It is a common occurrence that you pour so much effort into making a delicious cup of black coffee but the end result is often a cold, bitter beverage with granules of ground coffee lining the edges of the cup. On the other hand, brewing a bold, bitter, steaming cup of hot coffee in a French press, drip or pour-over, feels like a successful endeavour. A perfectly brewed cup of joe is the ideal accompaniment to your mornings spent catching up on the news or afternoons filled with crazy amounts of work.
Black coffee is a beverage for those on-the-go, who want to feel refreshed and energised to take on the day. The time required to brew that perfect cup is well worth the rush of caffeine and energy it gives every morning. There are some handy tips to make sure that the time and concentration spent on the brewing process yields fruit and you can sip on the perfect brew suited to your preference and taste buds. Read on below for some simple hacks to brew that steaming cup of black coffee, whatever the filtering method:
Use Freshly Roasted Beans
Most coffee experts recommend that for optimum taste, it is best to use freshly roasted coffee beans. Order whole beans in small quantities every couple of weeks to make sure that the beans remain fresh for every cup you brew. Freshness of the beans can often be determined by their aroma and the complex taste of the compounds that begins to escape once beans lose their freshness.
Bloom The Coffee
'Bloom' basically means the bubbling up of coffee grounds that occurs when hot water is poured over them. A proper bloom ensures that all the coffee grounds are wet so that hot water builds pressure on the grounds to expel a rich aroma and complex flavours. For a perfect bloom, boil water at a suitable temperature and add a small amount to the coffee. Wait for 30 seconds before adding more water.
Grind At The Correct Coarseness
Grind your own beans so that you can adjust coarseness to your preferred level of bitterness. Measure the coffee beans on a weighing scale and use a good-quality grinder for a fine powder. If you want coffee to be bitter, go for a fine grind. Change the level of the coarseness according to the brewing technique. A French press requires a coarser grind than an espresso.
Find Your Roast
Most times, bitterness levels, aroma and taste of coffee is associated with picking the right roast. Experiment widely to arrive at your preferred roast. Sometimes, a dark roast can be too acidic, at others, a medium might be too mild. Try and test different roasts and ground the beans according to your preferred brewing method for a fragrant, aromatic cup.
Regulate Water Temperature
A lot of times, brewing has got more to do with water than with ground coffee. If the water is lukewarm, it will have very little effect on the coffee compounds and the end result will be a cold, bland beverage. Use water that is just about boiled for making coffee so that it extracts maximum flavour without any of the unnecessary bitterness. This will also keep your coffee warm when it is finally brewed to perfection!