by Mel L.

Created on: December 19, 2011   Last Updated: December 22, 2011

Ah, the perfect cup of coffee; joy of Tchaikovsky. Delight to students, professors, and professionals alike. Who doesn’t enjoy a perfect brew? But while many enjoy it, not all have the secrets required for attaining the impossible dream. The perfect cup of coffee, how do you make it?

To make the perfect cup of coffee, one must first have all essential materials. These are:

Beans

Use fresh, quality beans - the secret to the best anything is using the freshest ingredients available. So when making a perfect cup of coffee it is best to follow the same rule. The best coffee beans are those which have been roasted in the past week. It is likely you won’t find beans of this caliber at your nearest supermarket.

So take your hunt for the perfect beans to your community. Find artisan roasted beans at your local farmers’ market or a family operated coffee shop. You’ll find a quality, personalized shopping experience and nicely roasted beans.

Grinding

Burr-Grinders - A burr-grinder will give you a cup of coffee par excellence. It is extremely important not to short yourself on your grinder, truly. Like the quality of your bean, a good or bad grinder will make or break your perfect cup of coffee. What makes a burr-grinder superior? It causes the grounds to be uniform, be they coarse, fine, or somewhere in between; this symmetry in the universe gives you a bold, and flavorful, coffee experience. A deep, rich, fabulous brew.

Water

Clean Cold Water - Why? When getting water from your filter you pick up the least amount of undesirable flavors using cold water. So when your coffee pot is finished perking or your French press is finished pressing you’ll taste nothing but pure coffee goodness.

Drip or Press

When it comes to the actual brewing of coffee there has been some contention. Drip or French press?.

While drip is good for your average Joe, French press takes you a few steps closer to Nirvana. With French press you get the effects of full flavor and caffeine that are otherwise lost to a paper filter.

Now that you have all that you need to make the perfect brew. The time for action has come. Here are ten steps to the perfect cup of coffee.

1). Boil your water; it is important to do this before you grind. Boiling beforehand will ensure your water is perfect temperature and will not “scald” your beans.

2). Once water is boiled set on a pot holder, or on another heat-resistant surface.

3). Grind your beans. Depending on how strong you want your coffee go from coarse to fine.

4). Use one well rounded tablespoon per cup of water.

5). Add grounds to French press

6). Pour the water carefully into the French press, as it is easy to scald yourself. Ensure you saturate all grounds.

7). “Bloom”, the light brownish foam, should be starting at this point. Give the press five stirs with a wooden spoon to give the best bloom to your bloom.

8). Put press “filter” on the top, but do not press down yet. Let your coffee steep for two to four minutes.

9). Begin pressing the filter in an even, steady manner. Be careful not to let slip any grounds by uneven or rapid filter pressing.

10). Your perfect cup of coffee is ready to be poured and enjoyed!

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