your town roasts coffee or gets fresh shipments of fresh roasted beans and try to buy from them.  Once you do get coffee, store it in an airtight, thermos-style container to prevent the air from leeching the coffee's flavor and freshness.

3. Grind your coffee right before brewing. Getting coffee pre-ground, or storing ground coffee allows the flavor and freshness to quickly escape.  Treat ground coffee the way you'd treat raw meat at room temperature: Once you take it out, use it immediately.

4. Use clean water to brew your coffee.  Impurities in tap water can distort and even ruin the flavor of good coffee, even after boiling.  At the very least use filtered drinking water, even distilled water if you can, to brew your coffee.

Follow the detailed instructions for your respective coffee device of choice, while making sure to follow the above steps, and you can make yourself and others the perfect cup of coffee.

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