4 Ways to Make Better Coffee at Home or Work

Want to Make the Best Coffee? Read This

You don’t have to be an artisan coffee maker to make yourself a proper coffee at home. Save yourself the pennies, and reduce your plastic waste by making a mug at home or work. It can be tough to know which type of coffee, or which equipment makes the best coffee, so we’re here with a few tips on how to make the best coffee.

Buy Good Quality Beans or Grounds

Coffee can only be really good if it’s made with high-quality beans or grounds. “Without good ingredients, it’s impossible to make a great product,” says Laura Bratti, Head of Training at the Artisan Coffee School. The best quality beans are Arabica beans that have been sealed for freshness. Knowing where your coffee comes from, and what its origin means for its flavour will help you understand more about what you’re drinking. Different countries produce coffee with unique flavours.

Store It Properly

The fresher the coffee, the fresher the taste. Whole beans usually have a fresher taste, as they are still entirely intact. You can grind them yourself and ensure you have the freshest coffee possible. However, pre-ground coffee can still be kept fresh in either the fridge or freezer. Once the bag is opened, seal the bag and store it properly by keeping the coffee in the cold, rather than leaving it on the kitchen side.

Know Your Flavours

Everybody has their preferences when it comes to coffee. Some like milky, some like sweet. But, what about when it comes to the flavours of the actual coffee you’ve chosen? Coffee originates from many different locations, and each of these locations gives signature flavours to the beans. It usually depends on how the beans are grown or roasted.

Light roasts tend to retain much of the original taste of the coffee, whereas dark roasts take on more flavour during the roasting process – such as smoke or bitterness. To help understand the flavour profiles of coffee, and to help you determine what standout flavours of coffee you enjoy, refer to this coffee flavour wheel. “It helps you move away from talking about strong or weak and actually open up to being able to describe coffees and find one you like. It’s basically putting a word to a sensation,” says Taylors of Harrogate coffee buyer Frank Tanner.

Choose Your Equipment

Making coffee with different methods or equipment can lead to different flavours and mouth feels. Many people if making a coffee and home or work will towards a cafetiere. Cafetieres are french presses that produce simple and true tasting coffee. If you’re making coffee in the workplace, you can also make a batch using a cafetiere, which can help!

Generally, making coffee with anything with a paper filter gives a smooth, thinner texture. Making coffee with a method that requires pressure – such as a cafetiere gives a thicker, richer feel.