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Choosing the Perfect Cup of Coffee
There used to be three choices for coffee lovers at their local
supermarket: Folgers, Maxwell House, or the store brand. But in
today's world of Starbucks and the countless imitators it has
spawned, how do you tell the difference between truly gourmet
coffee and overpriced coffee barely above the store brand
standard? How do you pick between all the different exotic
flavors? How do you keep your coffee fresh once you've bought
it? Below are some tips to help you brew that perfect cup.
1. First, if you're going to pick what you like, you have to
know what you like. It sounds obvious, but many coffee
drinkers don't know what "dark," "full-bodied," "nutty," etc.
actually taste like. Here's a useful resource to help you get
started - the
coffee glossary.
2. Speaking of what you like, did you know that the coffees
that have "European names" (ie, "French Roast") has nothing
to do with the country of origin but the coffee style? French
Roast coffee is generally bittersweet; Italian Roast is even
darker and more bitter. Not surprisingly, American Roast is
considerably less dark and less bitter. Many people enjoy darker
roasts, but the darker the roast, the less you will enjoy the
subtle flavors.
3. By contrast, coffees with "non-European" names are from
that country. So Sumatra coffee, for example, is from the
island of Sumatra, and so forth. The coffees from different
areas all have slightly different flavors based on the different
soil types (level of acidity and other factors).
4. Which is better - whole, or ground? A better question
to ask is: How fresh is this coffee? Whether
it is ground or not
makes less difference than how fresh the coffee is. Choose a
coffee (whole or ground) packaged in an airtight container.
Porous containers, such as paper bags, will allow coffee to go
stale quickly. Once you open that container, your coffee starts
to lose its freshness. This means if you're buying coffee in
bulk but you're only drinking a cup per day, your coffee will be
flavorless in six months' time.
5. If you're picking out whole beans at your local
market, stay away from beans that are split, broken, or cracked.
6. And what about decaffeinated coffee? Can you still
enjoy the same flavor and body as its caffeinated cousin?
Although some restaurants serve a weak cup of decaf this is not
a result of the coffee but of improper brewing. Allowing the
coffee to sit out for a long time on the burner also causes it
to become bitter and flat. By brewing a decaf cup in the proper
way and by consuming it before it turns bitter, you can enjoy
your cup of joe without the caffeine side effects.
7. And by the way, before you brew that perfect cup of
gourmet coffee, make sure your coffee equipment is clean!
There's nothing worse than the residue of old coffee smell
mixing in with your newly bought gourmet coffee. This is true
for your coffee grinder as well as for your coffee maker - and
especially if you enjoy testing different flavored coffees. If
you do not clean your equipment regularly, your "hazelnut"
coffee might just taste a lot like the "vanilla" coffee you had
last week.
Enjoy!
About the author:
Rachel Medlock is a long-time coffee lover and owner of the site
http://www.MyGourmetCoffees.com.
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